Branched Actin Networks

This video illustrates how the core components of a branched actin network assemble into a force-generating motor. The key concepts to understand are: (1) the polymerase activity of nucleation promoting factors when they are clustered on a membrane; (2) the positive feedback inherent in Arp2/3-dependent nucleation; and (3) the negative feedback introduced by the competition between Arp2/3 complexes and growing filaments for actin bound to the nucleation promoting factor.