Question

Is the cytoskeleton associated with intra- and extra-cellular movement? List three unique cytoskeleton mediated movements and describe the mechanisms in detail.

Answer 1

Yes, Cytoskeleton does have a role in intracellular movement as it helps in the movement of pin proteins in plant cell.

And also, it has a role in extracellular movement as it helps in the locomotion of cells as a whole.

The three unique cytoskeleton mediated movements are as follows;

Actin filaments provide tracks inside a cell for the movement of pin proteins (Pin proteins are auxin efflux proteins which transfers auxin from one cell to another) in plants. These pin proteins after it does its job of auxin efflux, it has to be carried to the endosomal compartment. So, it has to move from the plasma membrane of cell to the endosomal compartment, this movement of pin proteins is possible only because of auxin filaments.

Microtubules on the other hand provide tracks for motor proteins which include kinesins and dyneins which has an important role in the transport of vesicles and cargoes inside the cell, and are also involved during cell division which assembles into spindle fibres and pulls the chromosome apart during anaphase stage of both mitosis and meiosis.

Cytoskeletal filaments particularly microtubules provide basis for the cell movement. For example, cilia and flagella movement is a result of microtubules sliding along each other in the cytoplasm of a cell which propels a cell to move and provide proper locomotary function.