Journal
CHEMPHYSCHEM
Volume 10, Issue 9-10, Pages 1559-1566Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200900226
Keywords
biophysics; intracellular transport; magnetic force rheology; nonequilibrium processes; vesicles
Funding
- Bayerische Gleichstellungsforderung (BGF)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A living cell is a complex out-of-equilibrium system, in which a great variety of biochemical and physical processes have to be coordinated to ensure viability. We investigate properties of intracellular transport in single cells of the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, a relevant model organism due to its cytoskeleton simplicity. In the cells, vesicles undergo two types of motion: directed transport, driven by molecular motors on filaments, or thermal diffusion in a crowded active medium. We present results obtained with our recently developed TRAnSpORT algorithm, which performs a high-resolution temporal analysis of the track of endosomal superparamagnetic particles and splits intracellular transport into different motion states. It results in a two-state model, distinguishing active and passive transport phenomena. We can extract the precise effect of cellular micro- and nanoarchitecture on endosomal transport by disturbing the cytoskeleton through the use of depolymerizing drugs (Benomyl for microtubules, and Latrunculin A for F-actin). Further, we investigate how cytoskeleton filaments act together in order to maintain cell integrity, by applying external mechanical force on the magnetic particle and influencing its motion.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available