protein
Alpha-centractin
aka Centractin
Gene
ACTR1A
Organism
Homo sapiens(9606)
Length
376 aa
Mass
42,614 Da
Alpha-centractin (ACTR1A) is a 42.6 kDa protein that serves as a structural component of the dynactin complex (UniProt: P61163). It forms a filament core around which dynactin assembles, enabling the activation of dynein, a molecular motor essential for processive transport along microtubules. This function is critical for intracellular cargo movement and organellar positioning.
The protein operates within the microtubule-based transport machinery and is broadly expressed across tissues. No disease associations are documented in the UniProt record.
Alpha-centractin has been identified in Alzheimer's Disease proteomics studies. Analysis of post-mortem AD brain tissue versus age-matched controls using quantitative mass spectrometry across four subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3) revealed ambiguous directionality, with a mean log2 fold-change of 0.0011, indicating minimal overall abundance change (Chaparral AD proteomics). The ambiguous pattern suggests potential differential regulation across specific subcellular compartments rather than a consistent up- or down-regulation in AD brain tissue.
Generated from the curated entity record below. May contain errors — verify against source links.
Proteomics Evidence · AD
⚠ Ambiguous — detected in AD samples, direction unclear across fractionsP3
+0.328
P2
not detected
S2
not detected
S3
-0.326
Mean log₂FC across detected fractions: +0.0011 (2 of 4 fractions detected)
Human post-mortem AD brain vs age-matched controls, TMT-labeled, 4 subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3), DDA proteomics.
Related Publications
Browse all →Tau molecular diversity contributes to clinical heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease.
Dujardin Simon et al.Nature medicine2020PMID 32572268Deep Multilayer Brain Proteomics Identifies Molecular Networks in Alzheimer's Disease Progression.
Bai Bing et al.Neuron2020PMID 31926610A Multi-network Approach Identifies Protein-Specific Co-expression in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Alzheimer's Disease.
Seyfried Nicholas T et al.Cell systems2017PMID 27989508Large-scale deep multi-layer analysis of Alzheimer's disease brain reveals strong proteomic disease-related changes not observed at the RNA level.
Johnson Erik C B et al.Nature neuroscience2022PMID 35115731Organization and regulation of gene transcription.
Cramer PatrickNature2019PMID 31462772
Function
Part of the ACTR1A/ACTB filament around which the dynactin complex is built. The dynactin multiprotein complex activates the molecular motor dynein for ultra-processive transport along microtubules
Sources
Last updated 5/8/2026, 6:37:06 AM