Wiskott Aldrich syndrome homology region 2 (WH2 motif) found in Dictyostelium discoideum Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and similar proteins
This family contains the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)-homology domain 2 (WH2) found in Dictyostelium discoideum vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and similar proteins. VASP belongs to the Ena/VASP protein family whose members act as actin polymerases that drive the processive elongation of filament barbed ends in membrane protrusions or at the surface of bacterial pathogens. These actin-associated proteins are involved in a range of processes dependent on cytoskeleton remodeling and cell polarity such as lamellipodial and filopodial dynamics in migrating cells. VASP plays a crucial role in filopodia formation, cell-substratum adhesion, and proper chemotaxis. It nucleates and bundles actin filaments via oligomers that use their WH2 domains to effect both the tethering of actin filaments and their processive elongation in sites of active actin assembly.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",