Hormone-induced changes in cell shape: role of cytoskeletal proteins

Shape is a characteristic phenotype for a given cell. It is affected by various physiological and pathological factors. Hormones, which are the chemical messengers affecting a wide range of biological phenomena, also alter cell morphology by influencing the expression and post-translational modifications of cytoskeletal proteins. The assembly/disassembly of cytoskeletal proteins and their interactions with intracellular components, the plasma membrane and extracellular matrix, is mainly responsible for determining cell shape. The role of hormones in the induction of altered cell shape due to changes in the cytoarchitecture in varied biological tissues under both in vivo and in vitro conditions, are discussed in this review.