Actin Network Architecture Can Determine Myosin Motor Activity

Abstract

Actin Up Actomyosin interactions lie at the heart of fundamental cellular processes—including morphogenesis, establishment of polarity, and overall motility—but the general principles driving the spatiotempotal orchestration of these interactions have remained elusive. Working in vitro, using micropatterned substrates, Reymann et al. (p. 1310 ) demonstrate that myosins can use a “selection orientation” mechanism to pull selectively on actin filaments, contract the actin network and disassemble it, or walk on the filaments, align them, allow their growth, and control filament orientation.