title: Plant formins: membrane anchors for actin polymerization.
abstract: In plants, the actin cytoskeleton plays a fundamental role in intracellular transport, cell growth, and morphology. Formins are central regulators of actin polymerization and actin-based processes in many eukaryotes. Plants have a diverse family of formins and this diversity arose early in land plant evolution, probably deriving from family expansion and domain acquisition. Recently, formins from different plant lineages have been studied and the focus of these studies is beginning to shift from biochemical characterization to in vivo function. In vivo studies have shown that distinct biochemical activities confer specific cellular functions. Despite these differences, many plant formins have in common a direct link to the plasma membrane, suggesting that formins in plants are important links between the plasma membrane and actin remodeling.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
authors: Peter A C
authors: PA
authors: van Gisbergen
authors: Magdalena
authors: M
authors: Bezanilla
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000080865:Formins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D063245:Plant Development / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C105191:Bni1 protein, S cerevisiae; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D000080865:Formins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C096354:capu protein, Drosophila; C106890:diaphanous protein, Drosophila