Nuclear actin dynamics – From form to function

Abstract 

Cell biological functions of actin have recently expanded from cytoplasm to nucleus, with actin implicated in such diverse processes as gene expression, transcription factor regulation and intranuclear motility. Actin in the nucleus seems to behave differently than in the cytoplasm, raising new questions regarding the molecular mechanisms by which actin functions in cells. In this review, I will discuss dynamic properties of nuclear actin that are related to its polymerization cycle and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. By comparing the behaviour of nuclear and cytoplasmic actin and their regulators, I try to dissect the underlying differences of these equally important cellular actin pools.

Abbreviations: BDM, 2,3-butanedione monoxime, FRAP, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, FRET, Förster resonance energy transfer, IRM, intranuclear rod myopathy, NLS, nuclear localization signal, PI, phosphoinositide, PML, promyelocytic leukemia, SRF, serum response factor

Keywords: Actin, Nucleus, Nuclear transport, Actin dynamics, Actin-binding protein