Large-scale Actin Wave Patterns Perturbed by Electric and Mechanical Cues in Giant Dictyostelium discoideum

ORAL

Abstract

Dictyostelium discoideum(Dd) provides a good system to study actin dynamics guided by extracellular cues such as electric field, mechanical cues and chemical gradients. However, waves in normal Dd extinguish at the boundary and only show confined sections of wave patterns. Here we apply electrofusion to produce giant Dd, a polykaryotic cell which is up to ten times the size of normal Dd. In those cells F-actin waves travel freely across plasma membrane and show large-scale wave patterns independent of boundary effects. We use this system to explore how nanoridges and DC electric fields perturb actin waves on a scale as large as 50 microns.

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Presenters

  • QIXIN YANG

    Department of Physics, University of Maryland,College Park

Authors

  • QIXIN YANG

    Department of Physics, University of Maryland,College Park

  • Matt J. Hourwitz

    University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland,College Park, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland-College Park

  • Leonard Campanello

    Department of Physics, University of Maryland,College Park, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Bedri Sharif

    Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins, School of Medcine

  • Peter Devreotes

    Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins, School of Medcine

  • John T Fourkas

    University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland,College Park, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland-College Park

  • Wolfgang Losert

    University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Institute of Physical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Physics, University of Maryland,College Park, Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Physics, University of Maryland-College Park, IREAP, IPST, University of Maryland, College Park, Departments of Physics, IPST and IREAP, University of Maryland, College Park