When Actin is Not Actin’ Like It Should: A New Category of Distinct Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders

When it looks like familial hypercholesterolemia...but is not.

Actin cytoskeletal defects in immunodeficiency

The importance of the cytoskeleton in mounting a successful immune response is evident from the wide range of defects that occur in actin-related primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Studies of these PIDs have revealed a pivotal role for the actin cytoskeleton in almost all stages of immune system function, from hematopoiesis and immune cell development, through to recruitment, migration, interce...

Acting like Actin

The crawling movement of eukaryotic cells requires establishment of cell polarity, extension of the leading edge, attachment to the substratum, and retraction of the cell body. Each of these events depends on the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton that are orchestrated by a host of signaling molecules and actin-binding proteins. Indeed, amoeboid cell motility involves so many biochemical compon...

When fat is not bad: the regulation of actin dynamics by phospholipid signaling molecules

The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in the plant morphogenesis and is involved in polar cell growth, movement of subcellular organelles, cell division, and plant defense. Organization of actin cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic remodeling in response to internal developmental cues and diverse environmental signals. This dynamic behavior is regulated by numerous actin-binding proteins (ABPs) tha...

Where should the IOL go when it does not go where it should?

hroughout the latter half of the twentieth century, a series of disruptive innovations and hotly debated issues resulted in general consensus for standard cataract surgery and agreement on the ideal anatomic location for intraocular lenses (IOL); namely, within the capsular bag. Sir Harold Ridley envisioned this outcome from the inception of the IOL, stating “...the site for the prosthesis shou...