Microvilli, myosin contractility and apical actin organization are regulated locally though ezrin bound gaps

Abstract

The structure of microvilli at the apical surface of epithelial cells consists of a core bundle of parallel actin filaments enveloped by the plasma membrane. Just beneath these structures exists a dense array of interwoven actin filaments where the core bundles are anchored. To create this finely ordered structure, links are produced between both actin-to-actin and actin-to-plasma-membrane interactions. These links are achieved by multiple myosin classes (myosin classes 1, 2, 7, and 9), actin bundling proteins (e.g.