Regulation of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and related molecules

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), the gene mutated in the haematological disorder Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, is the founding member of a family of conserved cytoskeletal regulators. WASP family proteins regulate actin dynamics through binding and activation of the Arp2/3 complex, which nucleates new actin filaments. Recently, a huge amount of information on WASPs has become available, both in terms of the function of individual domains, identification of their binding partners, and the unravelling of complex regulatory mechanisms. Together, these new findings place WASP-related molecules at the crossroads between distinct signalling pathways, which they integrate into coherent cytoskeletal responses.