Espins are multifunctional actin cytoskeletal regulatory proteins in the microvilli of chemosensory and mechanosensory cells.

ABSTRACT: Espins are associated with the parallel actin bundles of hair cell stereocilia and are the target of mutations that cause deafness and vestibular dysfunction in mice and humans. Here, we report that espins are also concentrated in the microvilli of a number of other sensory cells: vomeronasal organ sensory neurons, solitary chemoreceptor cells, taste cells, and Merkel cells. Moreover, we show that hair cells and these other sensory cells contain novel espin isoforms that arise from a different transcriptional start site and differ significantly from other espin isoforms in their complement of ligand-binding activities and their effects on actin polymerization. The novel espin isoforms of sensory cells bundled actin filaments with high affinity in a Ca(2+)-resistant manner, bound actin mono

SUBMITTER: Sekerkova G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2855134 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature