Patterns

[Richard Gordon]

Dear Peter,
Rotating polygons of actin have been observed before, and may be related 
to your observation. See:

Kuroda, K. (1964). Behavior of naked cytoplasmic drops isolated from 
plant cells. In: R.D. Allen & N. Kamiya (eds.), Primitive Motile Systems 
in Cell Biology, New York: Academic Press, pp. 31-41.

which I think shows this. Let me know if not.
-Dick Gordon, U.Manitoba[Dec23,94]

On 22 Dec 1994, Peter French wrote:
> 
> By coincidence, just yesterday I came across an interesting repeating
> pattern whilst looking at some confocal microscopy of mast cells which had
> been stimulated to secrete histamine. On staining for actin, during the
> secretory event,at 10 minutes I noted the appearance of large numbers of
> small cell surface ruffles in an interlocking network pattern. This network
> pattern was not random, but in fact was formed of small pentagonal
> structures. By 30 min (maximal secretion) the actin-containg cell surface
> ruffles were greatly reduced in number, but guess what, they formed a few
> very large pentagonal shapes on the surface of the cells (which by now were
> well spread)! 
> 
> Does anybody know what this might mean? Is there something specific about
> the angles of a pentagon that may make it a natural structure for actin
> formation? I am not sure how to proceed, so if there are any suggestions
> from weird to plausible, please help. Has anyone else seen this? 
> 
> Peter French, Centre for Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney