Polymerized actin in lymphoid cells: functional interpretation

Nitrobenzoxadiazol (NBD) phallacidin, an active fluorescent derivative of the actin-binding mushroom toxin phallacidin provides a convenient actin-specific fluorescent label for cellular cytoskeleton structures. Topographical fluorescent microscopy images of lymphoid cells obtained with NBD-phallacidin staining reveal that the major feature of the cellular cytoskeleton characterized by actin are mainly associated with cell membrane, a pattern that correlates strikingly with their DNAse 1 inhibition. Such actin pools may thus be involved in a membrane-associated protein network controlling membrane viscoplastic deformation and cell motility.