ANLN

ANLN is the gene that encodes anillin, a conserved actin-binding scaffolding protein essential for cytokinesis in animal cells. In humans, ANLN is expressed in many proliferating tissues, and the anillin protein localizes to the contractile ring during late mitosis and to the midbody during cytokinesis.

The protein functions as a scaffold that links actin filaments with other components of the cytokinetic apparatus, including myosin II and septins, helping organize and stabilize the constriction of the contractile ring. Anillin also interacts with RhoA, coordinating membrane ingression with cytoskeletal rearrangements. Its activity and localization are regulated by the cell cycle and by post-translational modifications.

Disruption of ANLN or misregulation of anillin impairs cell division, and model organisms show that loss of anillin can lead to cytokinesis failure and embryonic lethality, underscoring its essential role in cell division.

Altered ANLN expression has been observed in several cancers, with higher levels often associated with increased proliferation and poorer prognosis in various contexts. Because of its central role in cytokinesis, ANLN is studied as a potential biomarker and, in some cases, a therapeutic target, although clinical applications require further validation.