Subcellular research

About

The cytoskeleton, a dynamic network of fibers, exhibits varied morphology across cellular phases. It consists of microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments, with microfilaments primarily composed of actin, existing as G-actin monomers or F-actin fibers. Assembly occurs as G-actin polymerizes into F-actin. Phalloidin, a bicyclic heptapeptide from Amanita phalloides, binds and stabilizes F-actin, preventing its depolymerization. Due to its selective affinity, fluorescently labeled phalloidin is widely used in bioimaging to visualize microfilament distribution in cells.