Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yashar Bashirzadeh, Hossein Moghimianavval, Allen P. Liu
Summary: Cell shape changes during locomotion and cytokinesis are primarily driven by myosin-induced remodeling of cortical actin patterns. The architecture of actin networks, which largely determines the shape of the membrane, is influenced by passive crosslinkers such as alpha-actinin and fascin, as well as the actin nucleator Arp2/3 complex. By reconstituting actomyosin networks in cell-sized lipid bilayer vesicles, the study shows that the size of the vesicle and the concentrations of alpha-actinin and fascin can lead to the assembly of different actomyosin patterns, such as rings and aster-like structures.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zeynab Mousavikhamene, Daniel J. Sykora, Milan Mrksich, Neda Bagheri
Summary: This research successfully introduced an algorithm that could distinguish cancer from non-cancer cells in high-resolution single cell images by exploiting structural differences in the cytoskeleton. Overcoming the barrier of insufficient data in machine learning methodologies, the study identified the most discriminatory features to predict cell type accurately with as few as 100 cells per line. Furthermore, normalizing cell shape improved discrimination of cell lines with difficult-to-distinguish phenotypes, demonstrating the generalizability of the algorithm across various tissue origins.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Hui Miao, Timothy E. Vanderleest, Rashmi Budhathoki, Dinah Loerke, J. Todd Blankenship
Summary: Force generation in epithelial tissues is pulsatile, with actomyosin networks generating contractile forces before cyclically disassembling. PIP3 is identified as a critical lipid cue for ratcheting engagement, and disruption of PIP3 leads to dramatic shape switches in epithelial cells. Additionally, PIP3 enrichments and JAK/STAT signaling jointly regulate Sbf/Rab35 recruitment, elucidating a complex lipid-dependent regulatory machinery in directing ratcheting engagement in epithelial tissues.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph Puccini, Jia Wei, Liang Tong, Dafna Bar-Sagi
Summary: Macropinocytosis is a nonselective endocytosis process that facilitates the uptake of extracellular fluid-phase cargoes. Tumor cells exploit this process to acquire macromolecules for cell growth and proliferation under nutrient-limiting conditions. This study reveals that the enzyme ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a key regulator of macropinocytosis, and it is involved in the actin cytoskeleton. The findings demonstrate a mechanism that links regional acetyl-CoA availability with dynamic protein acetylation, supporting the spatial and temporal modulation of membrane-cytoskeletal interactions required for macropinocytosis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Maxime Liboz, Antoine Allard, Michel Malo, Guillaume Lamour, Gaelle Letort, Benedicte Thiebot, Sid Labdi, Juan Pelta, Clement Campillo
Summary: The mechanical properties of living cells reflect their physiological and pathological state. Adhesive micropatterns can be used to standardize the mechanics and morphologies of cancer cells. Micropatterning cancer cells leads to distinct morphological and mechanical changes associated with differences in the organization of the cytoskeleton.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kaustav Bera, Alexander Kiepas, Ines Godet, Yizeng Li, Pranav Mehta, Brent Ifemembi, Colin D. Paul, Anindya Sen, Selma A. Serra, Konstantin Stoletov, Jiaxiang Tao, Gabriel Shatkin, Se Jong Lee, Yuqi Zhang, Adrianna Boen, Panagiotis Mistriotis, Daniele M. Gilkes, John D. Lewis, Chen-Ming Fan, Andrew P. Feinberg, Miguel A. Valverde, Sean X. Sun, Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
Summary: Cells can respond to changes in extracellular fluid viscosity, and higher viscosity can increase cell motility and dissemination. This is achieved through the formation of a dense actin network and the activation of specific signaling pathways. Additionally, cancer cells exposed to high viscosity can acquire mechanical memory and enhance migration and metastasis through transcriptional control.
Review
Cell Biology
Vincent Mirouse
Summary: The Dystrophin-Associated Protein Complex (DAPC) is a well-defined and evolutionarily conserved complex in animals, which interacts with the F-actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Its function is not limited to muscle integrity maintenance, but also involves adhesive properties and mechanotransduction. The review also highlights its developmental roles in tissue morphogenesis and basement membrane assembly.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Yolla German, Loan Vulliard, Anton Kamnev, Laurene Pfajfer, Jakob Huemer, Anna-Katharina Mautner, Aude Rubio, Artem Kalinichenko, Kaan Boztug, Audrey Ferrand, Joerg Menche, Loic Dupre
Summary: The immunological synapse decodes stimulatory signals into adapted lymphocyte responses, and high-content imaging is used to analyze T and NK cells. The study demonstrates how actin cytoskeleton remodeling shapes synapse architecture and affects lytic granule positioning. Analysis of immunodeficient individuals' CD8(+) T cells reveals the roles of ARPC1B and WASP in synapse assembly.
