An actin-dependent mechanism for long-range vesicle transport

M Schuh - Nature cell biology, 2011 - nature.com
M Schuh
Nature cell biology, 2011nature.com
Intracellular transport is vital for the function, survival and architecture of every eukaryotic
cell. Long-range transport in animal cells is thought to depend exclusively on microtubule
tracks. This study reveals an unexpected actin-dependent but microtubule-independent
mechanism for long-range transport of vesicles. Vesicles organize their own actin tracks by
recruiting the actin nucleation factors Spire1, Spire2 and Formin-2, which assemble an
extensive actin network from the vesicles' surfaces. The network connects the vesicles with …
Abstract
Intracellular transport is vital for the function, survival and architecture of every eukaryotic cell. Long-range transport in animal cells is thought to depend exclusively on microtubule tracks. This study reveals an unexpected actin-dependent but microtubule-independent mechanism for long-range transport of vesicles. Vesicles organize their own actin tracks by recruiting the actin nucleation factors Spire1, Spire2 and Formin-2, which assemble an extensive actin network from the vesicles’ surfaces. The network connects the vesicles with one another and with the plasma membrane. Vesicles move directionally along these connections in a myosin-Vb-dependent manner to converge and to reach the cell surface. The overall outward-directed movement of the vesicle-actin network is driven by recruitment of vesicles to the plasma membrane in the periphery of the oocyte. Being organized in a dynamic vesicle-actin network allows vesicles to move in a local random manner and a global directed manner at the same time: they can reach any position in the cytoplasm, but also move directionally to the cell surface as a collective. Thus, collective movement within a network is a powerful and flexible mode of vesicle transport.
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