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The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. [2] In eukaryotes , it extends from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane and is composed of similar proteins in the various organisms.
The prokaryotic cytoskeleton is the collective name for all structural filaments in prokaryotes. [2] Some of these proteins are analogues of those in eukaryotes , while others are unique to prokaryotes.
The flow of cytoplasmic components plays an important role in many cellular functions which are dependent on the permeability of the cytoplasm. [8] An example of such function is cell signalling, a process which is dependent on the manner in which signaling molecules are allowed to diffuse across the cell. [9]
In developing neurons microtubules are known as neurotubules, [23] and they can modulate the dynamics of actin, another component of the cytoskeleton. [24] A microtubule is capable of growing and shrinking in order to generate force, and there are motor proteins that allow organelles and other cellular components to be carried along a microtubule.
Cell walls may or may not be present. The eukaryotic DNA is organized in one or more linear molecules, called chromosomes, which are associated with histone proteins. All chromosomal DNA is stored in the cell nucleus, separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane. [2] Some eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria also contain some DNA.
Tubulin in molecular biology can refer either to the tubulin protein superfamily of globular proteins, or one of the member proteins of that superfamily. α- and β-tubulins polymerize into microtubules, a major component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. [1]
Compared to the other parts of the cytoskeletons, the microfilaments contain the thinnest filaments, with a diameter of approximately 7 nm. Microfilaments are part of the cytoskeleton that are composed of protein called actin. Two strands of actin intertwined together form a filamentous structure allowing for the movement of motor proteins.
DNA nanotechnology is the field that seeks to design nanoscale structures using the molecular recognition properties of DNA molecules. [178] DNA nanotechnology uses the unique molecular recognition properties of DNA and other nucleic acids to create self-assembling branched DNA complexes with useful properties. [179]