title: Cell and molecular biology of septins.
abstract: Septins are a family of GTP-binding proteins that assemble into cytoskeletal filaments. Unlike other cytoskeletal components, septins form ordered arrays of defined stoichiometry that can polymerize into long filaments and bundle laterally. Septins associate directly with membranes and have been implicated in providing membrane stability and serving as diffusion barriers for membrane proteins. In addition, septins bind other proteins and have been shown to function as multimolecular scaffolds by recruiting components of signaling pathways. Remarkably, septins participate in a spectrum of cellular processes including cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, cell migration, polarity, and cell-pathogen interactions. Given their breadth of functions, it is not surprising that septin abnormalities have also been linked to human diseases. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of septin structure, assembly and function, and discuss these in the context of human disease.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen Y Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: wtrimble@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Trimble
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000378:metabolism; D058112:Septins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D058112:Septins
keywords: Cytoskeletal filaments; Diffusion barrier; GTPase; Molecular scaffolds; PIP2; Polymerization