Moesin is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the MSN gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Moesin (for membrane-organizing extension spike protein) is a member of the ERM protein family

ERM protein family

The ERM protein family consists of three closely related proteins, ezrin, radixin and moesin. The three paralogs, ezrin, radixin and moesin, are present in vertebrates whereas other species have only one ERM gene. Therefore, in vertebrates these paralogs likely arose by gene duplication.ERM...

 which includes ezrin and radixin

Radixin

Radixin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RDX gene.Radixin is a cytoskeletal protein that may be important in linking actin to the plasma membrane. It is highly similar in sequence to both ezrin and moesin. The radixin gene has been localized by fluorescence in situ hybridization to...

. ERM proteins appear to function as cross-linkers between plasma membranes and actin

Actin

Actin is a globular, roughly 42-kDa moonlighting protein found in all eukaryotic cells where it may be present at concentrations of over 100 μM. It is also one of the most highly-conserved proteins, differing by no more than 20% in species as diverse as algae and humans...

-based cytoskeleton

Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton is a cellular "scaffolding" or "skeleton" contained within a cell's cytoplasm and is made out of protein. The cytoskeleton is present in all cells; it was once thought to be unique to eukaryotes, but recent research has identified the prokaryotic cytoskeleton...

s. Moesin is localized to filopodia

Filopodia

Filopodia are slender cytoplasmic projections that extend beyond the leading edge of lamellipodia in migrating cells. They contain actin filaments cross-linked into bundles by actin-binding proteins, e.g. fascin and fimbrin. Filopodia form focal adhesions with the substratum, linking it to the...

 and other membranous protrusions that are important for cell-cell recognition and signaling and for cell movement.

Interactions

Moesin has been shown to interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with CD43

CD43

Leukosialin also known as sialophorin or CD43 is a transmembrane cell surface protein that in humans is encoded by the SPN gene.- Function :...

, Neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, VCAM-1

VCAM-1

Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 also known as vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 or cluster of differentiation 106 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the VCAM1 gene...

, Neutrophil cytosolic factor 4

Neutrophil cytosolic factor 4

Neutrophil cytosol factor 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NCF4 gene.-Interactions:Neutrophil cytosolic factor 4 has been shown to interact with Ku70, Neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 and Moesin.-Further reading:...

, ICAM3

ICAM3

Intercellular adhesion molecule 3 also known as CD50 , is a human gene.-Interactions:ICAM3 has been shown to interact with EZR and Moesin.-Further reading:...

 and EZR.

Further reading