title: Causes of retrograde flow in fish keratocytes.
abstract: Confronting motile cells with obstacles doubling as force sensors we tested the limits of the driving actin and myosin machinery. We could directly measure the force necessary to stop actin polymerization as well as the force present in the retrograde actin flow. Combined with detailed measurements of the retrograde flow velocity and specific manipulation of actin and myosin we found that actin polymerization and myosin contractility are not enough to explain the cells behavior. We show that ever-present depolymerization forces, a direct entropic consequence of actin filament recycling, are sufficient to fill this gap, even under heavy loads.
authors.affiliation: Division of Soft Matter Physics Department of Physics, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04109, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuhs
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goegler
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wolgemuth
authors.forename: Josef A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaes
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D005399:Fishes; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009218:Myosins
keywords: actin network and myosin motors; atomic force microscopy; cell motility and forces; forces causing retrograde actin flow; polymerization and depolymerization force