Calponin and Transgelin: Molecular Evolution, Function, Regulation and Medical Relevance

ISBN-13: 9798895304686 / Angielski / Miękka / 2025

J P Jin

Opis

Nearly four decades after their discoveries, calponin and transgelin are now known as a family of actin-filament associated regulatory proteins with functions in regulating smooth muscle contractility and non-muscle cell motility. While calponin and transgelin were first found in smooth muscles, the past two decades have seen an increased interest in this family of proteins for functions in a broad range of non-muscle cells. This book concisely summarized what has been learned on the evolution, regulation and function of these actin cytoskeleton regulatory proteins and their isoforms. Through inhibitory regulation of myosin motors, calponin modulates smooth muscle contractility, reduces cell traction force, stabilizes actin cytoskeleton, determines the rate of cytokinesis, enhances cell adhesion, and inhibits cell migration and phagocytosis. It plays various physiological and pathological roles in vascular myogenic response and blood pressure control, ovarian follicle development, renal glomerular filtration, platelet adhesion and thrombosis, cancer metastasis, inflammatory responses and diseases, and fibrotic and osteogenic tissue remodeling. While less functional studies have been done for transgelins, the currently available data show their functions like that of calponin. The more recent finding of mechanoregulations of calponin and transgelin opened a new direction of research leading to a better understanding of cellular interactions with the mechanical environment and responses to force signals. For the broad cell type and tissue distribution of the calponin-transgelin family proteins, more in depth research is merited to further establish their biological functions and regulations in the context of human health and diseases. This book provides a foundation to help researchers of various backgrounds and interests to explore the regulation and structure-function relationships of calponin and transgelin toward new discoveries and translations into medical applications.