How cellular membrane properties are affected by the actin cytoskeleton.
Lipid membranes define the boundaries of living cells and intracellular compartments. The dynamic remodelling of these membranes by the cytoskeleton, a very dynamic structure made of active biopolymers, is crucial in many biological processes such as motility or division. In this review, we present some aspects of cellular membranes and how they are affected by the presence of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that, in parallel with the direct study of membranes and cytoskeleton in vivo, biomimetic in vitro systems allow reconstitution of biological processes in a controlled environment. In particular, we show that liposomes, or giant unilamellar vesicles, encapsulating a reconstituted actin network polymerizing at their membrane are suitable models of living cells and can be used to decipher the relative contributions of membrane and actin on the mechanical properties of the cellular interface.
['Lemière|J|J|', 'Valentino|F|F|', 'Campillo|C|C|', 'Sykes|C|C|']
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton D000818:Animals D002462:Cell Membrane D005057:Eukaryotic Cells D006801:Humans D008051:Lipid Bilayers D008563:Membrane Lipids D008870:Microtubules D008954:Models, Biological D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes
Membrane Actin Cytoskeleton Biomimetism Liposome