Within
molecular and
cell biology Membrane ruffling (also known as cell ruffling) is the formation of a motile cell surface that contains a meshwork of newly polymerized
actin filaments. It can also be regarded as one of the earliest structural changes observed in the cell. The GTP-binding protein
Rac is the regulator of this membrane ruffling. Changes in the Polyphosphoinositide metabolism and changes in Ca
2+ level of the cell may also play an important role. A number of actin-binding and organizing proteins localize to membrane ruffles and potentially target to transducing molecules.
Characteristic feature of migrating cells
Membrane ruffling is a characteristic feature of many actively migrating cells. When the membrane is unable to attach to the substrate, the membrane protrusion is recycled back into the cell. The ruffling of membranes is thought to be controlled by a group of enzymes known as
Rho GTPases
Rho GTPase may refer to:
*Any member of the Rho family of GTPases
*The members of the Rho family of GTPases belonging to the '' Rho subclass''
*RHOA
Transforming protein RhoA, also known as Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), is a small GTPase ...
, specifically
RhoA
Transforming protein RhoA, also known as Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), is a small GTPase protein in the Rho family of GTPases that in humans is encoded by the ''RHOA'' gene. While the effects of RhoA activity are not all well known, it is ...
,
Rac1 and
cdc42.
Bacterial infection
Some bacteria such as
enteropathogenic ''E. coli'' and
enterohemorrhagic ''E. coli'' can induce membrane ruffling by secreting toxins via the
type three secretion system
Type three secretion system (often written Type III secretion system and abbreviated TTSS or T3SS, also called Injectisome) is a protein appendage found in several Gram-negative bacteria.
In pathogenic bacteria, the needle-like structure is u ...
and modifying the host
cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. In eukaryotes, it extends from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane and is com ...
. Such toxins include EspT, Map, and SopE, which mimic
RhoGEF and activate endogenous Rho GTPases to manipulate
actin
Actin is a family of globular multi-functional proteins that form microfilaments in the cytoskeleton, and the thin filaments in muscle fibrils. It is found in essentially all eukaryotic cells, where it may be present at a concentration of ov ...
polymerisation in the infected cell.
See also
*
Filopodia
Filopodia (singular filopodium) are slender cytoplasmic projections that extend beyond the leading edge of lamellipodia in migrating cells. Within the lamellipodium, actin ribs are known as ''microspikes'', and when they extend beyond the lame ...
*
Lamellipodia
The lamellipodium (plural lamellipodia) (from Latin ''lamella'', related to ', "thin sheet", and the Greek radical ''pod-'', "foot") is a cytoskeletal protein actin projection on the leading edge of the cell. It contains a quasi-two-dimensiona ...
References
External links
* http://www.reading.ac.uk/nitricoxide/intro/migration/dynamics.htm
Cell biology
{{biochem-stub