Functional cooperation between the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons

Abstract

In diverse cell types, microtubule (MT) and actin filament networks cooperate functionally during a wide variety of processes, including vesicle and organelle transport, cleavage furrow placement, directed cell migration, spindle rotation, and nuclear migration. The mechanisms by which MTs and actin filaments cooperate to mediate these different processes can be grouped into two broad categories: coordinated MT- and actin-based transport to move vesicles, organelles, and cell fate determinants; and targeting and capture of MT ends at cortical actin sites. Over the past several years, a growing number of cellular factors that bridge these cytoskeletal systems have been identified. These include 'hetero-motor' complexes (physically associated myosin and kinesin), myosin-CLIP170 complexes, formin homology (FH) proteins, dynein and the dynactin complex, Kar9p, coronin, Kelch repeat-containing proteins, and ERM proteins.