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Fascin in Cell Migration: More Than an Actin Bundling Protein
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Fascin in Cell Migration: More Than an Actin Bundling Protein

Maureen C. Lamb and Tina L. Tootle
Biology (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.9(11), pp.1-18
11/01/2020
DOI: 10.3390/biology9110403
PMCID: PMC7698196
PMID: 33212856
url
https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9110403View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Fascin, an actin-binding protein, regulates many developmental migrations and contributes to cancer metastasis. Specifically, Fascin promotes cell motility, invasion, and adhesion by forming filopodia and invadopodia through its canonical actin bundling function. In addition to bundling actin, Fascin has non-canonical roles in the cell that are thought to promote cell migration. These non-canonical functions include regulating the activity of other actin-binding proteins, binding to and regulating microtubules, mediating mechanotransduction to the nucleus via interaction with the Linker of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) Complex, and localizing to the nucleus to regulate nuclear actin, the nucleolus, and chromatin modifications. The many functions of Fascin must be coordinately regulated to control cell migration. While much remains to be learned about such mechanisms, Fascin is regulated by post-translational modifications, prostaglandin signaling, protein-protein interactions, and transcriptional means. Here, we review the structure of Fascin, the various functions of Fascin and how they contribute to cell migration, the mechanisms regulating Fascin, and how Fascin contributes to diseases, specifically cancer metastasis.
Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics Science & Technology

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