Cytoskeleton and CFTR

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator, CFTR, is a membrane protein expressed in epithelia. A protein kinase A (PKA)-regulated Cl(-) channel, it is a rate-limiting factor in fluid transport. Mutations in CFTR are responsible for cystic fibrosis, CF, an autosomal recessive disease. The most frequent mutation is deletion of phenylalanine at position 508, ΔF508. The regulation of trafficking and degradation of CFTR/ΔF508CFTR as well as its function(s) is a complex process which involves a number of proteins including chaperones and adaptors. It is now known that cytoskeletal proteins, previously considered only as structural proteins, are also important factors in the regulation of cellular processes and functions. The aim of the present review is to focus on how microfilaments, microtubules and intermediary filaments form a dynamic interactome with CFTR to participate in the regulation of CFTR-dependent transepithelial ion transport, CFTR trafficking and degradation.