Article
Oncology
Randa Naffa, Rita Padanyi, Attila Ignacz, Zoltan Hegyi, Balint Jezso, Sarolta Toth, Karolina Varga, Laszlo Homolya, Luca Hegedus, Katalin Schlett, Agnes Enyedi
Summary: Our study demonstrates that PMCA4b inhibits migration and metastatic activity of melanoma cells by affecting F-actin rearrangement within the cells and regulating Ca2+ concentration levels at specific plasma membrane locations which play a critical role in maintaining cell polarity and motility.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Catarina Dias, Erisa Nita, Jakub Faktor, Ailish C. Tynan, Lenka Hernychova, Borivoj Vojtesek, Jesper Nylandsted, Ted R. Hupp, Tilo Kunath, Kathryn L. Ball
Summary: Stylistic changes were made to the manuscript to improve clarity, including the addition of a vertical black line in Figure 1K to indicate the separation between samples. The legend for Figure 2I was also modified to show that the ANXA2 data was obtained by re-probing the membrane shown in Figure 1K, which included the CHIP heterozygous cell sample. As a result, some of the b-actin and CHIP controls were common to both Figure 1K and 2I.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Malene Laage Ebstrup, Catarina Dias, Anne Sofie Busk Heitmann, Stine Lauritzen Sonder, Jesper Nylandsted
Summary: Cellular membrane repair is crucial for cell survival, with the cortical actin cytoskeleton playing a key role in both direct support of membrane repair and indirect assistance to other repair mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ji-Tong Li, Xiao-Ning Cheng, Chong Zhang, De-Li Shi, Ming Shao
Summary: Cell adhesion and active cell shape changes are crucial for morphogenetic movements during embryonic development. The adaptor protein Lurap1 plays a role in regulating cell adhesion during epiboly in zebrafish embryos, contributing to coordinated morphogenetic movements.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Gabriela Bertaiolli Zoca, Eneiva Carla Carvalho Celeghini, Guilherme Pugliesi, Carla Patricia Teodoro de Carvalho, Mayra Elena Ortiz D'Avila Assumpcao, Adriano Felipe Perez Siqueira, Leticia Zoccolaro Oliveira, Renata Lanconi, Rubens Paes de Arruda
Summary: This study found that the presence of seminal plasma contributes to maintaining acrosomal integrity and reducing F-actin cytoskeleton remodelling in bovine sperm. Cooling stage induced the highest F-actin remodelling, while freezing/thawing stage caused the most damage to sperm membranes and mitochondrial potential.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Huaqiang Ruan, Jiang Li, Ting Wang, Haiyun Ren
Summary: Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are important biological events in higher plants' sexual reproduction, involving vesicle trafficking, membrane fusion, and regulation by cytoskeleton, proteins, and signaling molecules such as small G proteins, calcium, and PIP2. Researchers focus on understanding how regulators and signaling molecules participate in secretory vesicle delivery, tethering, and fusion during pollen germination and tube growth.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Maryna Kapustina, Donna Li, James Zhu, Brittany Wall, Violetta Weinreb, Richard E. Cheney
Summary: Each cell possesses a substantial amount of cell surface excess (CSE) that can be deployed to cover cell extensions and allow rapid changes in morphology. Microtubules (MTs) play a significant role in regulating the storage and release of CSE, impacting cell dynamics and cell shape changes. This finding has implications for understanding cell biomechanics and cell migration.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wangcun Jia, Joshua M. Burns, Betty Villantay, Jack C. Tang, Raviraj Vankayala, Ben Lertsakdadet, Bernard Choi, J. Stuart Nelson, Bahman Anvari
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yonggang Liu, Taylor Hanley, Hao Chen, Steven R. Long, Sanjiv S. Gambhir, Zhen Cheng, Joseph C. Wu, Georges El Fakhri, Bahman Anvari, Raiyan T. Zaman
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Raviraj Vankayala, Edver Bahena, Yadir Guerrero, Sheela P. Singh, Murali K. Ravoori, Vikas Kundra, Bahman Anvari
Summary: A study investigated the use of virus mimicking nanoparticles for targeted NIR fluorescence imaging of intraperitoneal ovarian tumors, showing that functionalized nanoparticles had significantly higher fluorescence emission and imaging signal-to-noise ratio compared to non-functionalized nanoparticles or non-encapsulated dye. This new approach may offer potential for intraoperative visualization of ovarian tumor implants.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jack C. Tang, Raviraj Vankayala, Jenny T. Mac, Bahman Anvari
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Taylor M. Hanley, Raviraj Vankayala, Jenny T. Mac, David D. Lo, Bahman Anvari
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Taylor Hanley, Raviraj Vankayala, Chi-Hua Lee, Jack C. Tang, Joshua M. Burns, Bahman Anvari
Summary: Recently, there has been an increase in the development of delivery systems based on red blood cells (RBCs) for light-mediated imaging and therapeutic applications. These constructs utilize the immune evasion properties of RBCs and can be activated by light for various promising applications, with potential for clinical translation and future developments in the field.
