Pathogen proteins targeting the actin cytoskeleton often serve as model systems to understand their eukaryotic analogs. Structure-function studies of the bacterial actin nucleator VopL suggest that dimerization and pointed-end binding play crucial roles in VopL-mediated nucleation, by enabling the formation of a hexameric pointed end actin nucleus, and that eukaryotic actin nucleators may also function as dimers or higher oligomers.
- Suk Namgoong
- Malgorzata Boczkowska
- Roberto Dominguez
