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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Aip1p Dynamics Are Altered by the R256H Mutation in Actin
Published on: July 30, 2014
Ins and outs of ADF/cofilin activity and regulation
Marleen Van Troys1, Lynn Huyck, Shirley Leyman
1Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. lee.vantroys@ugent.be
Abstract:
The actin-binding proteins of the actin-depolymerisation factor (ADF)/cofilin family were first described more than three decades ago, but research on these proteins still occupies a front role in the actin and cell migration field. Moreover, cofilin activity is implicated in the malignant, invasive properties of cancer cells. The effects of ADF/cofilins on actin dynamics are diverse and their regulation is complex. In stimulated cells, multiple signalling pathways can be initiated resulting in different activation/deactivation switches that control ADF/cofilin activity. The output of this entire regulatory system, in combination with spatial and temporal segregation of the activation mechanisms, underlies the contribution of ADF/cofilins to various cell migration/invasion phenotypes. In this framework, we describe current views on how ADF/cofilins function in migrating and invading cells.
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