title: To B or not to B: PIP2 answers the question.
abstract: In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Papayannopoulos et al. (2005) show that N-WASP activation of actin-related protein2/3 (Arp2/3) is ultrasensitive to PI(4,5)P(2) concentration. We discuss how interactions between basic regions in proteins and negatively charged membranes can produce sharp on-off switches that may regulate biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology and,Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Honig
mesh_terms: D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D001665:Binding Sites; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D055672:Static Electricity; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal
chemical_list: D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D051378:Actin-Related Protein 3; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal