CCBScope Observatory: Self-Organized Cytoplasmic Flows in Large Cells

Cytoplasmic streaming regulates diverse intracellular processes, particularly in large cells where diffusion and motor-based transport are too slow for efficient long-range mixing and cargo distribution. A prominent example is the cytoplasmic flows in the Drosophila oocyte, which arise during mid-oogenesis when kinesin-1 drives free microtubules and associated cargoes along a dense network of cortically anchored microtubules.

We combine live imaging, quantitative flow measurements, and theoretical modeling to investigate how hydrodynamic interactions among motor-laden microtubules spontaneously generate and sustain these flows.