Conserved microtubule-actin interactions in cell movement and morphogenesis

• Published in: Nature cell biology Vol. 5; no. 7; pp. 599 - 609
• Main Authors: Waterman-Storer, Clare M, Rodriguez, Olga C, Schaefer, Andrew W, Mandato, Craig A, Forscher, Paul, Bement, William M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01-07-2003
• Subjects: Actin; Actin Cytoskeleton - metabolism; Animals; Biology; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cell division; Cell Division - physiology; Cell migration; Cell Movement - physiology; Contractile Proteins - metabolism; Eukaryotic Cells - metabolism; Eukaryotic Cells - ultrastructure; Fibroblasts; Genetic aspects; Growth Cones - metabolism; Growth Cones - ultrastructure; Humans; Kinases; Localization; Microtubules; Microtubules - metabolism; Morphogenesis; Motility; Physiological aspects; Polymerization; Wound healing; Wound Healing - physiology; Canada; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1465-7392; 1476-4679
• DOI: 10.1038/ncb0703-599

Interactions between microtubules and actin are a basic phenomenon that underlies many fundamental processes in which dynamic cellular asymmetries need to be established and maintained. These are processes as diverse as cell motility, neuronal pathfinding, cellular wound healing, cell division and cortical flow. Microtubules and actin exhibit two mechanistic classes of interactions--regulatory and structural. These interactions comprise at least three conserved 'mechanochemical activity modules' that perform similar roles in these diverse cell functions.