CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF ACTIN AND ACTIN-BINDING PROTEINS

提出了确定高分辨率结构的 通过X射线晶体学测定profilin：actin复合物，以建立包装 螺旋状肌动蛋白丝中的单体晶体结构， 结晶绒毛蛋白和绒毛蛋白：肌动蛋白复合物，并确定 一系列肌动蛋白构象在profilin的结构：肌动蛋白晶体。 肌动蛋白的高分辨率化学结构对于 对肌肉收缩和收缩过程的机械理解 机械化学转导 像胞质分裂这样非常基本的过程， 许多细胞所共有的膜皱褶和内吞作用都涉及肌动蛋白 丝和含肌动蛋白的组织状态的变化 结构. 肌动蛋白的高度保守性及其广泛存在 在涉及运动的过程中在真核细胞中的分布， 在化学描述的水平上指出了一个共同的解释。 肌动蛋白结构的知识，在单体和丝状 形式，将是重要的解开事件时，一个细胞， 被逆转录病毒转化后，其形状发生了巨大的变化。 同样，在血小板活化过程中，血小板的主要重组， 细胞骨架发生。 小肠内含肌动蛋白微绒毛 管腔介导吸收过程，这些束的结构可以 提供对乳糜泻等吸收不良疾病的更深入了解。

It is proposed to determine the high resolution structure of the profilin:actin complex by x-ray crystallography, to establish the packing of the monomeric crystal structure in the helical actin filament, to crystallize villin and villin:actin complexes, and to determine the structures of a range of actin conformers in the profilin:actin crystals. A high resolution chemical structure of actin is essential for a mechanistic understanding of muscular contraction and the process of mechanochemical transduction. Very basic processes like cytokinesis, membrane ruffling, and endocytosis, common to many cells, all involve actin filaments and changes in the state of organization of actin-containing structures. The highly-conserved nature of actin and its widespread distribution in eukaryotic cells in processes where movement is involved, points to a common explanation at the chemical level of description. Knowledge of the actin structure, in both the monomeric and filamentous forms, will be important for unravelling the events involved when a cell, transformed by retroviruses, undergoes dramatic changes in shape. Similarly, during platelet activation, major re-organization of the cytoskeleton occurs. Actin-containing microvilli of the inner intestinal lumen medidate the absorptive process, and structures of these bundles may offer deeper insight into malabsorption diseases such as coeliac syndrome.