Seven decades of research have revealed much about actin structure, assembly, regulatory proteins, and cellular functions. However, some key information is still missing, so we do not understand the mechanisms of most processes that depend on actin. This chapter summarizes our current knowledge and explains some examples of work that will be required to fill these gaps and arrive at a mechanistic understanding of actin biology.
Keywords: Actin; Arp2/3 complex; Capping protein; Cofilin; Profilin.