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VIDEO: Subunits B (blue), B-1 (cyan), and B-2 (gray) depicted as ribbon diagrams. Initially bound to B-1, subunit B unflattens, straining contact between subunits until they separate. The resulting loose lateral. view more
Credit: Vilmos Zsolnay, University of Chicago.
Our cells are filled with bones, in a sense. Thin, flexible protein strands called actin filaments help support and move around the bulk of the cells of eukaryotes, which includes all plants and animals. Always on the go, actin filaments constantly grow, shrink, bind with other things, and branch off when cells move.
Supercomputer simulations have helped solve the mystery of how actin filaments polymerize, or chain together. This fundamental research could be applied to treatments to stop cancer spread, develop self-healing materials, and more.