An extracellular driving force of cell-shape changes.
The cellular capacity to internalise objects, involving attachment, engulfment and uptake, exists in virtually all organisms. Many uptake reactions are associated with cell signalling. However, the mechanical forces that form endocytotic vesicles are not known. We propose a 'leverage-mediated' uptake mechanism involving lateral cross-linking processes on the cell surface that can generate the configurational energy to create an inverse curvature of the membrane.
Schmidt
Otto
O
Insect Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064 Australia. otto.schmidt@adelaide.edu.au
Theopold
Ulrich
U
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007313:Insecta; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism
D004731:Endotoxins; D010455:Peptides