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Gelsolin

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 33 Accesses

Definition

Is a widely expressed 82–84 kDa actin-binding protein that is found inside the cells and also in a secreted form in extracellular fluid. Gelsolin severs actin filaments (actin filament severing) by breaking the ionic interactions between actin molecules within the filament and it caps the fast growing (+) end of actin filaments. Filament severing and capping are regulated by Ca2+, the phosphoinositide phosphatidylinositol 4, 5 bisphosphate (PIP2), and pH.

Characteristics

Cytoplasmic gelsolin was discovered in 1979 and named for its ability to activate gel–sol transformation of actin filaments in a Ca2+-dependant manner. Gelsolin is the founding member of a gelsolin family of actin filament severing and/or capping proteins. Other members include villin, scinderin, adseverin, CapG, and flightless I. Among these, gelsolin and CapG have been implicated as tumor suppressors.

The actin cytoskeleton is remodeled dynamically during cell movements. Gelsolin contributes to dynamic...

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References

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See Also

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Christine Chaponnier

  2. Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

    Helen L. Yin

Authors
  1. Christine Chaponnier
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  2. Helen L. Yin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine Chaponnier .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Chaponnier, C., Yin, H.L. (2015). Gelsolin. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2358-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2358-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

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