forminin

Forminin is not a standard name for a defined molecule in contemporary biology. The term is encountered rarely and is often a misspelling, misprint, or historical variant of "formin," a well-established family of actin-regulating proteins. In most modern contexts, "forminin" should be treated as ambiguous unless a precise source clarifies its intended meaning.

Formin proteins nucleate and elongate unbranched actin filaments and modulate cytoskeletal dynamics essential for cell shape, motility, cytokinesis, and polarity. They contain conserved actin-nucleating FH2 domains and proline-rich FH1 regions that bind profilin–actin complexes. Many formins are regulated by Rho family GTPases and autoinhibitory interactions between N- and C-terminal domains (variously described as DID and DAD in some family members).

Functional roles include promoting membrane protrusions during migration, organizing the actin cortex during cell division, and contributing to tissue morphogenesis. Misregulation of formins has been linked to developmental disorders, cancer progression, and various diseases.

In practice, when the term "forminin" appears, researchers should check primary sources to determine whether the reference is to the formin family or to a specific molecule, reagent, or hypothetical example presented in educational materials. If no clear definition is provided, the term remains ambiguous.

See also: Formin; actin cytoskeleton; DIAPH1; INF2; FMNL proteins.