Spectraplakins: the cytoskeleton's Swiss army knife.
Spectraplakins are multifunctional proteins that interact with all three types of cytoskeletal filaments. In this issue, Wu et al. (2008) demonstrate a new actin-dependent ATPase activity for the spectraplakin ACF7 that allows it to guide microtubule ends along actin stress fibers to focal adhesions, promoting disassembly of adhesion contacts and hence cell movement.
Brown
Nicholas H
NH
Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK. nb117@cam.ac.uk
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism
D000199:Actins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins