Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
Published on: May 5, 2022
The filamins: organizers of cell structure and function
Fumihiko Nakamura1, Thomas P Stossel, John H Hartwig
1Translational Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. fnakamura@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Filamin A (FLNa), the first non-muscle actin filament cross-linking protein, was identified in 1975. Thirty five years of FLNa research has revealed its structure in great detail, discovered its isoforms (FLNb and c), and identified over 90 binding partners including channels, receptors, intracellular signaling molecules, and even transcription factors. Due to this diversity, mutations in human FLN genes result in a wide range of anomalies with moderate to lethal consequences. This review focuses on the structure and functions of FLNa in cell migration and adhesion.
Related Concept Videos
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments
Adaptability of Cytoskeletal Filaments
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Introduction to the Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments present within the cell, having three distinct filaments ̶ microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Each has characteristic features that distinguish them, including the dynamics of their assembly and disassembly, mechanical properties, polarity, and the type of molecular motors associated with them. Earlier, they were thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells; however, their homologs were...
The Structure of Intermediate Filaments
Intermediate filaments...
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments
The high-order actin networks...
