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Abstract
In mammalian cells, long-range vesicular transport is thought to occur via microtubule tracks. However, Schuh reports the existence of an actin-based pathway for long-range trafficking in mouse oocytes by showing that Rab11a-positive vesicles are decorated with actin-nucleating formin proteins. She finds that these proteins assemble actin networks that guide vesicles to the cell surface. Intracellular transport is vital for the function, survival and architecture of every eukaryotic cell. Long-range transport in animal cells is thought to depend exclusively on microtubule tracks. This study reveals an unexpected actin-dependent but microtubule-independent mechanism for long-range transport of vesicles. Vesicles organize their own actin tracks by recruiting the actin nucleation factors Spire1, Spire2 and Formin-2, which assemble an extensive actin network from the vesicles’ surfaces. The network connects the vesicles with one another and with the plasma membrane. Vesicles move directionally along these connections in a myosin-Vb-dependent manner to converge and to reach the cell surface. The overall outward-directed movement of the vesicle-actin network is driven by recruitment of vesicles to the plasma membrane in the periphery of the oocyte. Being organized in a dynamic vesicle-actin network allows vesicles to move in a local random manner and a global directed manner at the same time: they can reach any position in the cytoplasm, but also move directionally to the cell surface as a collective. Thus, collective movement within a network is a powerful and flexible mode of vesicle transport.Cite this article
Schuh, M. An actin-dependent mechanism for long-range vesicle transport. Nat Cell Biol 13, 1431–1436 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2353 