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Comment
. 2016 Apr 11;213(1):5-6.
doi: 10.1083/jcb.201603063. Epub 2016 Apr 4.

Septins recognize micron-scale membrane curvature

Damián Lobato-Márquez  1 , Serge Mostowy  2
Affiliations
Comment

Septins recognize micron-scale membrane curvature

Damián Lobato-Márquez et al. J Cell Biol. .

Abstract

How cells recognize membrane curvature is not fully understood. In this issue, Bridges et al. (2016.J. Cell Biol.http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201512029) discover that septins, a component of the cytoskeleton, recognize membrane curvature at the micron scale, a common morphological hallmark of eukaryotic cellular processes.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Morphological hallmarks of eukaryotic cells characterized by micron-scale membrane curvature and septin assembly. Septins have been implicated in membrane organization events where micron-scale curvature takes place. (A) A septin ring acts as a scaffold for cytokinesis proteins and forms a diffusion barrier at the cytokinetic furrow of a dividing cell. (B) A septin ring forms a diffusion barrier at the annulus of a mammalian spermatozoon, which separates the anterior and posterior tail. (C) A septin ring forms a diffusion barrier at the base of a cilium to separate the ciliary membrane from the plasma membrane. (D) In neurons, a septin-dependent diffusion barrier can localize at the base of dendritic spine necks. (E) During phagocytosis, a cup is formed at the plama membrane; septin rings assemble at the base of the phagocytic cup to regulate entry.
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