[Platelet filamin: a cytoskeletal protein involved in cell signal integration and function]

Activation of cellular receptors by diverse stimuli induces dramatic changes in shape and function to respond to the new circumstances of the cell. This modified behavior depends on the reorganization of the peripheral actin meshwork. An outstanding example of these processes can be found in platelets, from which much of the information available on cytoskeletal function has been obtained. Among the many actin-crosslinking proteins like spectrin, fimbrin or alpha actinin, filamin a (FLNa) emerges as the one with the highest potential in initiating the polimerization of actin filaments (F-actin) during the formation of tridimensional actin gels. FLNa also links actin filaments to the cytosolic domain of many membrane glycoproteins in platelets through its C-terminal region. In addition to participating in cell shape changes, FLNa is a scaffoldding protein that recruits numerous proteins involved in a completely different set of functions, including signal transduction, gene transcription regulation, and receptor translocation; however, the physiological role of FLNa in these processes has remained elusive. The purpose of the present communication is to briefly describe the characteristics of the macromolecules able to interact with FLNa and to discuss a possible role of FLNa during the transduction of signals from those molecular elements in platelets.