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Regulation of Actin Assembly Dynamics

GUILLAUME ROMET-LEMONNE & ANTOINE JEGOU

In cells, the assembly of actin filaments is highly regulated to give rise to different actin networks with well-controlled architectures (cortex, lamellipodia, filopodia, …). These networks allow specific cell deformations and movements, required for many processes (motility, division, endocytosis, …).

A large number of proteins interact with actin to control how, where and when actin monomers assemble into filaments. Understanding their biochemical activities can be very difficult to decipher, especially when these activities depend on the local cellular context and the mechanical constraints that apply to each filament forming these networks. Our goal is to understand the elementary processes of actin mechanosensitivity affecting actin dynamics and the action of regulatory proteins. To this end, our team is developing experimental approaches combining microfluidics, micropatterning, and optical tweezers to conduct in vitro experiments that are essential to decipher the individual molecular reactions that regulate the emergence of actin networks.

Keywords: cytoskeleton, actin, biochemistry, biophysics, mechanosensitivity, networks, mechanics

 +33 (0)1 57 27 80 13   Contact Guillaume ROMET-LEMONNE & Contact Antoine JEGOU    @Romet_Jegou_lab     www.actindynamics.net