JCB logo
R&D Systems: New Poster Available
  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents
Published 26 November 2001. doi:10.1083/jcb.200108022
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF, 533K)
Right arrow PPT slides of all figures
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new content in the JCB
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Wahlström, G.
Right arrow Articles by Heino, T. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Wahlström, G.
Right arrow Articles by Heino, T. I.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2001/11/787 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 155, Number 5, November 26, 2001 787-796

Article

Twinfilin is required for actin-dependent developmental processes in Drosophila



Gudrun Wahlström1, Maria Vartiainen2, Lumi Yamamoto1, Pieta K. Mattila2, Pekka Lappalainen2 and Tapio I. Heino1

1 Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, Viikki Biocenter, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
2 Cellular Biotechnology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, Viikki Biocenter, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Address correspondence to Tapio I. Heino, Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, Viikki Biocenter, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 9), FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Tel.: 358-9-19159590. Fax: 358-9-19159366. E-mail: tapio.heino{at}helsinki.fi

The actin cytoskeleton is essential for cellular remodeling and many developmental and morphological processes. Twinfilin is a ubiquitous actin monomer–binding protein whose biological function has remained unclear. We discovered and cloned the Drosophila twinfilin homologue, and show that this protein is ubiquitously expressed in different tissues and developmental stages. A mutation in the twf gene leads to a number of developmental defects, including aberrant bristle morphology. This results from uncontrolled polymerization of actin filaments and misorientation of actin bundles in developing bristles. In wild-type bristles, twinfilin localizes diffusively to cytoplasm and to the ends of actin bundles, and may therefore be involved in localization of actin monomers in cells. We also show that twinfilin and the ADF/cofilin encoding gene twinstar interact genetically in bristle morphogenesis. These results demonstrate that the accurate regulation of size and dynamics of the actin monomer pool by twinfilin is essential for a number of actin-dependent developmental processes in multicellular eukaryotes.

Key Words: actin; Drosophila; twinfilin; ADF/cofilin; bristle


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:



  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents