Intrinsic Capability of Budding Yeast Cofilin to Promote Turnover of Tropomyosin-Bound Actin Filaments
2008

How Yeast Cofilin Helps Actin Filaments Turn Over

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Fan Xiaoxue, Martin-Brown, Skylar Florens, Laurence Li, Rong

Primary Institution: The Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Hypothesis

Does cofilin promote the turnover of tropomyosin-bound actin filaments in yeast?

Conclusion

Yeast cofilin can promote the turnover of tropomyosin-bound actin filaments despite tropomyosin's protective role.

Supporting Evidence

  • Cofilin was identified as a tropomyosin-binding protein through affinity chromatography.
  • Cofilin can sever actin filaments decorated with tropomyosin.
  • The protective effect of tropomyosin against cofilin is not as strong as previously thought.

Takeaway

Cofilin is like a pair of scissors for actin filaments, helping them break down even when they are wrapped in a protective layer.

Methodology

The study used proteomics to identify tropomyosin-binding proteins and conducted various assays to test cofilin's ability to sever actin filaments.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0003641

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