Abstract
Myosins are a remarkable superfamily of actin-based motor proteins that use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to translocate actin filaments and to produce force. Myosins are abundant in different types of tissues and involved in a large variety of cellular functions. Several classes of the myosin superfamily are expressed in the nervous system; among them, non-muscle myosin II (NM II) is expressed in both neurons and non-neuronal brain cells, such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, endothelial cells, and microglia. In the nervous system, NM II modulates a variety of functions, such as vesicle transport, phagocytosis, cell migration, cell adhesion and morphology, secretion, transcription, and cytokinesis, as well as playing key roles during brain development, inflammation, repair, and myelination functions. In this review, we will provide a brief overview of recent emerging roles of NM II in resting and activated microglia cells, the principal regulators of immune processes in the central nervous system (CNS) in both physiological and pathological conditions. When stimulated, microglial cells react and produce a number of mediators, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, free radicals, and nitric oxide, that enhance inflammation and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of NM II could be a new therapeutic target to treat or to prevent CNS diseases.
Highlights
non-muscle myosin II (NM II) is a central protein in cell mechanics and plays a key role in a variety of important cell biology processes
As discussed in this review, in microglial cells, NM II is involved in the remodeling of the membrane and cytoskeleton necessary for the performance of functions that characterize activated microglia, such as polarization, migration, and phagocytosis
Microglia are essential in maintaining homeostasis and normal central nervous system (CNS) function, both during development and in response to injury
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The myosin superfamily consists of 40 myosin genes, which are classified into 12 different classes on the basis of their architecture; a single cell can express multiple classes and splice forms of myosins [1,2]. In 1973, Pollard and Korn identified and isolated the first unconventional myosin subfamily from the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii; it was called Myosin I because it was the first myosin to be isolated from Acanthamoeba [4]. It was the first singleheaded myosin, consisting of a single relatively small heavy chain (~125 kDa), and did not form filaments, in contrast to conventional Myosin II. We will focus on the emerging roles of NM II in resting and activated microglia cells, the resident immune cells of CNS
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