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Catching actin proteins in action

Two groups have visualized actin — the protein polymer that gives cells their shape — at high resolution. The structures provide in-depth views of the polymer as it adopts fleeting states and undergoes conformational changes.
  1. Pilar Cossio

    1. Pilar Cossio is in the Center for Computational Mathematics and the Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, New York 10010, USA.

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  2. Glen M. Hocky

    1. Glen M. Hocky is in the Simons Center for Computational Chemistry and the Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA.

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Actin is the most abundant protein in our cells. When assembled into polymers called actin filaments, it has key roles as a structural support system (forming a cytoskeleton that gives cells their shape), as a network for transporting cellular cargo, and as a power system for cellular motion, division and adhesion1. Writing in Nature, Reynolds et al.2 and Oosterheert et al.3 describe complementary high-resolution structures for actin filaments, which they resolved thanks to advances in tools for the analysis of cryo-electron microscopy data. Their work deepens our understanding of how actin filaments that are undergoing assembly and maturation are recognized by binding proteins.

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Nature 611, 241-243 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-03343-x

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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