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#cell morphology

3 public questions tagged with this topic.

Animal Tissue Culture 3

HeLa cells show which morphology?

HeLa displays epithelial-like morphology reflecting origin from cervical keratinocytes. In vitro, HeLa forms adherent monolayer of polygonal cells with cobblestone pattern, distinct cell borders, prominent nucleoli, and high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio typical of carcinoma. Cells lack extensive spindle architecture seen in fibroblast-like populations such as NIH-3T3 which grow elongated and align in parallel arrays. HeLa retains some epithelial characteristics including expression of cytokeratins, presence of microvilli on apical surface, and formation of weak tight junctions but fails to dev

Ref: ATCC CCL-2 HeLa morphology epithelial-like; Freshney Ch.16 Epithelial vs fibroblast morphology characteristics.

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Microbial Physiology

Which cytoskeletal protein is responsible for maintaining rod shape in bacteria?

Cell shape maintenance in prokaryotes relies on cytoskeletal elements directing wall synthesis. Rod shape requires lateral peptidoglycan insertion along sidewall producing cylinder with hemispherical poles. MreB is bacterial actin homolog sharing actin fold ATP binding pocket polymerizes into short double filaments moving circumferentially around cell coordinated with cell wall synthesis enzymes. MreB associates with MreC MreD transmembrane proteins and RodZ linking to RodA SEDS transglycosylase and PBP2 transpeptidase elongasome complex synthesizing hoop like glycans inserting along length. D

Ref: Cabeen & Jacobs-Wagner, Annu Rev Genetics, 2010, Bacterial cytoskeleton: MreB maintains rod shape.

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