Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein
Cofilin is an actin-binding protein that plays a major role in the regulation of actin dynamics, an essential cellular process. This protein has emerged as a crucial molecule for functions of the nervous system including motility and guidance of the neuronal growth cone, dendritic spine organization...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/954 |
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| author | Tamara Lapeña-Luzón Laura R. Rodríguez Vicent Beltran-Beltran Noelia Benetó Federico V. Pallardó Pilar Gonzalez-Cabo |
| author_facet | Tamara Lapeña-Luzón Laura R. Rodríguez Vicent Beltran-Beltran Noelia Benetó Federico V. Pallardó Pilar Gonzalez-Cabo |
| author_sort | Tamara Lapeña-Luzón |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cofilin is an actin-binding protein that plays a major role in the regulation of actin dynamics, an essential cellular process. This protein has emerged as a crucial molecule for functions of the nervous system including motility and guidance of the neuronal growth cone, dendritic spine organization, axonal branching, and synaptic signalling. Recently, other important functions in cell biology such as apoptosis or the control of mitochondrial function have been attributed to cofilin. Moreover, novel mechanisms of cofilin function regulation have also been described. The activity of cofilin is controlled by complex regulatory mechanisms, with phosphorylation being the most important, since the addition of a phosphate group to cofilin renders it inactive. Due to its participation in a wide variety of key processes in the cell, cofilin has been related to a great variety of pathologies, among which neurodegenerative diseases have attracted great interest. In this review, we summarized the functions of cofilin and its regulation, emphasizing how defects in these processes have been related to different neurodegenerative diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:44:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2a1b7f3c337461898569e7b2f076076 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:44:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2a1b7f3c337461898569e7b2f0760762023-11-22T03:21:32ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252021-07-0111795410.3390/brainsci11070954Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold ProteinTamara Lapeña-Luzón0Laura R. Rodríguez1Vicent Beltran-Beltran2Noelia Benetó3Federico V. Pallardó4Pilar Gonzalez-Cabo5Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainCofilin is an actin-binding protein that plays a major role in the regulation of actin dynamics, an essential cellular process. This protein has emerged as a crucial molecule for functions of the nervous system including motility and guidance of the neuronal growth cone, dendritic spine organization, axonal branching, and synaptic signalling. Recently, other important functions in cell biology such as apoptosis or the control of mitochondrial function have been attributed to cofilin. Moreover, novel mechanisms of cofilin function regulation have also been described. The activity of cofilin is controlled by complex regulatory mechanisms, with phosphorylation being the most important, since the addition of a phosphate group to cofilin renders it inactive. Due to its participation in a wide variety of key processes in the cell, cofilin has been related to a great variety of pathologies, among which neurodegenerative diseases have attracted great interest. In this review, we summarized the functions of cofilin and its regulation, emphasizing how defects in these processes have been related to different neurodegenerative diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/954cofilinneurodegenerative diseasescofilin–actin rodsapoptosismitochondrial fissionmicrotubule instability |
| spellingShingle | Tamara Lapeña-Luzón Laura R. Rodríguez Vicent Beltran-Beltran Noelia Benetó Federico V. Pallardó Pilar Gonzalez-Cabo Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein Brain Sciences cofilin neurodegenerative diseases cofilin–actin rods apoptosis mitochondrial fission microtubule instability |
| title | Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein |
| title_full | Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein |
| title_fullStr | Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein |
| title_short | Cofilin and Neurodegeneration: New Functions for an Old but Gold Protein |
| title_sort | cofilin and neurodegeneration new functions for an old but gold protein |
| topic | cofilin neurodegenerative diseases cofilin–actin rods apoptosis mitochondrial fission microtubule instability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/954 |
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