13th Annual Symposium Physics of Cancer Leipzig, Germany Sept 28 - 30, 2022 |
PoC - Physics of Cancer - Annual Symposium |
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Invited Talk
Structure and Assembly of Vimentin Intermediate Filaments
Institut Jacques Monod, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75013 PARIS, France
Contact: | Website
Intermediate filaments (IF) are involved in key cellular functions including polarization, migration, and protection against large deformations. These functions are related to their remarkable ability to extend without breaking, a capacity that should be determined by the molecular organization of subunits within filaments. However, this structure-mechanics relationship remains poorly understood at the molecular level. Here, using super-resolution microscopy (SRM), we show that vimentin filaments exhibit a ~49 nm axial repeat both in cells and in vitro. As unit-length-filaments (ULFs) precursors were measured at ~59 nm, this demonstrates a partial overlap of ULFs during filament assembly. Using an SRM-compatible stretching device, we also provide evidence that the extensibility of vimentin is due to the unfolding of its subunits and not to their sliding, thus establishing a direct link between the structural organization and its mechanical properties. Overall, our results pave the way for future studies of IF assembly, mechanical and structural properties in cells.
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