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Spectrin and Ankyrin-based Pathways: Metazoan Inventions for Integrating Cells into Tissues.

Bennett, V., Baines, Anthony J. (2001) Spectrin and Ankyrin-based Pathways: Metazoan Inventions for Integrating Cells into Tissues. Physiological reviews, 81 (3). pp. 1353-1392. ISSN 0031-9333. (doi:10.1152/physrev.2001.81.3.1353) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:8641)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.2001.81.3.1353

Abstract

The spectrin-based membrane skeleton of the humble mammalian erythrocyte has provided biologists with a set of interacting proteins with diverse roles in organization and survival of cells in metazoan organisms. This review deals with the molecular physiology of spectrin, ankyrin, which links spectrin to the anion exchanger, and two spectrin-associated proteins that promote spectrin interactions with actin: adducin and protein 4.1. The lack of essential functions for these proteins in generic cells grown in culture and the absence of their genes in the yeast genome have, until recently, limited advances in understanding their roles outside of erythrocytes. However, completion of the genomes of simple metazoans and application of homologous recombination in mice now are providing the first glimpses of the full scope of physiological roles for spectrin, ankyrin, and their associated proteins. These functions now include targeting of ion channels and cell adhesion molecules to specialized compartments within the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum of striated muscle and the nervous system, mechanical stabilization at the tissue level based on transcellular protein assemblies, participation in epithelial morphogenesis, and orientation of mitotic spindles in asymmetric cell divisions. These studies, in addition to stretching the erythrocyte paradigm beyond recognition, also are revealing novel cellular pathways essential for metazoan life. Examples are ankyrin-dependent targeting of proteins to excitable membrane domains in the plasma membrane and the Ca(2+) homeostasis compartment of the endoplasmic reticulum. Exciting questions for the future relate to the molecular basis for these pathways and their roles in a clinical context, either as the basis for disease or more positively as therapeutic targets.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1152/physrev.2001.81.3.1353
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Anthony Baines
Date Deposited: 02 Nov 2008 20:11 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:30 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/8641 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Baines, Anthony J..

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