CYTOSKELETON OF CARTILAGE CELLS

The cytoskeleton of chondrocytes consists of microfilaments made of actin, microtubules made of tubulin, and intermediate filaments made of a variety of subunits. Actin filaments are not prominent in vivo but may form in vitro. In culture, changes in filament polymerisation are important in determining cell shape, initiating chondrogenesis, and maintaining the chondrogenic phenotype. Microtubules, besides their role in cell division, organise the distribution of organelles and are involved in secretory transport mechanisms in collagen and proteoglycan synthesis. A variety of intermediate filaments may be present, frequently forming large whorled aggregates. The filaments include vimentin, cytokeratins, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. These may occur at different depths in articular cartilage. Vimentin accumulates during development of some fibrocartilages with increased mechanical loading. Together with other elements of the cytoskeleton, intermediate filaments could form part of a mechanotransduction system by which cells respond to external forces and sense changes in their external environment. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.