The Cytoskeleton

(Y1FLC)

Dr. Ferran Valderrama

fvalderr@sgul.ac.uk
What do all these questions have in common?

• How do cells maintain their shape?

• How do cells organize their organelles?
• How do cells transport vesicles?
• How is the segregation of chromosomes
facilitated during cell division (mitosis)?
• How do epithelial cells keep their organisation
and withstand to mechanical stress?
• What does help spermatozoa to reach the egg?
• How do macrophages reach wounds?
2 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL
The skeleton of the cell is the
CYTOSKELETON

~
• A cell need the (cyto)skeleton to:
– Keep its shape and modify it in
response to environmental cues

3 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 Contents

• The cytoskeleton. General features

• The actin filaments
• The intermediate filaments
• The microtubules
• Final remarks

4 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 The cytoskeleton. General Features
• Complex network made
of 3 different polymers:
– Microtubules
– Intermediate filaments
– Actin filaments
• Provide for:
– Shaping of the cell
– Intracellular movement
of organelles
– Cell movement

5 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 The cytoskeleton. General Features

MICROTUBULES INTERMEDIATE FILAMENTS ACTIN FILAMENTS

•Organelle positioning •Mechanical strength •Cell shape
•Intracellular transport •Organelle shape
•Cell migration

6 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 The cytoskeleton. General Features

• The cytoskeleton is
dynamic and this is
facilitated by its
organisation
– Polymers made from
monomers (the building
blocks!)
• Monomers very
abundant
• Not covalently linked

7 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 The cytoskeleton. General Features

• The cytoskeleton is
dynamic and this is
facilitated by its
organisation
– Polymers made from
monomers (the building
blocks!)
• Monomers very
abundant
• Not covalently linked

8 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

 The cytoskeleton. General Features
• Dynamic DOES NOT
mean chaotic!
• Accessory proteins
regulate:
– Site and rate of filament
formation (nucleation)
– Polymerization /
depolymerization
– Function

9 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL

The cytoskeleton. General Features
Microfilaments / Actin filaments
•Helical polymers made of ACTIN
•Flexible, organised into 2-D networks and 3-D gels
•Cell shape
•Organelle shape
•Cell migration

Intermediate Filaments
•Heterogeneous group of filamentous proteins
•Rope-like structure
•Give mechanical strength to the cell

Microtubules
•Hollow tubes made of TUBULIN
•Rigid, long straight
•Organelle positioning
•Intracellular transport
•Cell movement
10 Dr Ferran Valderrama - Biomedical Sciences - SGUL
The Cytoskeleton
(Y1FLC)

Dr. Ferran Valderrama

fvalderr@sgul.ac.uk