Teamwork in a cell: The cytoskeleton from a bird's eye perspective

[PhysOrg]

The cytoskeleton is a permanent construction site consisting of protein filaments that are continually lengthening and shortening in a dynamic process. Through these remodeling processes, the cell can change its shape and even move to a new location. In this way, it guides fundamental processes, such as cell division and differentiation, and processes at a higher level in the organism, such as embryonic development and wound healing. If something goes wrong at the cytoskeletal construction site—e.g., if protein filaments undergo remodeling at the wrong place or time—it could lead to diseases. Such an error in spatio-temporal control is also the reason why metastatic cancer cells migrate in the body.

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