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FIELD
Computational Sciences
DATE
Jun 17 (Mon), 2024
TIME
14:00 ~ 15:00
PLACE
7323
SPEAKER
Tae Yoon Kim
HOST
Hyeon, Changbong
INSTITUTE
Purdue University
TITLE
Reconstructing Dynamic Steady States in the Scaffolding Structures of Cells in Silico
ABSTRACT
The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic structural scaffold abundantly found in eukaryotic cells, which consists of actin filaments and various actin-binding proteins. It provides mechanical integrity and resistance to deformation, while simultaneously remodeling itself and adapting to diverse extracellular stimuli. The actin cytoskeleton utilizes these properties to play crucial roles in essential cellular processes such as cell migration and division. One of the unique behaviors of the actin cytoskeleton in cells is rapid turnover. For example, the average lifetime of individual actin filaments observed in cells is known to be shorter than 30 seconds. Polymeric structures in the actin cytoskeleton are continuously assembled and disassembled, exhibiting various types of dynamic steady states. Despite advances in experimental techniques, clear understanding of the molecular origin of these dynamics steady states still lacks. Computer simulations can access time and length scales inaccessible by experiments, and thus aid in creating a descriptive model of the molecular interactions that evolve into the dynamic steady states. Our lab has investigated the intrinsic mechanisms of the dynamic steady states of the actin cytoskeleton, using cutting-edge computational models. Guided by explicit experimental data, we systematically explored, via simulation, how a subtle balance between assembly and disassembly leads to different types of dynamic steady states found in embryonic cells and migrating cells. Our study provides key insights into understanding how cells manage and regulate dynamics steady states for various cellular behaviors.
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