Background information
HSPC300 (hematopoietic stem cell protein 300) is also known as probable protein BRICK1 or C3orf10 (chromosome 3 open reading frame 10) and is a 75 amino acid protein that is expressed as two isoforms and localizes to both the cytoplasm and the cytoskeleton. HSPC300 is thought to regulate cytoskeletal organization and Actin polymerization. Free HSPC300 exists as homotrimers prior to its incorporation into the WAVE complex. The WAVE complex includes five proteins, one of which is HSPC300, that regulate the ARC (Arp2/3 complex) which is responsible for Actin nucleation and is Rac 1-dependent. Because HSPC300 is a highly conserved subunit of the WAVE complex across many species, it is thought to have the same or similar functions in many different organisms. In Drosophila, the WAVE/ARC pathway may affect the development of the nervous system. HSPC300 is thought to localize to axons of the central nervous system of Drosophila embryos and thus may also be involved in axonogenesis. In addition, HSPC300 is thought to be necessary for synaptic morphogenesis by motoneurons. In mice, the knockout of the WAVE complex leads to learning and memory defects, and it is therefore hypothesized that HSPC300 may also be involved in cognitive functions. Genetic depletion of HSPC300 results in cytoskeletal abnormalities and prevents cytokinesis of cells, suggesting that decreased levels of HSPC300 may be associated with tumor suppression.
