Cellular movements

Vino Dorsamy
 References
• Naish Chapter 2: pp 48-50
• Guyton 12th ed. pp 23-25
• Guyton 10th ed. pp 21-23
 Objectives
• Cytoskeleton
• Microfilaments
• Intermediate filaments
• Microtubules
• Transport along microtubules
• Kinesin motors
• Microtubule structures
• Cilia and flagella
• Actin cytoskeleton and myosin
 Cytoskeleton
• The cytoskeleton is unique to eukaryotic cells
• It is a dynamic three dimensional structure that fills
the cytoplasm
• It acts as both muscle and skeleton for movement
and stability
• Long fibres are polymers of subunits
• These fibres that make up the cytoskeleton are
microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate
filaments
 Microfilaments

• Are fine threadlike protein fibres 3-6nm in

diameter
• Composed predominantly of contractile protein
called actin – most abundant cellular protein
• Microfilament association with protein myosin is
responsible for muscle contraction
• They allow cells to move in an amoeboid fashion
and change their shape
 Microfilaments

• They form a mesh under the plasma membrane to which

proteins attach , which themselves connect to the
extracellular matrix allowing cells to fix its shape and to move
around
• Cells move by extending finger like projections (filopodia) or
thin sheets (lamellipodia) which contain f-actin that is
continuously being added to the direction of movement
• Forward motion is thought to depend on myosin pushing the
actin filaments against the plasma membrane
How cells crawl
Microvilli
 Intermediate filaments

• Intermediate filaments (IFs) are made from a variety of

proteins
• Form filaments 10nm wide which are very stable
• They form α-helical dimers which twist around each other
forming rope like structures
• 5 classes of IFs
• In epithelial cells IFs made from keratin are anchored to
desmosomes which link cells together and hemidesmosomes
which link cells to the extracellular matrix
• In nerve cells neurofilaments form the core of axons which
can stretch for long distances
Examples of Intermediate filaments
• Intermediate filaments (IFs) are the most stable and
least soluble constituents of the cytoskeleton. They
appear to play a structural or tension-bearing role
within cells.
• IFs are tissue specific and can be used to identify cell
type. Such typing is useful in the diagnosis of cancer.

• IFs, MTs, and MFs are interconnected within cells

toform cytoskeletal networks that can withstand
tension and compression, providing mechanical
strength and rigidity to cells.
 Microtubules

• Made up of two globular proteins, α and β-tubulin

which form a dimer
• Proteins polymerised into alternating α- and β-tubulin
and are arranged to form a tube of 13 protofilaments
which is 25nm wide called a singlet
• Adding other protofilaments lead to doublet and
triplets
• Microtubules can be extended by addition of dimers to
the ‘+’ end of each protofilament –the side furthest
from the nucleus
 Microtubules

• Microtubules can be shortened from both ends by

disassembly, which looks like a fraying tube
• Growth of tube requires GTP, which is hydrolysed to
GDP when a dimer is added to the protofilaments
• Different proteins attached to microtubules –
microtubule associated proteins (MAPs)
• tau in nerve cells – accumulation and crosslinking
causes tangles in Alzheimer’s disease
 Transport along microtubules
• Inside cell organelles and proteins
moved to specific locations
• Microtubules are used as tracks along
which organelles and vesicles are
moved
• Eg nerve –distance between nerve cell
and synapse may be very long and
synapse may not contain ribosomes
for protein synthesis –in any event the
nucleus is in the body of the nerve cell
• Proteins and membrane components
required in the synapse are
manufactured near the nucleus in the
cell body and transported along
microtubules in the cell body
• Transport occurs along the
microtubule in both directions and is
rapid (1 μm/s)
• Anterograde transport carries new material from cell
body and retrograde transport carries unwanted
materials back to the cell body
• Anterograde transport (to + end) is carried out by
kinesins (made of peptide chains: two heavy chains and
two light chains
• Heavy chains bind to tubulin at their head and light
chains bind to transported substance
• Force required to move heavy chains is provided by
ATP hydrolysis which changes their conformation
• Retrograde transport uses another type of motor
protein called dynein with an action similar to that of
kinesin
Movement of Kinesin motor
 Microtubule structures
• Form 3 distinct structures
– Centrosomes
– Cilia
– Flagella
• Centrosomes
– Found near the nucleus
– Organising centre for microtubules
– Radiates from nucleus to plasma membrane
– Contains 2 centrioles with nine microtubule triplets (called a
9 + 0 array)
– Essential for movement of chromosomes to opposite ends
of the cell during cell division
– Furrow during cytokinesis
Microtubules and the Endomembrane system
 Cilia and flagella
• Mobile projections from the cell membrane composed
of microtubules
• Different arrangement to centrosome as core (axoneme) is
formed with the 9 doublets arranged around a central
doublet (9+2 array)
• Anchored by basal body just below plasma membrane which
is identical to centrioles
• Entire structure is covered by extensions of the cell
membrane
• Dyneins attached to the outer and inner of the membrane
move the structure using ATP as an energy source
• Eg. Mucociliary escalator in respiratory surfaces and fallopian
tubes
• Flagellum in sperm
Example of cilia
Structure of a cilium
Flagella in Algae
 Actin Cytoskeleton and Myosin
• Vast network of actin microfilaments also used to
transport molecules and cellular components
• ATP based motor proteins act against the actin
microfilaments
• Called myosins
• 24 known classes of myosins
• Contain at least one polypeptide chain (heavy
chain) with a globular head group
• Head groups bind to actin and uses energy from
hydolysis of ATP to move along a microfilament
• Move toward the plus end of actin filament
 Myosin motors and function
• Muscle contraction (muscle
myosin II)
• Cell movement (non muscle
myosin II)
• Phagocytosis (Myosin VI)
• Vesicle transport (myosins I, V)
• Also binds to plasma membrane
so can be involved in cellular
movement
• Myosin motors move in short
steps just like kinesins
• But myosins are responsible for
short movements (10-15nm) only
Amoeboid movement
Actin filaments forming a network