Las17 Activators

Las17, known in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is a homolog of the mammalian protein Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP), which is crucial for the regulation of actin polymerization in cells. Actin is a protein that forms a dynamic filamentous network, providing structural support and enabling cell movement, division, and intracellular transport.Las17 is essential in yeast for the formation of actin cables and patches, structures that are important for processes such as endocytosis and the establishment of cell polarity. It acts as an actin nucleation-promoting factor (NPF), which means it aids in the creation of new actin filaments by stimulating the activity of the Arp2/3 complex. The Arp2/3 complex is a group of proteins that initiates actin polymerization by forming a nucleation core that serves as a template for the addition of new actin monomers.

The activity of Las17 is tightly regulated by interactions with other proteins and by signaling pathways that respond to environmental and cellular cues. It is typically found at sites of rapid actin filament assembly, such as the tips of emerging buds in dividing yeast cells, where it helps to drive the growth of the actin network.Mutations in Las17 can lead to defects in actin organization, resulting in abnormal cell morphologies and impaired endocytosis. Given the conserved nature of actin regulation mechanisms across species, studying Las17 in yeast provides valuable insights into the more complex regulation of actin dynamics in higher eukaryotes, including humans.