Actin in plants is a highly conserved cytoskeletal protein that plays essential roles in maintaining cell shape, cytoplasmic streaming, cell division, cell expansion, and intracellular transport. Similar to animal cells, plant actin exists in two forms: monomeric G-actin (globular) and polymeric F-actin (filamentous), which dynamically assemble into microfilament networks to regulate cellular processes. Plants possess multiple actin isoforms (e.g., ACT2, ACT7), each exhibiting tissue-specific and developmental stage-dependent expression patterns鈥攆or instance, ACT7 is highly expressed in rapidly growing tissues. Actin filaments interact with various binding proteins, including myosin, formin, and profilin, to drive organelle movement (e.g., chloroplast positioning), cytoplasmic streaming, and critical developmental processes such as cell plate formation, pollen tube tip growth, and stomatal movement. Additionally, plant actin undergoes rapid reorganization in response to environmental stimuli (e.g., gravity, mechanical stress, and pathogen attack), enabling adaptation to external challenges. While the actin gene family is evolutionarily conserved, plants have undergone unique gene duplication and functional diversification to support their distinct growth and developmental strategies.
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