Cell Motility lecture

This lecture covers the biochemical basis of actin-based motility (focusing on the pathogen Listeria as a model system for this process), the biophysical mechanism of polymerization-based force generation, and an evolutionary perspective of cell shape in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The first part covers our understanding of how cells use the actin cytoskeleton to crawl. The pathogenic bacteria Listeria (which causes food poisoning) uses the actin cytoskeleton to propel itself in the cytoplasm and also invade other cells. This system has been an important model for understanding the actin cytoskeleton at the leading edge of a motile cell and for understanding host-pathogen interactions.