ACTIN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does actin mean? 

• ACTIN (noun)
  The noun ACTIN has 1 sense:

1. one of the proteins into which actomyosin can be split; can exist in either a globular or a fibrous form

  Familiarity information: ACTIN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACTIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

One of the proteins into which actomyosin can be split; can exist in either a globular or a fibrous form

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("actin" is a kind of...):

simple protein (a protein that yields only amino acids when hydrolyzed)

Holonyms ("actin" is a substance of...):

actomyosin (a protein complex in muscle fibers; composed of myosin and actin; shortens when stimulated and causes muscle contractions)

 Context examples 

The interaction of actin and myosin mediates muscle cell contraction in response to stimulation of the excitable cell membrane.

(Muscle Cell, NCI Thesaurus)

The process where thick (myosin) and thin (actin) filaments slide against each other to produce a shortening or tensing of the muscle cell or fiber.

(Muscle Contraction, NCI Thesaurus)

A malignant neoplasm that has myoepithelial differentiation (generally detected by the mixture of glands and spindle cells and/or the presence of smooth muscle actin in the cytoplasm of the spindle cells).

(Myoepithelial and Mixed Glandular Myoepithelial Carcinoma of the Mouse Mammary Gland, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

May only be identifiable as smooth muscle cells using immunohistochemical stains such as smooth muscle actin or keratin 14.

(Myoepithelial Carcinoma of the Mouse Mammary Gland, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

The end of an actin filament that is polymerizing at a slower rate.

(Minus End of the Actin Filament, NCI Thesaurus)

It is comprised of plasma membrane that is supported by longitudinal actin filaments that are crosslinked by fimbrin and villin.

(Microvillus, NCI Thesaurus)

The beta and gamma actins co-exist in most cell types as components of the cytoskeleton, and as mediators of internal cell motility.

(Actin, Gamma 2, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)

The APC/ASEF/beta-Catenin complex regulates the actin cytoskeleton and cell morphology/migration.

(Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Alpha-catenin is associated with F-actin bundles directly and indirectly.

(Adherens Junction Assembly Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Filaments which are composed primarily of actin and found in the cytoplasmic matrix of almost all cells.

(Microfilament Protein, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)