Background:
Actin is one of the most highly-conserved proteins, differing by no more than 20% in a wide variety of species. It is found in all eukaryotic cells and is the subunit of two types of filaments in cells: microfiliments, a component of the cytoskeleton, and thin filaments, part of the contractile apparatus in muscle cells.
Structure:
Actin is a globular protein of about 42 kilodaltons
Function:
Actin participates in many important cellular processes including muscle contraction, cell motility, cell division, and cytokinesis (the splitting of the cell membrane), intercellular transport, cell signalling, cell junctions, and cell shape. In vertebrates, three main groups of actin i
soforms are:
1) Alpha: found in the contractile apparatus of muscle cells
2) Beta: Component of the cytoskeleton and assists in internal cell motility
3) Gamma: Component of the cytoskeleton and assists in internal cell motility
The role of Actin in muscle contraction