Plectin is a giant protein found in nearly all mammalian cells which acts as a link between the three main components of the cytoskeleton: actin microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments. [5]

Based on plectin’s broad interaction potential, strategic locations, and ample functional repertoire, dysfunctional plectin leads to a variety of disorders and diseases.

Feb 27, 2023 · What is plectin? Plectin is a giant cytoskeletal crosslinker (also known as a cytolinker) protein of more than 4,500 amino acids. It belongs to the plakin family of giant proteins, including desmoplakin, envoplakin and periplakin.

Dec 25, 2024 · Plectin is a prominent member of an important family of structurally and in part functionally related proteins, termed plakins or cytolinkers, that are capable of interlinking different elements of the cytoskeleton.

The cytolinker and scaffolding protein, plectin, has emerged as a potent driver of malignant hallmarks in many human cancers due to its involvement in various cellular activities contributing to tumorigenesis, including cancer cell proliferation, ...

Aug 26, 2023 · Herein, we summarized the structure, expression and function of plectin, and mainly focused on recent studies on the functional and physical interactions between plectin and its interacting molecules, shedding light on the potential of targeting plectin for cancer therapy.

Jan 29, 2025 · Finally, as increasing evidence suggests that plectin can regulate signalling pathways in response to mechanical cues, we propose a concept in which plectin represents a new class of versatile mechanosensors that allow the control of tensional homeostasis required for epithelial integrity.

Aug 24, 2024 · Here, we first introduce the molecular structure and function of plectin, and then we summarize the current understanding of the crucial role of plectin in cancer progression.

Mar 5, 2021 · Plectin, a highly versatile cytolinker protein, provides tissues with mechanical stability through the integration of intermediate filaments (IFs) with cell junctions.

Plectin, encoded by PLEC, is a highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed intermediate filament-linking protein with tissue and organelle-specific transcript isoforms that serves as a versatile linker of cytoskeletal components to target organelles in cells of different tissues.