ACTR2 explained

Actin-related protein 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACTR2 gene.^[1]

The specific function of ACTR2 has not yet been determined. However, it is known to be a major constituent of the ARP2/3 complex. This complex is located at the cell surface and is essential to cell shape and motility through lamellipodial actin assembly and protrusion. Two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.^[2]

Further reading

• Bearer EL, Prakash JM, Li Z . Actin dynamics in platelets. . Int. Rev. Cytol. . International Review of Cytology . 217 . 137–82 . 2002 . 12019562 . 10.1016/S0074-7696(02)17014-8 . 3376087. 9780123646217 .
• Welch MD, Iwamatsu A, Mitchison TJ . Actin polymerization is induced by Arp2/3 protein complex at the surface of Listeria monocytogenes. . Nature . 385 . 6613 . 265–9 . 1997 . 9000076 . 10.1038/385265a0 . 1997Natur.385..265W . 4358529 .
• Winter D, Podtelejnikov AV, Mann M, Li R . The complex containing actin-related proteins Arp2 and Arp3 is required for the motility and integrity of yeast actin patches. . Curr. Biol. . 7 . 7 . 519–29 . 1997 . 9210376 . 10.1016/S0960-9822(06)00223-5 . 52837402 . free . 1997CBio....7..519W .
• Machesky LM, Reeves E, Wientjes F . Mammalian actin-related protein 2/3 complex localizes to regions of lamellipodial protrusion and is composed of evolutionarily conserved proteins. . 328 . Biochem. J. . (Pt 1) . 105–12 . 1998 . Pt 1 . 9359840 . 10.1042/bj3280105. 1218893 . etal.
• Machesky LM, Insall RH . Scar1 and the related Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein, WASP, regulate the actin cytoskeleton through the Arp2/3 complex. . Curr. Biol. . 8 . 25 . 1347–56 . 1999 . 9889097 . 10.1016/S0960-9822(98)00015-3 . 16661755 . free .
• Suetsugu S, Miki H, Takenawa T . Identification of two human WAVE/SCAR homologues as general actin regulatory molecules which associate with the Arp2/3 complex. . Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. . 260 . 1 . 296–302 . 1999 . 10381382 . 10.1006/bbrc.1999.0894 .
• May RC, Hall ME, Higgs HN . The Arp2/3 complex is essential for the actin-based motility of Listeria monocytogenes. . Curr. Biol. . 9 . 14 . 759–62 . 1999 . 10421578 . 10.1016/S0960-9822(99)80337-6 . 17030983 . etal. free . 1999CBio....9..759M .
• Loisel TP, Boujemaa R, Pantaloni D, Carlier MF . Reconstitution of actin-based motility of Listeria and Shigella using pure proteins. . Nature . 401 . 6753 . 613–6 . 1999 . 10524632 . 10.1038/44183 . 1999Natur.401..613L . 4313372 .
• Higgs HN, Blanchoin L, Pollard TD . Influence of the C terminus of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) and the Arp2/3 complex on actin polymerization. . Biochemistry . 38 . 46 . 15212–22 . 1999 . 10563804 . 10.1021/bi991843 .
• Carlier MF, Nioche P, Broutin-L'Hermite I . GRB2 links signaling to actin assembly by enhancing interaction of neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp) with actin-related protein (ARP2/3) complex. . J. Biol. Chem. . 275 . 29 . 21946–52 . 2000 . 10781580 . 10.1074/jbc.M000687200 . etal. free .
• Weed SA, Karginov AV, Schafer DA . Cortactin localization to sites of actin assembly in lamellipodia requires interactions with F-actin and the Arp2/3 complex. . J. Cell Biol. . 151 . 1 . 29–40 . 2000 . 11018051 . 10.1083/jcb.151.1.29 . 2189811 . etal.
• Prehoda KE, Scott JA, Mullins RD, Lim WA . Integration of multiple signals through cooperative regulation of the N-WASP-Arp2/3 complex. . Science . 290 . 5492 . 801–6 . 2000 . 11052943 . 10.1126/science.290.5492.801 . 2000Sci...290..801P .
• Marchand JB, Kaiser DA, Pollard TD, Higgs HN . Interaction of WASP/Scar proteins with actin and vertebrate Arp2/3 complex. . Nat. Cell Biol. . 3 . 1 . 76–82 . 2001 . 11146629 . 10.1038/35050590 . 30437883 .
• Zhao X, Yang Z, Qian M, Zhu X . Interactions among subunits of human Arp2/3 complex: p20-Arc as the hub. . Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. . 280 . 2 . 513–7 . 2001 . 11162547 . 10.1006/bbrc.2000.4151 .
• Flanagan LA, Chou J, Falet H . Filamin A, the Arp2/3 complex, and the morphology and function of cortical actin filaments in human melanoma cells. . J. Cell Biol. . 155 . 4 . 511–7 . 2001 . 11706047 . 10.1083/jcb.200105148 . 2198874 . etal.
• Robinson RC, Turbedsky K, Kaiser DA . Crystal structure of Arp2/3 complex. . Science . 294 . 5547 . 1679–84 . 2001 . 11721045 . 10.1126/science.1066333 . 2001Sci...294.1679R . 18088124 . etal.
• Gournier H, Goley ED, Niederstrasser H . Reconstitution of human Arp2/3 complex reveals critical roles of individual subunits in complex structure and activity. . Mol. Cell . 8 . 5 . 1041–52 . 2002 . 11741539 . 10.1016/S1097-2765(01)00393-8 . etal. free .
• Li Z, Kim ES, Bearer EL . Arp2/3 complex is required for actin polymerization during platelet shape change. . Blood . 99 . 12 . 4466–74 . 2002 . 12036877 . 10.1182/blood.V99.12.4466 . 3376088.

Notes and References

1. Welch MD, DePace AH, Verma S, Iwamatsu A, Mitchison TJ . The human Arp2/3 complex is composed of evolutionarily conserved subunits and is localized to cellular regions of dynamic actin filament assembly . J Cell Biol . 138 . 2 . 375–84 . Aug 1997 . 9230079 . 2138188 . 10.1083/jcb.138.2.375 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: ACTR2 ARP2 actin-related protein 2 homolog (yeast).