A single human cell teems with as many 100,000 different proteins. Actin is one of the most abundant and essential of them all. This protein forms into filaments that help make up the skeleton of cells, giving them shape. And as the actin filaments elongate, they work like muscles, pushing against the inner membrane of a cell to move it forward. Three other proteins are known to drive the activities of actin. One class of protein assembles individual actin molecules into actin filaments, another causes the filaments to stop growing and a third disassembles filaments. Members of the Shekhar Lab, however, have discovered an even more complex and nuanced view of how these three proteins together influence actin dynamics. Nature Communications published the findings, showing how these proteins sometimes shift from solo or duet acts to perform as a trio, allowing them to fine-tune the activity of actin filaments. Read more at Emory News.