GENETIC-STUDIES OF SPECTRIN - NEW LIFE FOR A GHOST PROTEIN

Spectrin, together with actin and a number of other accessory proteins , forms a submembrane cytoskeletal network in the human erythrocyte gh ost. Through an elegant combination of structural, biochemical, and ge netic studies, spectrin was shown to be an important determinant of er ythrocyte shape and membrane stability. Genetic studies of a novel non erythroid spectrin (PH) in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans now r eveal that spectrin can influence the shape and stability of whole org anisms.((1,2)) Nonerythroid spectrins are proposed to have roles in ce ll adhesion, establishment of cell polarity, and attachment of other c ytoskeletal structures to the plasma membrane. The phenotypes of the P H spectrin mutations provide an exciting biological context in which t o evaluate these roles and perhaps to uncover new ones. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.