A self-organizing mechanism of actin filaments enables cells to change shape without external signals.
A team of researchers in Japan has identified a new class of biological particle that allows cells to spontaneously alter their form.
A research team led by Professor Naoyuki Inagaki at Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, has identified a self-organizing mechanism of actin filaments that enables cells to change shape without external signals. The study, published in EMBO Reports on June 25, 2026, describes structures called self-propelled treadmilling actin filaments (SpTAs) observed in human glioma cells.
Key Findings
- SpTAs move through cells via treadmilling, where actin monomers add at the front and disassemble at the rear, consuming energy.
- When SpTAs reach the cell membrane, they push outward to form protrusions, which then attract additional SpTAs to grow further.
- The team used high-resolution live-cell microscopy and computational modeling to characterize this process.
"The discovery provides a mechanism for spontaneous cell-shape changes without external guidance."
Significance
- The authors describe SpTAs as a novel class of biological active particles.
- The findings may bridge biology and physics in understanding self-organization.