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Reconstruction of active regular motion in amoeba extract: dynamic cooperation between sol and gel states.

Authors :
Nishigami Y
Ichikawa M
Kazama T
Kobayashi R
Shimmen T
Yoshikawa K
Sonobe S
Source :
PloS one [PLoS One] 2013 Aug 05; Vol. 8 (8), pp. e70317. Date of Electronic Publication: 2013 Aug 05 (Print Publication: 2013).
Publication Year :
2013

Abstract

Amoeboid locomotion is one of the typical modes of biological cell migration. Cytoplasmic sol-gel conversion of an actomyosin system is thought to play an important role in locomotion. However, the mechanisms underlying sol-gel conversion, including trigger, signal, and regulating factors, remain unclear. We developed a novel model system in which an actomyosin fraction moves like an amoeba in a cytoplasmic extract. Rheological study of this model system revealed that the actomyosin fraction exhibits shear banding: the sol-gel state of actomyosin can be regulated by shear rate or mechanical force. Furthermore, study of the living cell indicated that the shear-banding property also causes sol-gel conversion with the same order of magnitude as that of shear rate. Our results suggest that the inherent sol-gel transition property plays an essential role in the self-regulation of autonomous translational motion in amoeba.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1932-6203
Volume :
8
Issue :
8
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
PloS one
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
23940560
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070317