Overview
Septins are a complex family of scaffolding proteins found in all eukaryotic organisms, from yeast to humans. They are composed of four distinct domains that mediate the formation of intermolecular complexes that are crucial for maintaining cellular structure and regulating essential processes such as cell division and vesicle trafficking. Septins are well-conserved proteins, meaning that the same gene is present across different species, and appear to have multiple roles in the organization of the cellular cytoskeleton and cellular junctions. In humans, septins are implicated in a wide range of physiological processes, including signal transduction, embryonic development, tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis. Septins have also been implicated in diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.