Background of the antigen
Filamins are Actin-binding proteins which contain an N-terminal Actin-binding domain, a membrane glycoprotein domain and a C-terminal self-association domain. Filamins help reshape the cytoskeleton by forming flexible cross-links between two Actin filaments, which maintain membrane integrity during force application. Filamins also participate in signal transduction pathways associated with cell motility, adhesion, differentiation and survival, and force transduction. The filamin family is comprised of Filamin 1, Filamin 2 and Filamin 3. Filamin 2, also designated Filamin C, is a skeletal- and cardiac-muscle specific form of Filamin, which binds ©-sarcoglycan and ∂-sarcoglycan, but not å-sarcoglycan or ∫-sarcoglycan. Muscular dystrophy, an inherited group of disorders resulting in progressive weakness of muscles in the body, is associated with irregular subcellular localization of Filamin 2 caused by a deficiency in KY, a protein that interacts with Filamin 2.
