title: Control of actin assembly and disassembly at filament ends.
abstract: The most important discovery in the field is that the Arp2/3 complex nucleates assembly of actin filaments with free barbed ends. Arp2/3 also binds the sides of actin filaments to create a branched network. Arp2/3's nucleation activity is stimulated by WASP family proteins, some of which mediate signaling from small G-proteins. Listeria movement caused by actin polymerization can be reconstituted in vitro using purified proteins: Arp2/3 complex, capping protein, actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin, and actin. actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin increases the rate at which actin subunits leave pointed ends, and capping protein caps barbed ends.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Washington University, Box 8228, St Louis, MO 631110, USA. jcooper@cellbio.wustl.edu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schafer
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D051347:CapZ Actin Capping Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018260:Gelsolin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051348:Tropomodulin
chemical_list: C495926:ACTR2 protein, human; C495928:ACTR3 protein, human; D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins; D051347:CapZ Actin Capping Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018260:Gelsolin; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C495829:TMOD1 protein, human; D051348:Tropomodulin