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Here come the septins: novel polymers that coordinate intracellular functions and organization
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Here come the septins: novel polymers that coordinate intracellular functions and organization

Elias T Spiliotis and W James Nelson
Journal of cell science, v 119(Pt 1), pp 4-10
01 Jan 2006
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.02746
PMID: 16371649
url
https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.02746View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Fungal Proteins - chemistry Protein Structure, Tertiary GTP-Binding Proteins - chemistry Cytoskeletal Proteins - genetics Humans Cytoskeletal Proteins - chemistry Fungal Proteins - genetics GTP-Binding Proteins - genetics Cell Membrane - chemistry Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism Animals Protein Isoforms - metabolism Protein Isoforms - chemistry Cytoskeleton - metabolism Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism Polymers - chemistry Cell Membrane - metabolism Polymers - metabolism Fungal Proteins - metabolism GTP-Binding Proteins - metabolism Protein Isoforms - genetics
Septins are conserved GTP-binding proteins that associate with cellular membranes and the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. They polymerize to form filamentous structures that act as diffusion barriers between different membrane domains and as molecular scaffolds for membrane- and cytoskeleton-binding proteins. In yeast, septins are central to the spatio-temporal coordination of membrane polarity and cell division, but the roles of their mammalian counterparts have remained poorly understood. However, recent findings have shed light on the dynamics and regulation of mammalian septin assembly and our understanding of septin functions in cytoskeleton and membrane organization. The mammalian septins appear to form a novel network of hetero-polymers that are multi-functional, inter-changeable and respond dynamically to signals that coordinate events at the interface between cytoskeleton and membrane biology. Hence, studies of these molecules might provide new insights not only into how cells coordinate their functions, but also into the pathogenesis of cancer and other diseases in which septins are abnormally expressed.

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Cell Biology
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