Actin assembly mechanisms at a glance

TY - JOUR

T1 - Actin assembly mechanisms at a glance

AU - Rottner, Klemens

AU - Faix, Jan

AU - Bogdan, Sven

AU - Linder, Stefan

AU - Kerkhoff, Eugen

N1 - © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

PY - 2017/10/15

Y1 - 2017/10/15

N2 - The actin cytoskeleton and associated motor proteins provide the driving forces for establishing the astonishing morphological diversity and dynamics of mammalian cells. Aside from functions in protruding and contracting cell membranes for motility, differentiation or cell division, the actin cytoskeleton provides forces to shape and move intracellular membranes of organelles and vesicles. To establish the many different actin assembly functions required in time and space, actin nucleators are targeted to specific subcellular compartments, thereby restricting the generation of specific actin filament structures to those sites. Recent research has revealed that targeting and activation of actin filament nucleators, elongators and myosin motors are tightly coordinated by conserved protein complexes to orchestrate force generation. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarize and discuss the current knowledge on the corresponding protein complexes and their modes of action in actin nucleation, elongation and force generation.

AB - The actin cytoskeleton and associated motor proteins provide the driving forces for establishing the astonishing morphological diversity and dynamics of mammalian cells. Aside from functions in protruding and contracting cell membranes for motility, differentiation or cell division, the actin cytoskeleton provides forces to shape and move intracellular membranes of organelles and vesicles. To establish the many different actin assembly functions required in time and space, actin nucleators are targeted to specific subcellular compartments, thereby restricting the generation of specific actin filament structures to those sites. Recent research has revealed that targeting and activation of actin filament nucleators, elongators and myosin motors are tightly coordinated by conserved protein complexes to orchestrate force generation. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarize and discuss the current knowledge on the corresponding protein complexes and their modes of action in actin nucleation, elongation and force generation.

KW - Journal Article

KW - Review

U2 - 10.1242/jcs.206433

DO - 10.1242/jcs.206433

M3 - SCORING: Review article

C2 - 29032357

VL - 130

SP - 3427

EP - 3435

JO - J CELL SCI

JF - J CELL SCI

SN - 0021-9533

IS - 20

ER -