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Actin

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of AIDS

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Definition

Actin is a ubiquitous highly conserved 42-KDa globular protein in eukaryotic cells. There are three actin isoforms: alpha, beta, and gamma. The alpha actins are mainly found in muscle cells where they form thin filaments, part of the muscle contractile apparatus. The beta and gamma actins are found in most cell types and exist either as a monomeric form (G-actin) or as assembled, double helical, filamentous polymers called filamentous actin (F-actin or microfilaments). In non-muscle cells, the actin cytoskeleton provides mechanical support to cells and is a major driving force for cell motility. Actin also participates in many cellular processes such as cell division, vesicle and organelle movement, and signal transduction.

Introduction

Actin dynamics are regulated through actin polymerization and depolymerization. In vitro, the monomeric G-actin can automatically polymerize in salt solution at concentrations above the critical concentration (C c) at which actin...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Microbiology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA

    Yuntao Wu

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  1. Yuntao Wu
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Correspondence to Yuntao Wu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Cell & Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Thomas J. Hope

  2. Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

    Mario Stevenson

  3. University of California, San Diego Dept. Pathology, La Jolla, California, USA

    Douglas Richman

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Wu, Y. (2013). Actin. In: Hope, T., Stevenson, M., Richman, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of AIDS. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_70-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_70-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9610-6

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