Structural requirements of tropomyosin for binding to filamentous actin.

Abstract

Tropomyosin is an actin binding protein found in virtually all eucaryotic cells. Since its early discovery (Bailey, 1948), the actin binding properties and regulatory functions of tropomyosin have been extensively investigated. In addition, tropomyosin has served as a prototype for the structure of α-helical coiled-coil proteins (Cohen and Parry, 1990). The recent recognition of the diversity of tropomyosins in different cell types and discovery of the relationship between cell shape and isoform expression are indicative of a fundamental role for tropomyosin in the actin cytoskeleton. There is a need for a better understanding of structure-function relationships in this protein.