Functional characterization of the actin cytoskeleton regulator Formin-like 1 (FMNL1).

摘要

The actin cytoskeleton has essential roles in cell division, migration, trafficking, and cytotoxicity, among other cellular processes commonly linked to a vast number of diseases, including cancer. Further studying F-actin regulation is imperative for understanding the relationship between F-actin and disease progression. In eukaryotes, the formin family of actin nucleators consists of 15 highly conserved proteins that influence F-actin dynamics through their unique FH2 domain. While our insight of this family of proteins has evolved dramatically in the recent years, our knowledge about formins remains shallow. Our study focused in functionally characterizing the formin protein Formin-like 1 (FMNL1). We provide evidence suggesting that FMNL1 negatively regulates F-actin in cells with direct implications in Golgi and related organelles biogenesis and cell division. Our work provides a framework for future studies of the signaling involved in the regulation of FMNL1, which taken together, will allow us to derive models of how F-actin regulates complex biological functions.