| First Author | Bunnell TM | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Mol Biol Cell | Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 21 | Pages | 4047-58 |
| PubMed ID | 21900491 | Mgi Jnum | J:183016 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5317353 | Doi | 10.1091/mbc.E11-06-0582 |
| Citation | Bunnell TM, et al. (2011) beta-Actin specifically controls cell growth, migration, and the G-actin pool. Mol Biol Cell 22(21):4047-58 |
| abstractText | Ubiquitously expressed beta-actin and gamma-actin isoforms play critical roles in most cellular processes; however, their unique contributions are not well understood. We generated whole-body beta-actin-knockout (Actb(-/-)) mice and demonstrated that beta-actin is required for early embryonic development. Lethality of Actb(-/-) embryos correlated with severe growth impairment and migration defects in beta-actin-knockout primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) that were not observed in gamma-actin-null MEFs. Migration defects were associated with reduced membrane protrusion dynamics and increased focal adhesions. We also identified migration defects upon conditional ablation of beta-actin in highly motile T cells. Of great interest, ablation of beta-actin altered the ratio of globular actin (G-actin) to filamentous actin in MEFs, with corresponding changes in expression of genes that regulate the cell cycle and motility. These data support an essential role for beta-actin in regulating cell migration and gene expression through control of the cellular G-actin pool. |
