Global ETD Search
Search theses and dissertations gathered from participating repositories worldwide. Every result links back to the library that holds it. No account is needed.
Results
Showing 1 to 20 of 26 for “"actin networks"”.
-
Multi-Modal Regualtion of Actin Networks
<p>Eukaryotic cells employ the actin cytoskeleton to maintain cell shape, support motility, and sense and respond to external mechanical stimuli. An intricate network of actin filaments constitutes the foundation of tissue architecture by forming key cellular structures including the muscle fiber, …
-
Identification of Actin Binding Proteins Associated with Cross-Linked Actin Networks
Mills, Christy E., Identification of Actin Binding Proteins Associated with Cross-Lined Actin Networks. Master of Science (Pharmacology and Neuroscience), December 2006, 95 pp., 9 tables, 16 figures, references, 122 titles. Glucocorticoid therapy can leady to ocular hypertension and glaucoma. The …
-
A Platform for Analyzing Force Sensitivity and Multivalency in Actin Networks
… dynamics of cells are supported by micron-scale actin networks with diverse geometries, protein compositions, and mechanical properties. These networks are composed of actin filaments and numerous actin binding proteins (ABPs), many of which engage multiple filaments simultaneously to crosslink …
-
The role of hydrodynamic interactions in the dynamics and viscoelasticity of actin networks
Actin, the primary component of the cytoskeleton, is the most studied semi-flexible filament, yet its dynamics remains elusive. We show that hydrodynamic interactions (HIs) significantly alter the time scale of actin deformation by 2-20 fold at different levels of network structure. For a single …
-
Dynamic viscoelasticity of actin networks cross-linked with wild-type and mutant [alpha]-actinin-4
The actin cross-linker [alpha]-actinin-4 has been found indispensable for the structural and functional integrity of podocytes; deficiency or alteration of this protein due to mutations disturbs the cytoskeleton and results in kidney disease. This thesis presents rheological studies of in vitro …
-
Opposing Actin Networks Modulate the Mechano-Activation of the Integrin LFA-1 During Immunological Synapse formation
… to APCs there is a robust accumulation of F-actin on the T cell side of the synapse. This F-actin response is characterized by robust polymerization at the periphery of the contact site followed by centripetal flow of the network towards the center of the IS. While it is well known that this …
-
Mechanical properties of F-actin network
… surroundings through cytoskeletal dynamics. Actin, the most abundant protein found in eukaryotic cells, is organized into various cytoskeletal structures that provide physical support for the cell and play important roles in numerous cellular processes. Assembly of F-actin into higher-order …
-
Computational study of actin morphology and rheology
The cytoskeletal network consisting mainly of actin and actin binding proteins is highly dynamic, provides structural integrity to cells, and plays a central role in a wide range of mechanical and biological functions such as migration and the sensation of external forces. Thus, knowledge of actin …
-
Dynamics and statics of actin assemblies
… where a 60 [mu]m-long crystalline bundle of actin filaments, tightly cross-linked by actin bundling protein scruin, straightens from a coiled conformation and extends from the cell in five seconds. This spring-like mechanism represents a third type of actin-based motility that is distinctly …
-
Bitesize bundles F-actin and influences actin remodeling in syncytial Drosophila embryo development
Actin networks undergo rearrangements that influence cell and tissue shape. Actin assembly and organization is regulated in space and time by a host of actin binding proteins. Despite the importance of these processes, their regulation is not well understood. The Drosophila Synaptotagmin-like …
-
Microstructurally-based constitutive models of cytoskeletal networks for simulation of the biomechanical response of biological cells
… stress-strain behavior of cytoskeletal networks, important to many cellular functions, is modeled via a microstructurally-informed continuum mechanics approach. The force-extension behavior of the individual filaments is captured with a new analytical expression of the MacKintosh …
-
Effects of cross-link and myosin motor concentrations on active muscle gel contraction time and extent
The cytoskeleton is a crucial network of actin filaments that gives the cell its shape, assists in organelle organization, and allows for cell movement. Active muscle gels are a class of materials that that mimic the functionality of the cytoskeleton. Utilizing myosin II motor proteins to initiate …
-
The Molecular Basis of Tissue Elasticity and Force Balance During Drosophila Gastrulation
… stages leading up to gastrulation. Inhibiting F-actin polymerization severely decreases elasticity. I propose that different characteristics of F-actin networks - e.g. branching, remodeling, and crosslinking - are variably responsible for conferring elasticity. It is unclear whether the presence …
-
Cytoskeletal Remodeling in Fibrous Environments to Study Pathophysiology
… our new findings include (i) design of fiber networks regulates actin networks and cell forces to sculpt nuclei in varying shapes: compressed ovals, tear drop, and invaginations, and drive the nuclear translocation of transcription factors like YAP/TAZ. In all these shapes, nuclei remain …
-
Molecular organization of the actin cortex in apical constriction and epithelial folding
Actin and myosin generate contractile forces to change tissue and cell shape. These shape changes are essential for many biological functions, ranging from muscle contraction to tissue morphogenesis in development. While the spatial organization and composition of the actin and myosin contractile …
-
Application of a Novel Quasi-3D Microscopy Technique to Investigate Early Osteocyte Mechanotransduction Events
… the plasma membrane and either the intracellular actin or microtubule cytoskeletal networks provided characterization of their deformations over time. No volumetric dilatation of the whole cell was observed under flow, and both cytoskeletal networks experienced primarily tensile viscoelastic creep …
-
Actomyosin Contractility in Nonmuscle Cells
… idealized computer-generated random, isotropic actin networks and actin bundles. The networks and bundles are generated as random collections of actin filaments in two dimensions with constrained orientations, crosslinked and attached to fixed walls: four walls for isotropic networks, two for …
-
Structural Mechanisms of F-actin Mechanochemical Regulation and Flexible Network Assembly
<p>The actin cytoskeleton integrates physical and chemical cues from a cell's environment to instruct its behavior, coordinating processes including cell migration, organelle dynamics, and endocytosis. Actin-binding proteins (ABPs) specify actin filament (F-actin) organization to build micron-scale …
-
Actin remodeling in motile cells
… on the dynamics and distributions of cytoplasmic actin. In cells, actin cycles between monomeric and polymeric phases tightly regulated by actin binding proteins that control cellular architecture and movement. Here, we characterize actin remodeling in shear stress stimulated endothelial cells and …
-
Mapping the actin and actin binding proteins interactions : from micromechanics to single molecule force spectroscopy
… models describing cell behavior. Filamentous actin (F-actin), as one of the major constituents of the cytoskeleton, has been the target of extensive in vitro studies to determine its mechanical properties in bulk. However, there is still a lack in the understanding of how the molecular …
Page 1 of 2