Filopodia rotate and coil by actively generating twist in their actin shaft

Natascha Leijnse, Younes Farhangi Barooji, Mohammad Reza Arastoo, Stine Lauritzen Sønder, Bram Verhagen, Lena Wullkopf, Janine Terra Erler, Szabolcs Semsey, Jesper Nylandsted, Lene Broeng Oddershede, Amin Doostmohammadi () and Poul Martin Bendix ()
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Natascha Leijnse: University of Copenhagen
Younes Farhangi Barooji: University of Copenhagen
Mohammad Reza Arastoo: University of Copenhagen
Stine Lauritzen Sønder: Danish Cancer Society Research Center
Bram Verhagen: University of Copenhagen
Lena Wullkopf: University of Copenhagen
Janine Terra Erler: University of Copenhagen
Szabolcs Semsey: University of Copenhagen
Jesper Nylandsted: Danish Cancer Society Research Center
Lene Broeng Oddershede: University of Copenhagen
Amin Doostmohammadi: University of Copenhagen
Poul Martin Bendix: University of Copenhagen

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Filopodia are actin-rich structures, present on the surface of eukaryotic cells. These structures play a pivotal role by allowing cells to explore their environment, generate mechanical forces or perform chemical signaling. Their complex dynamics includes buckling, pulling, length and shape changes. We show that filopodia additionally explore their 3D extracellular space by combining growth and shrinking with axial twisting and buckling. Importantly, the actin core inside filopodia performs a twisting or spinning motion which is observed for a range of cell types spanning from earliest development to highly differentiated tissue cells. Non-equilibrium physical modeling of actin and myosin confirm that twist is an emergent phenomenon of active filaments confined in a narrow channel which is supported by measured traction forces and helical buckles that can be ascribed to accumulation of sufficient twist. These results lead us to conclude that activity induced twisting of the actin shaft is a general mechanism underlying fundamental functions of filopodia.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28961-x

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