Zyxin

Zyxin (ZYX) is an adhesion plaque protein that serves as a scaffolding component at focal adhesions (UniProt: Q15942). It binds alpha-actinin and CRP proteins, functioning to target TES and ENA/VASP family members to focal adhesions and promote the formation of actin-rich cytoskeletal structures. The protein is thought to participate in signal transduction pathways linking adhesion stimulation to changes in gene expression.

Zyxin is predominantly associated with cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesion processes. The UniProt record contains no designated disease associations for the protein itself, though its involvement in cytoskeletal dynamics suggests potential relevance to neuronal morphology and synapse formation (UniProt: Q15942).

Zyxin is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue. Analysis of post-mortem AD brain relative to age-matched controls using quantitative proteomics (TMT-labeled, DDA mass spectrometry across four subcellular fractions) showed a mean log2 fold-change of +0.44, indicating modest elevation (Chaparral AD proteomics). This suggests a potential role in AD-associated alterations to cytoskeletal organization or adhesion dynamics, though the biological significance of this increase remains to be clarified.