Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: Branched actin constrains endosomal cargo to control sorting and fission
doi: 10.64898/2026.03.10.710749
Figure Lengend Snippet: Transferrin is bounded by cortactin at endosomes. (A-L) . HeLa cells were transfected with mCherry-RAB5 Q79L and were incubated with ( A-C ) no inhibitor, ( D-F ) 25 µM SMIFH2, ( G-I ) 300 µM CK-689, or ( J-L ) 300 µM CK-666 for 4 min. Following the pre-treatment, cells were incubated with Tf-488 (and their respective inhibitor) for 6 min of uptake. (M-P) . Representative fluorescence intensity profiles of endosomes from ( M ) untreated, ( N ) SMIFH2-treated cells, ( O ) CK-689-treated cells, or ( P ) CK-666-treated cells. The intensity profile of Tf is in green, and the intensity profile of cortactin is in magenta. Tf vertices above 130% that occur within 20 degrees of a cortactin value above 130% are represented with a red circle; these peaks are “bounded”. Tf vertices above 130% that are not within 20 degrees of a cortactin value above 130% are represented with a grey circle and are “not bounded”. (Q). The percentage of “bounded” Tf peaks was quantified from fluorescence intensity profiles (as represented in ( M-P )). Quantification is from three independent experiments, and from 37 endosomes for the untreated group, 43 endosomes for SMIFH2-treated, 38 endosomes for CK-689-treated, and 37 endosomes from the CK-666-treated group. Statistical significance was determined using a two-tailed unpaired t -test (ns: p > 0.05). (R, S) . Representative models for the quantification and results of the experiment. A circle was drawn around the endosome membrane (red) that intersects with the regions of Tf (green) and cortactin (magenta), and fluorescence intensity at each degree around the circle was measured. ( R ) Untreated cells have Tf in confined regions on the endosome and are adjacent to regions of cortactin ∼60% of the time. ( S ) CK-666-treated cells have regions of Tf that are broader and “not bounded” by cortactin.
Article Snippet: The mCherry-RAB5 Q79L (35138, Addgene) plasmid was used to generate enlarged endosomes.
Techniques: Transfection, Incubation, Fluorescence, Two Tailed Test, Membrane