title: [Actin in the wound healing process].
abstract: Wound healing is an important biological process of crucial value for organisms survival and retention of its proper functions. The recognition of molecular mechanisms of these phenomenon is still under investigation. The transition of mesenchymal fibroblasts to myofibroblasts is a key point in wound healing. The contraction ability of myofibroblast enables the shrinkage of a wound and closes its edges. Alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), one of six actin isoforms, is a marker of compeletely differentiated myofibroblast. The regulation of differentiation process depends on many growth factors (especially TGF beta 1), the level of active thymosin beta 4, extracellular matrix proteins--including fibronectin, and also on specificity of microenvironment. Thymosin beta 4 is responsible for maintenance of pool of monomeric actin and actin filaments depolymerization. It can also act as a transcription factor, migration stimulator and immunomodulator, so this protein deserves for more attention in wound healing research field.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Patologii Komórki, Wydział Biotechnologii, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Wrocław. dorotan@ibmb.uni.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popow-Woźniak
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raźnikiewicz
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malicka-Błaszkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D005353:Fibronectins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1