Actin Cell Cortex: Structure and Molecular Organization.

The actin cytoskeleton consists of structurally and biochemically different actin filament arrays. Among them, the actin cortex is thought to have key roles in cell mechanics, but remains a poorly characterized part of the actin cytoskeleton. The cell cortex is typically defined as a thin layer of actin meshwork that uniformly underlies the plasma membrane of the entire cell. However, this definition applies only to specific cases. In general, the cortex structure and subcellular distribution vary significantly across cell types and physiological states of the cell. In this review, I focus on our current knowledge of the structure and molecular composition of the cell cortex. Actin cell cortex is a heterogeneous and nonubiquitous actin cytoskeleton component. Diverse actin filament arrays can mix and match within the cortex in different combinations. Contractile and protrusive actin machineries cooperate and compete within the cell cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]