Studies on microplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. VII. Adhesion-dependent changes in the organization of the fibrillar actin system.
Axenically-grown microplasmodia of the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum were used to study adhesion-dependent changes in the spatial organization of the cytoplasmic microfilament system. Results obtained by light- and electron microscopical techniques demonstrate the presence of a membrane-bound filament cortex in all microplasmodia, and the expression of additional cytoplasmic fibrils in specimens with tight contact to a substratum. The fibrils partly terminate in focal adhesion-sites and rather seem to serve a cytoskeletal than a contractile function.
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010804:Physarum / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D000199:Actins