Article
Prokaryotic cells: structural organisation of the cytoskeleton and organelles
Registro en:
SOUZA, Wanderley de. Prokaryotic cells: structural organisation of the cytoskeleton and organelles. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, v. 107, n. 3, p. 283-293, May 2012.
0074-0276
10.1590/S0074-02762012000300001
1678-8060
Autor
Souza, Wanderley de
Resumen
For many years, prokaryotic cells were distinguished from eukaryotic cells based on the simplicity of their cytoplasm, in which the presence of organelles and cytoskeletal structures had not been discovered. Based on current
knowledge, this review describes the complex components of the prokaryotic cell cytoskeleton, including (i) tubulin
homologues composed of FtsZ, BtuA, BtuB and several associated proteins, which play a fundamental role in cell division, (ii) actin-like homologues, such as MreB and Mb1, which are involved in controlling cell width and cell length,
and (iii) intermediate filament homologues, including crescentin and CfpA, which localise on the concave side of a
bacterium and along its inner curvature and associate with its membrane. Some prokaryotes exhibit specialised membrane-bound organelles in the cytoplasm, such as magnetosomes and acidocalcisomes, as well as protein complexes,
such as carboxysomes. This review also examines recent data on the presence of nanotubes, which are structures that
are well characterised in mammalian cells that allow direct contact and communication between cells.