Summary: © 2001 Macmillan Magazines Ltd
brief communications
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY VOL 3 MARCH 2001 http://cellbio.nature.com306
The Arp2/3 complex nucleates actin
filament branches from the sides of
pre-existing filaments
Kurt J. Amann and Thomas D. Pollard*
Structural Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
*e-mail: pollard@salk.edu
Regulated assembly of actin-filament networks provides
the mechanical force that pushes forward the leading
edge of motile eukaryotic cells1
and intracellular patho-
genic bacteria2
and viruses3
. When activated by binding
to actin filaments and to the WA domain of
Wiskott­Aldrich-syndrome protein (WASP)/Scar proteins,
the Arp2/3 complex nucleates new filaments that grow
from their barbed ends4­8

Source: Amann, Kurt - Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program & Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Pollard, Thomas D.- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University

Collections: Biology and Medicine