Formins: intermediates in signal-transduction cascades that affect cytoskeletal reorganization

• Published in: Trends in Plant Science Vol. 7; no. 11; pp. 492 - 498
• Main Authors: Deeks, Michael J, Hussey, Patrick J, Davies, Brendan
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: actin; Actins; Actins - metabolism; ADF; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins; Arabidopsis thaliana; biochemical pathways; Biological and medical sciences; Cell biochemistry; Cell Division; Cell Division - physiology; Cell physiology; Cell Polarity; Cell Polarity - physiology; chemical constituents of plants; Contractile Proteins; cytoskeleton; Cytoskeleton - genetics; Cytoskeleton - physiology; Formin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; G-proteins; genetics; membrane proteins; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; metabolism; Microfilament Proteins; Microfilament Proteins - metabolism; Molecular and cellular biology; Phylogeny; physiology; Plant physiology and development; plant proteins; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; poly- l-proline proteins; profilin; Profilins; Rho GTPase; SH3 domain; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - physiology; WW domain; SH3 domain; Plant Science; actin; profilin; ADF; cytoskeleton; Arabidopsis; WW domain; Cell biology; poly- l-proline proteins; Formin; Rho GTPase; Vegetals; Growth; Review; Protein; Characterization; Fungi; Signal transduction; Regulation(control); Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Cytoskeleton; Spermatophyta; Cell; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 1360-1385; 1878-4372
• DOI: 10.1016/S1360-1385(02)02341-5

The control of cell growth and polarity depends on a dynamic actin cytoskeleton that has the ability to reorganize in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. In animals and fungi, formins are just one of the four major classes of poly- l-proline-containing (PLP) proteins that form part of the signal-transduction cascade that leads to rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Analysis of the Arabidopsis genome sequence indicates that, unlike animals and fungi, formins are the only class of conserved profilin-binding PLP proteins in plants. Moreover, plant formins show significant structural differences compared with their animal and fungal counterparts, raising the possibility that plant formins are subject to novel mechanisms of control or perform unique roles in plants. Plant formins have the potential to regulate cell polarity, cell expansion and other actin-dependent processes by modifying actin dynamics like their animal and fungal counterparts do, but their activity might be governed by plant -specific N-terminal domains.