Premium
Structural and Viscoelastic Properties of Actin Networks Formed by Espin or Pathologically Relevant Espin Mutants
Author(s) -
Lieleg Oliver,
Schmoller Kurt M.,
Purdy Drew Kirstin R.,
Claessens Mireille M. A. E.,
Semmrich Christine,
Zheng Lili,
Bartles James R.,
Bausch Andreas R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.200900604
Subject(s) - cytoskeleton , viscoelasticity , actin , actin cytoskeleton , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , mutant , chemistry , cell , biology , materials science , biochemistry , gene , composite material
The structural organization of the cytoskeleton determines its viscoelastic response which is crucial for the correct functionality of living cells. Both the mechanical response and microstructure of the cytoskeleton are regulated on a microscopic level by the local activation of different actin binding and/or bundling proteins (ABPs). Misregulations in the expression of these ABPs or mutations in their sequence can entail severe cellular dysfunctions and diseases. Here, we study the structural and viscoelastic properties of reconstituted actin networks cross‐linked by the ABP espin and compare the obtained network properties to those of other bundled actin networks. Moreover, we quantify the impact of pathologically relevant espin mutations on the viscoelastic properties of these cytoskeletal networks.