Cryogenic electron tomography reveals previously undiscovered interactions between cytoskeletal proteins, Rogers Lab

The cytoskeleton is made up of distinct systems of filamentous protein polymers, microtubules and actin filaments. The canonical view is that these proteins organize the cytoplasm and mediate intracellular transport as distinct systems, occasionally working together with the assistance of other factors that bridge them together. In collaboration with Andrew Carter’s lab in the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, we found that actin filaments are present INSIDE of hollow microtubules in Drosophila cells. Internal actin filaments are bound as a complex with cofilin – a protein that usually functions to disassemble actin. The next phase of the project will determine how these three proteins cooperate to regulate dynamics of the cytoskeletal network. READ MORE