title: The world according to Arp: regulation of actin nucleation by the Arp2/3 complex.
abstract: The coordination of cell shape change and locomotion requires that actin polymerization at the cell cortex be tightly controlled in response to both intracellular and extracellular cues. The Arp2/3 complex - an actin filament nucleating and organizing factor - appears to be a central player in the cellular control of actin assembly. Recently, a molecular pathway leading from key signalling molecules to actin filament nucleation by the Arp2/3 complex has been discovered. In this pathway, the GTPase Cdc42 acts in concert with WASP family proteins to activate the Arp2/3 complex. These findings have led to a more complete picture of the mechanism of actin filament generation and organization during cell motility.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, LSA Rm 301, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA. welch@socrates.berkeley.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C495926:ACTR2 protein, human; C495928:ACTR3 protein, human; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C495767:WAS protein, human; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins