Beta-actin explained

Actin beta (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee abbreviation ACTB/ACTB) is one of six different actin isoforms which have been identified in humans. This is one of the two nonmuscle cytoskeletal actins. Actins are highly conserved proteins^{[1] [2]} that are involved in cell motility, structure and integrity. Alpha actins are a major constituent of the contractile apparatus.^[3]

Interactions

Actin beta has been shown to interact with SPTBN2.^{[4] [5]} In addition, RNA-binding protein Sam68 was found to interact with the mRNA encoding actin beta, which regulates the synaptic formation of the dendritic spines with its cytoskeletal components.

Actin beta has been shown to activate eNOS, thereby increasing NO production. An eight-amino acid motif (326-333) in eNOS has been shown to mediate the interaction between actin and eNOS.^[6]

Clinical relevance

Recurrent mutations in this gene have been associated to cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.^[7]

Applications

Actin beta is often used in Western blotting as a loading control, to normalize total protein amounts and check for eventual protein degradation in the samples. Its transcript is also commonly used as a housekeeping gene standard in qPCR. Its molecular weight is approximately 42 kDa.

Further reading

• Vandekerckhove J, Leavitt J, Kakunaga T, Weber K . Coexpression of a mutant beta-actin and the two normal beta- and gamma-cytoplasmic actins in a stably transformed human cell line . Cell . 22 . 3 . 893–9 . 1980 . 6893954 . 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90566-8. 54299848 .
• Leavitt J, Gunning P, Porreca P, Ng SY, Lin CS, Kedes L . Molecular cloning and characterization of mutant and wild-type human beta-actin genes . Molecular and Cellular Biology. 4 . 10 . 1961–9 . 1984 . 6095033 . 10.1128/mcb.4.10.1961 . 369012.
• Ng SY, Gunning P, Eddy R, Ponte P, Leavitt J, Shows T, Kedes L . Evolution of the functional human beta-actin gene and its multi-pseudogene family: conservation of noncoding regions and chromosomal dispersion of pseudogenes . Molecular and Cellular Biology. 5 . 10 . 2720–32 . 1985 . 3837182 . 10.1128/mcb.5.10.2720 . 367010.
• Snásel J, Pichová I . The cleavage of host cell proteins by HIV-1 protease . Folia Biologica . 42 . 5 . 227–30 . 1997 . 8997639 . 10.1007/BF02818986 . 7617882 .
• Gunning P, Weinberger R, Jeffrey P . Actin and tropomyosin isoforms in morphogenesis . Anatomy and Embryology . 195 . 4 . 311–5 . Apr 1997 . 9108196 . 10.1007/s004290050050 . 9692297 .
• Kimura T, Hashimoto I, Nishikawa M, Fujisawa JI . A role for Rev in the association of HIV-1 gag mRNA with cytoskeletal beta-actin and viral protein expression . Biochimie . 78 . 11–12 . 1075–80 . 1997 . 9150887 . 10.1016/S0300-9084(97)86732-6 .
• Szentirmay MN, Sawadogo M . Spatial organization of RNA polymerase II transcription in the nucleus . Nucleic Acids Research . 28 . 10 . 2019–25 . May 2000 . 10773068 . 105382 . 10.1093/nar/28.10.2019 .
• Anderson JL, Hope TJ . HIV accessory proteins and surviving the host cell . Current HIV/AIDS Reports . 1 . 1 . 47–53 . Apr 2004 . 16091223 . 10.1007/s11904-004-0007-x . 34731265 .
• Pederson T, Aebi U . Nuclear actin extends, with no contraction in sight . Molecular Biology of the Cell . 16 . 11 . 5055–60 . Nov 2005 . 16148048 . 1266405 . 10.1091/mbc.E05-07-0656 .
• Perrin BJ, Ervasti JM . The actin gene family: function follows isoform . Cytoskeleton . 67 . 10 . 630–4 . Oct 2010 . 20737541 . 2949686 . 10.1002/cm.20475 .

See also

• Actin
• ACTA1

Notes and References

1. Gunning PW, Ghoshdastider U, Whitaker S, Popp D, Robinson RC . The evolution of compositionally and functionally distinct actin filaments . Journal of Cell Science . 128 . 11 . 2009–2019 . Jun 2015 . 25788699 . 10.1242/jcs.165563 . free .
2. Hanukoglu I, Tanese N, Fuchs E . Complementary DNA sequence of a human cytoplasmic actin. Interspecies divergence of 3' non-coding regions . Journal of Molecular Biology . 163 . 4 . 673–8 . Feb 1983 . 6842590 . 10.1016/0022-2836(83)90117-1 .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: ACTB actin, beta.
4. Mao B, Wu W, Li Y, Hoppe D, Stannek P, Glinka A, Niehrs C . LDL-receptor-related protein 6 is a receptor for Dickkopf proteins . Nature . 411 . 6835 . 321–5 . May 2001 . 11357136 . 10.1038/35077108 . 2001Natur.411..321M . 4323027 .
5. Holleran EA, Ligon LA, Tokito M, Stankewich MC, Morrow JS, Holzbaur EL . beta III spectrin binds to the Arp1 subunit of dynactin . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 276 . 39 . 36598–605 . Sep 2001 . 11461920 . 10.1074/jbc.M104838200 . free .
6. Kondrikov D, Fonseca FV, Elms S, Fulton D, Black SM, Block ER, Su Y . Beta-actin association with endothelial nitric-oxide synthase modulates nitric oxide and superoxide generation from the enzyme . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 285 . 7 . 4319–27 . Feb 2010 . 19946124 . 10.1074/jbc.M109.063172 . 2836036. free .
7. Lohr JG, Stojanov P, Lawrence MS, Auclair D, Chapuy B, Sougnez C, Cruz-Gordillo P, Knoechel B, Asmann YW, Slager SL, Novak AJ, Dogan A, Ansell SM, Link BK, Zou L, Gould J, Saksena G, Stransky N, Rangel-Escareño C, Fernandez-Lopez JC, Hidalgo-Miranda A, Melendez-Zajgla J, Hernández-Lemus E, Schwarz-Cruz y Celis A, Imaz-Rosshandler I, Ojesina AI, Jung J, Pedamallu CS, Lander ES, Habermann TM, Cerhan JR, Shipp MA, Getz G, Golub TR . Discovery and prioritization of somatic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by whole-exome sequencing . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 109 . 10 . 3879–84 . Mar 2012 . 22343534 . 3309757 . 10.1073/pnas.1121343109 . 2012PNAS..109.3879L . free .