The Plant Actin Cytoskeleton - Index Page
	F-actin or filamentous actin is the center of a major cytoskeletal system -The plant actins are divided into two ancienct classes based on their expression in vegetative or reproductive tissues and organs.   -Ectopic expression of reproductive actin in vegetative tissues causes dramatic cytoskeletal defects in cells and extreme developmental defects in organs and tissues   -This ectopic reproductive actin expression phenotypes can be suppressed by the co-expression of co-evolved actin binding proteins profilin and actin depolymerizing factor (ADF/cofilin)   -Actin mutant plant phenotypes: act2-1 and act7-4   Actin Related Proteins (ARPs) are found in all eukaryotes and they direct epigenetic changes in multicellular development (see link to our studies on nuclear ARPs and Epigenetics at the top of our web pages)   Actin depolymerizing factors (ADF/cofilin) functions in the remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton by promoting the severing and depolymerization of actin and increase the dynamics of the F-actin cytoskeleton Four ancient subclasses of ADF are differentially expressed and differentially localized within cells in Arabidopsis (Subclass II ADFs are localized to pollen tubes and root hairs and found only in the cytoplasm, while Subclass I ADFs are expressed in many cell types, but are localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus)   Profilin- a major actin binding protein controlling G-actin monomer pools and F-actin polymerization   Tissue specific expression of Arabidopsis plant profilins   Phenotype of profilin mutant prf1-1
Filamentous F-actin (stained green) in cytoplasm of plant cell

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