Actin Dynamics in Sonoporation

What is it about?

We have demonstrated how sonoporation, realized via ultrasound-triggered collapse of a single targeted microbubble attached on the membrane, would lead to rapid rupture of the filamentary actin network adjacent to the perforation site. Commensurate with this process, cytoplasmic accumulation of globular actin was evident. These results demonstrate that sonoporation is after all not solely a membrane-level phenomenon.

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Why is it important?

Analyzing the actin dynamics during sonoporation is of importance because this subcellular scaffold is well recognized to play a central role in modulating a cell’s mechanical properties. In turn, the knowledge gained from our study can help establish an overall understanding of the impact of sonoporation on the physical dynamics of living cells. This would fundamentally benefit ongoing efforts that aim to pursue rational use of sonoporation in biomedical applications.