Control of actin remodeling by filamin A and cyclin B1/cdk1

肌动蛋白纤维将正常细胞连接在一起，就像木托梁和横梁将住宅连接在一起一样。当细胞生长和移动时，它们必须迅速改变其肌动蛋白结构，这个过程被恰当地描述为重塑。我们正在研究控制这种重塑的两种蛋白质，细胞周期蛋白B1和细丝蛋白A(Flna)。细胞周期蛋白B1控制细胞分裂。Flna对细胞很重要，因为它控制着肌动蛋白纤维的组装。用房屋结构类比，Flna蛋白质是将肌动蛋白纤维相互连接和细胞其他部分连接的细胞钉子和螺丝。我们认为，细胞周期蛋白B1和Fla共同控制肌动蛋白结构，因此很可能在控制细胞形状和刚性方面发挥重要作用。了解细胞周期蛋白B1和Fla控制肌动蛋白结构的分子机制是这项研究的总体目标。我们相信，了解这一过程将有助于我们描述并最终设计细胞机械结构的能力。

Actin fibers hold normal cells together in much the same way that wooden joists and beams hold a residential house together. When cells grow and move, they must quickly change their actin structures, a process aptly described as remodeling. We are studying two proteins that control this remodeling, cyclin B1 and Filamin A (FLNa). Cyclin B1 controls cell division. FLNa is important to a cell because it controls the assembly of actin fibers. Using the house construction analogy, FLNa proteins are the cellular nails and screws that attach actin fibers to each other and other parts of the cells. We believe that cyclin B1 and FLNa co-operate to control actin structures and are thus likely to have important roles in controlling cell shape and rigidity. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which cyclin B1 and FLNA control of actin structures is the overall goal of this grant. We believe that understanding this process will aid in our ability to characterize and ultimately engineer cellular mechanical structures.