Researchers have discovered the genes and proteins responsible for the rapid withdrawal of heliozoan arms in response to changes in the environment. This is one of the fastest-known examples of cell motility. Raphidocystis contractilis is a type of eukaryote in the Heliozoa group, found in fresh,
withdraws its axopodia a few milliseconds after encountering an external stimulus. Researchers from Okayama University, Japan report that microtubule dynamics hold the key to this instant arm shortening. Credit: Motonori Ando from Okayama University
To this end, a team of researchers including Professor Motonori Ando, Dr. Risa Ikeda , and Associate Professor Mayuko Hamada , of Okayama University, Japan, explored the mechanism involved in one of the fastest cell movements in the living world. The authors started their investigation by immunolabelling the tubulin protein and observing its movement before and after axopodial contraction. They found that before shortening, tubulins were arranged systematically all along the length of the axopodia, but after axopodial withdrawal, those swiftly accumulated at the cell surface. This led them to believe that during the rapid axopodial withdrawal, the microtubules broke down into tubulin instantly.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tucson's mystery booms come from above, UA scientists sayFor Star subscribers: A new analysis by geoscientists at the University of Arizona points to supersonic aircraft as the likely cause of two recent 'mystery booms' heard and felt in Tucson.
Read more »
Ghosts, Curses, And Poison: “Our Blooming Youth” Is A Mix of Menace And MysteryGhosts, Curses, And Poison: “Our Blooming Youth” Is A Mix of Menace And Mystery
Read more »
Ghosts, Curses, And Poison: “Our Blooming Youth” Is A Mix of Menace And MysteryGhosts, Curses, And Poison: “Our Blooming Youth” Is A Mix of Menace And Mystery
Read more »
Scientists Find Dwarf Planet With an 'Impossible' Ring, And They're Unsure How It ExistsRings in the Solar System are not exactly rare.
Read more »
Mystery remains behind the murder of UC San Diego researcher on the brink of a breakthroughDr. Tsunao Saitoh was driving his 13-year-old daughter to their secluded neighborhood around 11 p.m. When they pulled into their driveway, they were shot and killed. ciaraencinastv explains how to this day, investigators have no leads.
Read more »
Scientists know how the world's deadliest mushroom is spreading across the U.S.Scientists have finally figured out how the world's deadliest mushroom, the death cap, is spreading across the U.S. so quickly.
Read more »