NOVEMBER 13, 2020 — Researchers around the world now have access to an open-access software designed to further characterize cytoskeleton filaments.
Most computational neuroscience software centers around neuronal network systems. Marcelo Marucho, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, designed a software that focuses on fundamental research of how a single neuron performs important biological functions depending on the polyelectrolyte properties of cytoskeleton filaments.
The Java Application for Cytoskeleton Filament Characterization (JACFC) provides comprehensive computer models and high-performance algorithms to elucidate the molecular mechanisms modulating the electrical signal propagation, stability and bundle formation of microtubules and F-actin filaments under different molecular and environmental conditions.
Ultimately, these studies may discover whether molecular and cellular alterations substantially alter the equilibrium of interactions and trigger abnormalities in the bundling and signal propagation during various disease states.
Pathological conditions like Alzheimer’s were historically studied at the larger scale brain system, based on losing the ability to communicate between neurons.
“This happens because in principle the neuron is losing the ability to process information and then can’t transmit it to the other neurons,” Marucho said. “The application [of JACFC] is to find the origin of this.”
Marucho’s research focuses on how the calcium ions carry information from the membrane to the centrosome to other compartments in the neuron. Exactly how the centrosome is able to receive an external stimulus and send instructions to perform a cellular function is not well known.
He investigates the cytoskeleton filament inside the neuron, a biopolymer which is a conductor of electricity. The F-actin filaments and microtubules generate a network inside the neuron. They may aggregate and form a parallel, perpendicular or other configuration.
“In the past, scientists only looked at the mechanical properties of this network, not electrical properties,” Marucho said. “The mechanical properties may generate the shape of the neuron and may also be a stick where they can move particles from one compartment to another. But now we are saying they are also very good conductors.”
The JACFC will help scientists understand how a neuron processes information in order to perform biological functions. This will help them understand how a neurological disease affects information processing.
When developing JACFC, Marucho’s goal was to create a forum for people to learn about this topic and share their research. JACFC is unique because it is designed to be accessible to both experts and non-experts in the field. A visualized guide is provided so users can perform calculations online without computational restrictions.
“The more people that are investigating on cytoskeleton filaments, the more we will learn,” Marucho said.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Part III of Cultivating Wellness series will focus on looking after your own mental health, stress in the workplace, building resilience in yourself and your team and managing personal energy.
Virtual EventVictory celebrations in San Antonio always include honking car horns, and we are carrying that tradition over to UTSA. Graduates are encouraged to bring someone along to drive, so they can wave and take photos from their vehicle. To ensure safety everyone is encouraged remain in their vehicles and limit their celebration to one car per graduate. All cars must begin at the parade starting point and stay in line as the drive goes through campus. Share your videos on social media using #UTSAGrad20 for a chance to be featured on our channels.
UTSA Main CampusAt UTSA, Commencement is more than a ceremony. It’s a celebration, a defining moment, of the diligence, dedication and collaborations from this educational community which culminate in earning that significant degree.
Virtual EventYou will learn great safety tips to keep you and your families safe for everyday potential hazards as well as during emergency situations, such as severe weather or flooding. Please email BePrepared@utsa.edu for further questions.
Virtual EventAs a continuation of the great discussion from the "Coping on the Fly" webinar in early summer, Mary McNaughton-Cassil, Professor of Psychology and Donna Edmondson, the University Ombuds are providing four 30-minute interactive webinars. The topics will address workplace issues facing faculty and staff such as communication and change, social support, burnout and compassion fatigue, and holiday stress.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
