Multifunctional roles of gelsolin in health and diseases

Abstract

Gelsolin, a Ca(2+) -regulated actin filament severing, capping, and nucleating protein, is an ubiquitous, multifunctional regulator of cell structure and metabolism. More recent data show that gelsolin can act as a transcriptional cofactor in signal transduction and its own expression and function can be influenced by epigenetic changes. Here, we review the functions of the plasma and cytoplasmic forms of gelsolin, and their manifold impacts on cancer, apoptosis, infection and inflammation, cardiac injury, pulmonary diseases, and aging. An improved understanding of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of gelsolin may lead to new considerations of this protein as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target.

Gelsolin regulates proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in human oral carcinoma cells

“…As an extremely abundant eukaryotic ABP, GSN severs, caps and nucleates actin filaments, and then dynamically regulate the cytoskeleton. Therefore, GSN exerts numerous physiological effects, including modulation of cell apoptosis, mediation of signal transduction and regulation of transcriptional coactivation (7).…”

“…The varied and complex activities of the actin cytoskeleton are dynamically regulated by actin-binding proteins (ABPs) (2)(3)(4)6,7). Gelsolin (GSN) is one of the most abundant ABPs, and has been found to be a multifunctional regulator of physiological and pathological cellular processes (7,8).…”

“…Previous studies have indicated that GSN may be a tumor suppressor that exerts a crucial role in the carcinogenic process (7,9). However, biphasic expression of GSN in oral precancerous lesions and oral cancers has been observed, which revealed a downregulation in GSN between oral precancerous lesions and oral cancers, and demonstrated upregulation of GSN in the stages of oral cancer progression (8).…”

“…The varied and complex activities of the actin cytoskeleton are dynamically regulated by actin-binding proteins (ABPs) (2-4,6,7). Gelsolin (GSN) is one of the most abundant ABPs, and has been found to be a multifunctional regulator of physiological and pathological cellular processes (7,8).Previous studies have indicated that GSN may be a tumor suppressor that exerts a crucial role in the carcinogenic process (7,9). However, biphasic expression of GSN in oral precancerous lesions and oral cancers has been observed, which revealed a downregulation in GSN between oral precancerous lesions and oral cancers, and demonstrated upregulation of GSN in the stages of oral cancer progression (8).…”

Proteomic markers for predicting preterm birth

“…Так, цитоскелетные кальций-регулируемые актин-связываю-щие белки гельзолин и трансгелин-2 участвуют в регуля-ции мышечного сокращения [6,7] и подавление их про-дукции способно опосредованно повышать контрактиль-ную активность матки. Уменьшение содержания Е-кадгерина, участвующего в Са 2+ -зависимой межклеточ-ной адгезии и играющего важную роль в формировании цитоскелета, по-видимому, может сопровождаться моди-фикацией структуры и, следовательно, функций различ-ных тканей, в том числе миометрия.…”