Signal transduction. N-WASP regulation--the sting in the tail.
Signaling proteins can be regulated by their interactions with other proteins and phospholipids. As Fawcett and Pawson discuss in their Perspective, activation of the N-WASP protein (which coordinates formation of actin filaments) is far more complex, depending on the interaction of N-WASP with both a protein and a phospholipid. The authors explain new results (Prehoda et al.) demonstrating that cooperative binding of the phospholipid PIP2 and the small GTPase Cdc42 to N-WASP results in its activation. The Arp2/3 complex is then able to bind to N-WASP and to proceed with its job of initiating the assembly of actin monomers into actin filaments.
Fawcett
J
J
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada. fawcett@mshri.on.ca
Pawson
T
T
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001704:Biopolymers; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal; D014981:Xenopus; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D000199:Actins; D001704:Biopolymers; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein