Early actin cytoskeleton reorganization is an important regulatory step of membrane-initiated, non-genomic steroid hormone actions. Specific intracellular signaling cascades control the rapid alterations of actin polymerization in a variety of cell models. Moreover, actin remodeling is a decisive component in the signaling of hormone-induced early and late cellular responses. This article briefly summarizes the current knowledge on the steroid hormone-induced early actin cytoskeleton rearrangements. It focuses on the current progress to characterize the glucocorticoid- and androgen-initiated, tissue-specific actin signaling pathways and discusses the plethora of cellular responses that are regulated by the early actin redistribution. It also provides insights into the potential clinical significance of actin dynamics and actin-specific molecular signaling for nongenomic steroid hormone actions on tumor cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords: actin cytoskeleton; actin signaling; androgens; glucocorticoids; tumors.
Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.