title: Compression and dilation of the membrane-cortex layer generates rapid changes in cell shape.
abstract: Rapid changes in cellular morphology require a cell body that is highly flexible yet retains sufficient strength to maintain structural integrity. We present a mechanism that meets both of these requirements. We demonstrate that compression (folding) and subsequent dilation (unfolding) of the coupled plasma membrane-cortex layer generates rapid shape transformations in rounded cells. Two- and three-dimensional live-cell images showed that the cyclic process of membrane-cortex compression and dilation resulted in a traveling wave of cortical actin density. We also demonstrate that the membrane-cortex traveling wave led to amoeboid-like cell migration. The compression-dilation hypothesis offers a mechanism for large-scale cell shape transformations that is complementary to blebbing, where the plasma membrane detaches from the actin cortex and is initially unsupported when the bleb extends as a result of cytosolic pressure. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms that drive the rapid morphological changes that occur in many physiological contexts, such as amoeboid migration and cytokinesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. mkapust@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Maryna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapustina
authors.forename: Timothy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000502:physiology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*