News and Views abstract
Nature Cell Biology 2, E76 - E78 (2000)
doi:10.1038/35010506
A new twist for the tumour suppressor hamartin
Shigetomo Fukuhara1 & J. Silvio Gutkind1
- Shigetomo Fukuhara and J. Silvio Gutkind are at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, Building 30, National Institutes of Health, 30 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–4330 , USA.
Correspondence to: J. Silvio Gutkind1 e-mail: sg39v@nih.gov
Abstract
Ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins form crosslinks between cortical actin filaments and the plasma membrane. New findings indicate that they may also bind to the tumour-suppressor protein hamartin, thereby regulating Rho GTPases, the actin-based cytoskeleton and cell adhesion. Loss of hamartin function disrupts cell adhesion, which may contribute to the formation of tumours in individuals carrying hamartin mutations.
