title: Cytoskeletal chirality: swirling cells tell left from right.
abstract: A new study reports that dynamic actin fibers in cells on circular islands self-organize into a swirling counter-clockwise pattern and describes a basic cytoskeletal mechanism for the establishment of left-right asymmetry that is based on myosin contraction and twisting of the formin-actin filament.
authors.affiliation: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, 1009 Silver Center, New York, NY 10003, USA. Electronic address: mogilner@cims.nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mogilner
authors.affiliation: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fogelson
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton; D000199:Actins; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins