DeActs: genetically encoded tools for perturbing the actin cytoskeleton in single cells.

Harterink, Martin; da Silva, Marta Esteves; Will, Lena; Turan, Julia; Ibrahim, Adiljan; Lang, Alexander E; van Battum, Eljo Y; Pasterkamp, R Jeroen et al. · Nat Methods · 2017

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The actin cytoskeleton is essential for many fundamental biological processes, but tools for directly manipulating actin dynamics are limited to cell-permeable drugs that preclude single-cell perturbations. Here we describe DeActs, genetically encoded actin-modifying polypeptides, which effectively induce actin disassembly in eukaryotic cells. We demonstrate that DeActs are universal tools for studying the actin cytoskeleton in single cells in culture, tissues, and multicellular organisms including various neurodevelopmental model systems.

Medical subject headings