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Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 2 The Molecular Components of the Cytoskeleton.- 2.1 Actin and actin-associated proteins.- 2.1.1 Actin filaments can be detected in individual cells.- 2.1.2 Biochemistry of actin.- 2.1.3 Actin-binding proteins (ABPs).- 2.1.4 Biophysical properties of actin solutions.- 2.1.5 Myosin/actin interactions and force generation.- 2.2 Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins.- 2.2.1 Organisation of microtubules in cells.- 2.2.2 Properties of tubulin.- 2.2.3 Microtubule assembly in vitro.- 2.2.4 Microtubule dynamics in vivo.- 2.2.5 Microtubule-associated proteins.- 2.2.6 Microtubule-associated proteins and cell motility.- 2.3 Intermediate filaments.- 2.3.1 Structure.- 2.3.2 Formation of networks within the cytoplasm.- 2.3.3 Nuclear lamins.- 2.3.4 Tektins.- 2.3.5 Intermediate filament-associated proteins (IFAPs).- 2.3.6 Control of intermediate filament assembly.- 2.3.7 An intracellular function for intermediate filaments?.- 2.3.8 The use of antibodies to intermediate filament proteins in tissue typing.- 2.4 Summary.- 3 Movement Within Cells.- 3.1 Axonal transport.- 3.2 Intracellular motility in the Protozoa.- 3.2.1 Reticulomyxa.- 3.2.2 Allogromia.- 3.3 Cytoplasmic transport in the ovaries of hemipteran insects.- 3.4 Movement of pigment granules in chromatophores.- 3.5 Cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells.- 3.6 Summary.- 4 Mitosis.- 4.1 Basic steps of mitosis.- 4.2 The mitotic spindle: general properties and design principles.- 4.3 Organisation of spindle microtubules.- 4.3.1 Polarity of spindle microtubules.- 4.3.2 Sites of tubulin addition and loss in the spindle.- 4.4 Mechanisms of anaphase, chromosome movement.- 4.4.1 Anaphase A.- 4.4.2 Anaphase B.- 4.5 Summary and conclusions.- 5 Cilia and Flagella.- 5.1 Distribution and waveforms.- 5.2 Basal bodies and rootlets.- 5.2.1 Basal body formation.- 5.2.2 Basal body nucleic acid?.- 5.2.3 Basal body function.- 5.2.4 Rootlets.- 5.3 Structure of the axoneme.- 5.3.1 Variants of flagellar structure.- 5.3.2 Variant axonemes.- 5.4 Extra-axonemal components.- 5.5 Membrane specialisations.- 5.6 Biochemical complexity of the axoneme.- 5.7 The sliding microtubule model.- 5.7.1 Control of microtubule sliding.- 5.7.2 Function and structure of the two dynein arms.- 5.7.3 Conversion of sliding into bending.- 5.8 Behavioural responses of microorganisms and the control of ciliary and flagellar beating.- 5.8.1 The avoiding response of Paramecium.- 5.8.2 Responses of Chlamydomonas to light.- 5.8.3 Other calcium-induced responses of ciliated and flagellated cells.- 6 Crawling Movements.- 6.1 Common features of crawling locomotion.- 6.1.1 Traction.- 6.1.2 Force production.- 6.1.3 Polarity.- 6.2 Amoeboid movement.- 6.2.1 General account.- 6.2.2 Actin microfilaments can be detected in living amoebae.- 6.2.3 Biochemical approaches.- 6.2.4 Cell-substratum interactions.- 6.3 Chemotaxis.- 6.3.1 General account.- 6.3.2 Chemotaxis in Dictyostelium.- 6.4 Tissue cell locomotion.- 6.4.1 Fibroblast locomotion.- 6.4.2 Nerve growth cone.- 6.5 Myosin and crawling locomotion.- 7 Cell Surface Motility.- 7.1 General account.- 7.2 Gliding.- 7.2.1 Gliding in Chlamydomonas.- 7.2.2 Gliding in sporozoan protozoons.- 7.3 Summary.- 8 Other Mechanisms for Producing Force and Movements.- 8.1 Contractile phenomena.- 8.1.1 Peritrich stalk.- 8.1.2 Myonemes.- 8.1.3 Basal body rootlets of algae.- 8.2 Crawling in nematode sperm.- Further Reading.

Reviews

Presents essential information on the cytoskeleton, focusing especially on its functional aspects... - Sci Tech Book News; The text is comprehensive, clear and easy to understand. European Journal of Protistol; A very interesting and useful book. - Gen. Pharmac; Unlike most textbooks, this one can and will be read from cover to cover......a wonderful introduction to the fantastic and humbling variety of microscopic motile systems; it is written in a readable style that will be enjoyed by many students and experts alike. - Quarterly Review of Biology