Cells remodel actin normally without coronins, challenging textbook view
Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered that coronin proteins are largely dispensable for the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. This finding challenges long-standing textbook theories regarding the role of coronins in cell biology.
Why it matters
It forces a re-evaluation of fundamental cellular biology models and highlights the potential for misinterpretation when using molecular tags in research.
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Mouse fibroblast stained for coronin 2 (green) and actin filaments (red); nuclei in blue. Credit: Biozentrum, University of Basel, Roko Gvozdenica Sipic Coronins are found throughout the animal kingdom, from single-celled amoebae to humans, and are involved in many vital processes, including immunity, development and cell survival. For decades, textbooks and hundreds of scientific papers have described coronins primarily as proteins that bind to actin, a key component of the cytoskeleton.
Because of this presumed interaction, coronins have long been regarded as regulators of the cytoskeleton—a network of actin filaments that gives cells their shape, enables them to move and helps organize their contents.
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