Title:Thymosin β4 and Actin: Binding Modes, Biological Functions and Clinical
Applications
Volume: 24
Issue: 1
Author(s): Yuyuan Ying, Chen Lin, Nana Tao, Robert D. Hoffman, Dongling Shi, Zhijin Chen and Jianli Gao*
Affiliation:
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, People’s Republic
of China
- State Key Laboratory
of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao 999078, People’s Republic of China
Keywords:
Tβ4, actin, mechanism, biological functions, clinical applications, microfilaments.
Abstract: Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is the β-thymosin (Tβs) with the highest expression level in human
cells; it makes up roughly 70-80% of all Tβs in the human body. Combining the mechanism and activity
studies of Tβ4 in recent years, we provide an overview of the subtle molecular mechanism, pharmacological
action, and clinical applications of Tβ4. As a G-actin isolator, Tβ4 inhibits the polymerization
of G-actin by binding to the matching site of G-actin in a 1:1 ratio through conformational and
spatial effects. Tβ4 can control the threshold concentration of G-actin in the cytoplasm, influence the
balance of depolymerization and polymerization of F-actin (also called Tread Milling of F-actin), and
subsequently affect cell's various physiological activities, especially motility, development and differentiation.
Based on this, Tβ4 is known to have a wide range of effects, including regulation of inflammation
and tumor metastasis, promotion of angiogenesis, wound healing, regeneration of hair follicles,
promotion of the development of the nervous system, and improving bone formation and tooth growth.
Tβ4 therefore has extensive medicinal applications in many fields, and serves to preserve the kidney,
liver, heart, brain, intestine, and other organs, as well as hair loss, skin trauma, cornea repairing, and
other conditions. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of action and clinical application of Tβ4
for its main biological functions.
