Functional design in the actin cytoskeleton

Changes in cell shape, anchorage and motility are all associated with the d ynamic reorganisation of the architectural arrays of actin filaments that m ake up the actin cytoskeleton. The relative expression of these functionall y different actin filament arrays is intimitely linked to the pattern of co ntacts that a cell develops with its extracellular substrate. Cell polarity is acquired by the development of an asymmetric pattern of substrate conta cts, effected in a specific, site-directed manner by the delivery of adhesi on-site modulators along microtubules.