Actin is an essential component of the cytoskeleton and plays a crucial role in eukaryotic cells. The actin cytoskeleton functions in the generation and maintenance of cell morphology and polarity, in endocytosis and intracellular trafficking, in contractility, motility and cell division. In cells, the assembly and disassembly of actin filaments, and also their organisation into functional higher-order networks, is regulated by a plethora of actin-binding proteins (ABPs) (dos Remedios et al., 2003; Maciver, 2004). The activities of these proteins are in turn under the control of specific signalling pathways.
Here, we aim to highlight the main classes of ABP found in eukaryotic cells and indicate their likely mechanism of action as far as possible on the basis of both in vitro and in vivo studies.
Actin exists in two principal forms, globular, monomeric (G) actin, and filamentous polymeric (F) actin. Because of the arrowhead pattern observed when...
