Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Violette Da Cunha, Morgan Gaia, Hiroyuki Ogata, Olivier Jaillon, Tom O. Delmont, Patrick Forterre
Summary: This study reveals the presence and expression of actin-related genes in viral genomes, suggesting that viruses recruited these genes from ancient protoeukaryotic hosts and transferred them to give rise to eukaryotic actins, which could have contributed to the emergence of the modern eukaryotic cytoskeleton.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Weida Ren, Wanyu Zhao, Lingbo Cao, Junqi Huang
Summary: Research on programmed cell death (PCD) reveals that cells undergo orderly cell death through evolutionary regulatory mechanisms, with actin playing a crucial role in cellular processes. Scientists aim to further understand the intricate relationship between PCD and the actin cytoskeleton.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Yihao Li, Xin Zhang, Yi Zhang, Haiyun Ren
Summary: This review focuses on the organization and dynamics of actin filaments and microtubule network in guard cells during stomatal movement. The role of cytoskeletal-associated proteins in cytoskeletal rearrangements during stomatal movement is also discussed. The potential mechanisms of stomatal movement in relation to the cytoskeleton are explored, providing a foundation for further research in this field.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Julien Record, Mezida B. Saeed, Tomas Venit, Piergiorgio Percipalle, Lisa S. Westerberg
Summary: Dynamics of actin cytoskeleton play a crucial role in cellular shape changes, particularly in immune cells, highlighting the significance of efficient actin remodeling for immune cell homeostasis. Recent findings delve into how immune cells sense the mechanical properties of their environment, while the emerging field of nuclear actin reorganization is expected to greatly impact the understanding of immune cell development and functionality, given the critical contributions of cytoplasmic actin.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Julien Record, Mezida B. Saeed, Tomas Venit, Piergiorgio Percipalle, Lisa S. Westerberg
Summary: Actin cytoskeletal dynamics are crucial for cellular shape changes. Mutations in actin regulators in immune cells can lead to primary immunodeficiencies. Recent studies focus on how immune cells sense mechanical properties and the emerging field of nuclear actin reorganization in immune cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Loic Dupre, Kaan Boztug, Laurene Pfajfer
Summary: The actin cytoskeleton in T lymphocytes plays a crucial role in controlling key cellular activities like antigen scanning and sensing, and polarized delivery of effector molecules via the immunological synapse. This dynamic cytoskeleton remodeling is orchestrated by a complex program of multiple signaling pathways, involving the coordinated actions of various actin regulatory proteins.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Carsten Baltes, Divyendu Goud Thalla, Uli Kazmaier, Franziska Lautenschlaeger
Summary: Actin plays a crucial role in maintaining cell shape and generating forces. By stabilizing actin filaments with miuraenamide A, we observed a decrease in filament dynamics and an elongation of filament length, resulting in altered cell migration speed and nuclear position.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ka Man Carmen Chan, Ashley L. Arthur, Johannes Morstein, Meiyan Jin, Abrar Bhat, Dorte Schlesinger, Sungmin Son, Donte A. Stevens, David G. Drubin, Daniel A. Fletcher
Summary: Fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins are a diverse family of nonstructural viral proteins that drive cell-cell fusion, increasing viral spread and pathogenicity. Unlike viral fusogens with tall ectodomains, FAST proteins have short fusogenic ectodomains that cannot bridge the intermembrane gap between neighboring cells. This work suggests that localized mechanical pressure on the plasma membrane coupled to a membrane-disruptive ectodomain is sufficient to drive cell-cell fusion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olga Povarova, Iuliia A. Antifeeva, Alexander Fonin, Konstantin K. Turoverov, Irina M. Kuznetsova
Summary: To date, it has been shown that liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) plays a role in various cellular processes, providing a new perspective on the spatiotemporal organization of the cell. This new paradigm helps answer long-standing unanswered questions, particularly in the regulation of cytoskeleton assembly/disassembly and actin polymerization. Coacervates of actin-binding proteins formed during LLPS integrate with G-actin to initiate polymerization, while liquid droplet coacervates formed by signaling proteins on the inner side of the cell membrane intensify the activity of actin-binding proteins involved in actin polymerization, such as N-WASP and Arp2/3.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Gao, Fumihiko Nakamura
Summary: This review article introduces actin-associated proteins (AAPs) and their roles in regulating cell movement, shape change, division, organelle localization, and trafficking. The article lists all discovered AAPs and allows sorting based on various criteria. It also provides links to databases for accessing detailed information about protein structures, expression levels, mutations, and pathology. Additionally, small molecules targeting actin and AAPs with potential for treating diseases are listed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Micaela Boiero Sanders, Christopher P. Toret, Audrey Guillotin, Adrien Antkowiak, Thomas Vannier, Robert C. Robinson, Alphee Michelot
Summary: The use of different actin isoforms in eukaryotic cells and the molecular mechanisms of their segregation into distinct networks are poorly understood. By using yeast as a model, researchers found that the expression of heterologous actin causes significant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, can rescue cytoskeletal organization and increase resistance to external perturbation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xing Guo
Summary: This article summarizes recent advances in the functions, regulations, and targeting mechanisms of proteasomes, particularly those localized in subcellular compartments, and discusses their biological significance in mediating compartmentalized protein degradation.
Article
Cell Biology
S. Iyer Meenakshi, Madan Rao, Satyajit Mayor, Ramanathan Sowdhamini
Summary: Actin filaments are essential for maintaining cell structure and coordinating cellular movements and cargo transport. They interact with various proteins and themselves to form helical filamentous actin (F-actin). Actin-binding proteins (ABPs) and actin-associated proteins (AAPs) regulate actin filament assembly and processing, control the balance between globular G-actin and F-actin in cells, and contribute to cellular structure and integrity.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Can Balaban, Martin Sztacho, Michaela Blazikova, Pavel Hozak
Summary: The study demonstrates the presence of MPRIP in the cell nucleus where it binds to PIP2 and localizes to nuclear speckles and lipid islets involved in transcription. MPRIP forms phase-separated condensates that can bind nuclear F-actin fibers and its phase separation is driven by a long intrinsically disordered region. The association between PIP2 and MPRIP may contribute to the regulation of RNAPII transcription through phase separation and nuclear actin polymerization.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yujia Wang, Huanxiong Chen, Jiajun Zhang, Tsz-ping Lam, A. L. H. Hung, J. C. Y. Cheng, W. Y. W. Lee
Summary: This study found elevated levels of muscle structural proteins in progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients, suggesting the likelihood of microscopic structural damage and its association with progression to the surgical threshold.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)