Like microtubules, actin filaments have plus and minus ends, with more ATP-powered growth occurring at a filament's plus end (Figure 2). In many types of cells, networks of actin filaments are ...

Specifically, this ATP hydrolysis provides the energy for myosin to go through this cycling: to release actin, change its conformation, contract, and repeat the process again (Figure 4).

Actin is an abundant cellular protein in eukaryotes that can bind other actin molecules in the presence of ATP to form long spiral chains called filaments. Actin can also break down ATP, which causes ...