Regensburg 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 32: Posters: Physics of Cells
BP 32.22: Poster
Donnerstag, 25. März 2010, 17:15–20:00, Poster B1
High Resolution Growth Cone Actin Dynamics — •Melanie Knorr1, Timo Betz2, Daniel Koch3, and Josef Käs1 — 1University of Leipzig — 2Institut Curie, Paris — 3Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
Neuronal growth is one of the fundamental processes in brain developement and nerve regeneration. During growth, neuronal cells form long extensions, called neurites, which are guided toward their target sites by a motile structure at their tip, the so called growth cone. These growth cones are able to rearrange their cytoskeleton for directed growth, following very small guidance cues. Former research suggests amplification of these chemical signals via stochastic fluctuations of the leading edge of growth cones. Betz and Koch et al. already showed that the stochastic lamellipodium dynamics are determined by the interplay of actin polymerization, pushing the edge forward and molecular motor driven retrograde actin flow retracting the actin network. They identify switching of "on/off" states in actin polymerization as the main determinant of lamellipodial advancement. Further quantification of the suggested stochastic signal amplifiction, however, is limited by the spatial and temporal resolution of their imaging technique. Novel techniques and their realization are presented and discussed, able to detect the edge dynamics in higher temporal and spatial resolution.