title: Regulation of WASP: PIP2 Pipped by Toca-1?
abstract: Cdc42 is a key regulator of cell polarity and actin dynamics. One of its effectors, WASP, initiates the assembly of new actin filaments. In this issue of Cell, show that a previously unknown regulator named Toca-1 is required for Cdc42 to activate WASP. This discovery changes our picture of how small GTPases and multiple other signals converge to stimulate actin polymerization and cell motility.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Insall
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Machesky
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D011506:Proteins; C495767:WAS protein, human; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein