What is "profilin"

n. (context biochemistry English) An actin-binding protein involved in the dynamic turnover and restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton, found in all eukaryotic organisms in most cells.

Profilin is an actin-binding protein involved in the dynamic turnover and restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton. It is found in all eukaryotic organisms in most cells. Profilin is important for spatially and temporally controlled growth of actin microfilaments, which is an essential process in cellular locomotion and cell shape changes. This restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for processes such as organ development, wound healing, and the hunting down of infectious intruders by cells of the immune system.

Profilin also binds sequences rich in the amino acid proline in diverse proteins. While most profilin in the cell is bound to actin, profilins have over 50 different binding partners. Many of those are related to actin regulation, but profilin also seems to be involved in activities in the nucleus such as mRNA splicing.

Profilin binds some variants of membrane phospholipids ( Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate and Inositol triphosphate). The function of this interaction is the sequestration of profilin in an "inactive" form, from where it can be released by action of the enzyme phospholipase C.

Profilin is the major allergen present in birch, grass, and other pollen and is found in Toxoplasma gondii as an essential part of host cell invasion. It is the specific PAMP of TLR11.