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XB-ART-45603
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012 Jul 17;10929:11705-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1121583109.
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Confinement induces actin flow in a meiotic cytoplasm.

Pinot M , Steiner V , Dehapiot B , Yoo BK , Chesnel F , Blanchoin L , Kervrann C , Gueroui Z .


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In vivo, F-actin flows are observed at different cell life stages and participate in various developmental processes during asymmetric divisions in vertebrate oocytes, cell migration, or wound healing. Here, we show that confinement has a dramatic effect on F-actin spatiotemporal organization. We reconstitute in vitro the spontaneous generation of F-actin flow using Xenopus meiotic extracts artificially confined within a geometry mimicking the cell boundary. Perturbations of actin polymerization kinetics or F-actin nucleation sites strongly modify the network flow dynamics. A combination of quantitative image analysis and biochemical perturbations shows that both spatial localization of F-actin nucleators and actin turnover play a decisive role in generating flow. Interestingly, our in vitro assay recapitulates several symmetry-breaking processes observed in oocytes and early embryonic cells.

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Species referenced: Xenopus
Genes referenced: actl6a

References [+] :
Azoury, Spindle positioning in mouse oocytes relies on a dynamic meshwork of actin filaments. 2008, Pubmed