The cell cortex, also known as the actin cortex, cortical cytoskeleton or actomyosin cortex, is a specialized layer of cytoplasmic proteins on the inner face of the cell membrane. It functions as a modulator of membrane behavior and cell surface properties.

The cell cortex is usually defined as a plasma membrane-associated part of the actin cytoskeleton, which is thought to be mainly responsible for cell mechanics [6, 7]. The actin cell cortex was the first cytoskeleton component discovered in non-muscle cells . It was initially revealed in large cells, such as free-living amoeba and invertebrate ...

The cell cortex is defined as the peripheral region of the cell where a thin layer of actin forms a meshwork that underlies the entire plasma membrane of the cell and associates with other cellular polymers such as microtubules, intermediate filaments and others.

The structure of the cortex governs cell mechanics; however, the relationship between the architecture and mechanics of the cortex is not yet well enough understood to be able to predict one from the other.

The cell cortex is typically defined as a thin layer of actin meshwork that uniformly underlies the plasma membrane of the entire cell. However, this definition applies only to specific cases. In general, the cortex structure and subcellular distribution vary significantly across cell types and physiological states of the cell.

2024年1月3日 · The cell cortex is the outermost layer of the cell and includes both the plasma membrane and the layer of cytoplasm just beneath it 5. The cortex is typically rich in F-actin (‘cortical...

2017年5月22日 · Together, our experiments and model show that, in addition to myosin activity, actin filament network architecture is a key regulator of contractile tension in the cell cortex.

As our understanding of the cortex in isolation matures, the interplay between cell state, the extracellular environment, cell shape and intracellular actin organization are an exciting and vastly unexplored research avenue.

2020年4月7日 · The mechanical properties of the actin cortex regulate shape changes during cell division, cell migration, and tissue morphogenesis. We show that modulation of myosin II (MII) filament composition allows tuning of surface tension …

2021年5月24日 · The cell cortex, classically defined as the plasma membrane and the thin layer of cytoplasm just beneath it, is the responsive interface between the cell and its surroundings 1. Because the information received by the cell assumes many guises — soluble signals, insoluble signals, contacts with neighboring cells, and contacts with the ...