
Members of a large protein family that cap the barbed (fast-growing) end of actin filament (F-actin) are called F-actin "Cappers". The first F-actin capper called Cap 28/31 is a heterodimer of 28 kDa and 31 kDa proteins, and was isolated from a soil amoeba called Acanthamoeba (Isenberg et al., 1980). F-actin cappers are present in any eucaryotes from yeast to human, and block actin polymerization by capping the fast-growing end of F-actin. In non-stimulated cells, most of the fast-growing ends of actin filaments are capped by an 1:1 complex of actin monomer (G-actin) and profilin, a PIP2-binding protein. When cells are stimulated by one of the mitogenic cytokines such as EGF and PDGF, Ras is activated, and consequently Rac is activated. Rac in turn activates PI-4 kinase which produces PIP2. PIP2 then binds profilin, and dissociates the profilin/G-actin complex, leading to uncapping of the fast-growing end of actin filament, and induces a rapid actin polymerization. Eventually, this results in the induction of membrane ruffling. We found that (1) the Ras/Rac-induced uncapping is required for oncogenicity of Ras, and (2) either capping at the fast-growing end by F-actin cappers such as tensin and cytochalasins, or sequestering PIP2 by PIP2-binders such as cofilin mutants (blocking the uncapping) is sufficient to suppress the malignant transformation caused by oncogenic Ras mutants such as v-Ha-Ras.
Genes, Neurofibromatosis 2, Tensins, Microfilament Proteins, Protozoan Proteins, Animals, Humans, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Carrier Proteins, Gelsolin
Genes, Neurofibromatosis 2, Tensins, Microfilament Proteins, Protozoan Proteins, Animals, Humans, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Carrier Proteins, Gelsolin
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