Cell Membrane Repair 2023/2024

Cellular response that seals ruptures in the plasma membrane in order to maintain homeostasis and prevent death.

A cell’s viability depends directly on the integrity of its plasma membrane and its ability to repair it after rupture events. Pathogenic microorganisms secrete powerful virulence factors, such as toxins, which bind to target cells, forming pores in the plasma membrane. In response, proteins from the cytoskeleton (e.g. actin) and the extracellular matrix (e.g. cadherin) work in concert to resist these injuries, thus representing a mechanism of resistance to cell death.

Originals *

*Source: Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) – Cell Biology of Bacterial Infections

Stylized

  • H292 cell CADHERIN
    Response of cadherins to a pore-forming bacterial toxin. Cadherins are transmembrane proteins responsible for cell-cell adhesion.

  • HeLa cell ACTIN
    Response of actin to a pore-forming bacterial toxin. Actin protein is one of the fundamental elements of the cellular skeleton essential for cellular and muscular movements.

  • HeLa cell ACTIN
    Response of actin to a pore-forming bacterial toxin. Actin protein is one of the fundamental elements of the cellular skeleton essential for cellular and muscular movements.

Enjoy the collection purely as a visual voyage or as a means of understanding the science behind the images.

Collin Salter