Abstract
Actin-based cellular protrusions are a ubiquitous feature of cell morphology, e.g., filopodia and microvilli, serving a huge variety of functions. Despite this, there is still no comprehensive model for the mechanisms that determine the geometry of these protrusions. We present here a detailed computational model that addresses a combination of multiple biochemical and physical processes involved in the dynamic regulation of the shape of these protrusions. We specifically explore the role of actin polymerization in determining both the height and width of the protrusions. Furthermore, we show that our generalized model can explain multiple morphological features of these systems, and account for the effects of specific proteins and mutations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 576-587 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Biophysical Journal |
Volume | 107 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 5 Aug 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biophysics