Article
Oncology
Joshua M. Burns, Elise Shafer, Raviraj Vankayala, Vikas Kundra, Bahman Anvari
Summary: Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer, and cytoreductive surgery is the standard therapeutic approach. Lack of intraoperative imaging guidance can lead to incomplete tumor removal. Nano-sized particles derived from erythrocytes combined with structured illumination show potential for enhancing fluorescence imaging of ovarian tumors.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Thompson Lu, Chi-Hua Lee, Bahman Anvari
Summary: Red blood cell (RBC)-based microparticles have potential applications in the delivery of biomedical agents. This study investigates the morphological and membrane mechanical characteristics of these particles and finds that they have a decreased surface area, volume, and deformability compared to normal RBCs. The membrane bending modulus of the particles is also significantly higher, indicating greater resistance to flow. The changes in membrane mechanical properties are caused by impaired membrane-cytoskeleton attachment. These findings highlight the importance of considering membrane mechanical properties in the design of future RBC-based delivery systems.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jenny T. Mac, Raviraj Vankayala, Chi-Hua Lee, Bahman Anvari
Summary: In this study, nanoparticles derived from erythrocytes were developed as a new therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. These nanoparticles contain indocyanine green as a photo-activated agent for near infrared photothermal heating, and doxorubicin hydrochloride as a chemotherapeutic drug. The nanoparticles were functionalized with folate to enhance their targeting ability. The results showed that this dual photo-chemo therapeutic approach was effective in killing cancer cells and reducing tumor implants in mice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Chi-Hua Lee, Jack C. Tang, Nathan G. Hendricks, Bahman Anvari
Summary: This study compared the differences in the proteomes of nano- and micro-sized erythrocyte ghosts with normal RBCs. It was found that the relative abundances of mechano-modulatory proteins and immunomodulatory proteins were higher in the nano-sized particles.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bonghwan Chon, William Ghann, Jamal Uddin, Bahman Anvari, Vikas Kundra
Summary: The optical properties of the near-infrared fluorescence dye indocyanine green (ICG) depend on the solvent medium and dye concentration. In water, ICG forms H-aggregates at high concentrations, while at low concentrations it exists as monomers. In ethanol, ICG only exists as monomers without any H-aggregates.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jack C. Tang, Chi-Hua Lee, Thompson Lu, Raviraj Vankayala, Taylor Hanley, Chiemerie Azubuogu, Jiang Li, Meera G. Nair, Wangcun Jia, Bahman Anvari
Summary: This study investigates the use of membrane cholesterol enrichment to reduce the outward display of phosphatidylserine (PS) on red blood cell (RBC)-derived particles, thereby increasing their longevity in circulation. The results demonstrate that cholesterol-enriched particles have a lower phagocytic uptake rate by murine macrophages compared to particles without cholesterol enrichment. In vivo experiments also show that cholesterol-enriched particles have a higher retention rate in the body compared to particles without cholesterol enrichment.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yonggang Liu, Taylor Hanley, Hao Chen, Steven R. Long, Sanjiv S. Gambhir, Zhen Cheng, Joseph C. Wu, Georges El Fakhri, Bahman Anvari, Raiyan T. Zaman
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Biomedical
Thompson Lu, Jenny T. Mac, Ramzi Tweini, Kimmy Tran, Raviraj Vankayala, B. Anvari
QUANTITATIVE PHASE IMAGING V
(2019)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Raviraj Vankayala, Jenny T. Mac, Joshua M. Burns, Eugene Dunn, Stefanie Carroll, Edver M. Bahena, Dipti K. Patel, Stephen Griffey, Bahman Anvari
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2019)