PROSITE documentation PDOC00372Profilin signature
Profilin [1,2] is a small eukaryotic protein that binds to monomeric actin (G-actin) in a 1:1 ratio thus preventing the polymerization of actin into filaments (F-actin). It can also, in certain circumstance promotes actin polymerization. Profilin also binds to polyphosphoinositides such as PIP2.
Overall sequence similarity among profilin from organisms which belong to different phyla (ranging from fungi to mammals) is low, but the N-terminal region is relatively well conserved. That region is thought to be involved in the binding to actin. The signature pattern for profilin is based on conserved residues at the N-terminal extremity.
A protein structurally similar to profilin is present in the genome of variola and vaccinia viruses (gene A42R).
Last update:November 1995 / Text revised.
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PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:
| 1 | Authors | Haarer B.K. Brown S.S. |
| Title | Structure and function of profilin. | |
| Source | Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 17:71-74(1990). | |
| PubMed ID | 2257632 |
| 2 | Authors | Sohn R.H. Goldschmidt-Clermont P.J. |
| Title | Profilin: at the crossroads of signal transduction and the actin cytoskeleton. | |
| Source | BioEssays 16:465-472(1994). | |
| PubMed ID | 7945274 |
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