Cytoplasmic zoning in membrane blebs.

ABSTRACT

Blebs are membrane structures formed by the detachment of the plasma membrane from the underlying actin cytoskeleton. It is now clear that a wide variety of cells, including cancer cells, actively form blebs for cell migration and cell survival. The expansion of blebs has been regarded as the passive ballooning of the plasma membrane by an abrupt increase in intracellular pressure. However, recent studies revealed the importance of 'cytoplasmic zoning', i.e. local changes in the hydrodynamic properties and the ionic and protein content of the cytoplasm. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind cytoplasmic zoning and its role in bleb expansion.