Abstract
A eukaryotic cell is a microscopic world within which efficient material transport is essential. Yet, how a cell manages to deliver cellular cargos efficiently in a crowded environment remains poorly understood. Here, we used interferometric scattering microscopy to track unlabeled cargos in directional motion in a massively parallel fashion. Our label-free, cargo-tracing method revealed not only the dynamics of cargo transportation but also the fine architecture of the actively used cytoskeletal highways and the long-term evolution of the associated traffic at sub-diffraction resolution. Cargos frequently run into a blocked road or experience a traffic jam. Still, they have effective strategies to circumvent those problems: opting for an alternative mode of transport and moving together in tandem or migrating collectively. All taken together, a cell is an incredibly complex and busy space where the principle and practice of transportation intriguingly parallel those of our macroscopic world.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 7160 |
Journal | Nature communications |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 Dec |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023, The Author(s).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Physics and Astronomy