Binding of Filamentous Actin and Winding into Fibrillar Aggregates by the Polyphenolic C‐Glucosidic Ellagitannin Vescalagin

Abstract

Winding it up: The plant polyphenolic metabolite vescalagin fulfills all the requirements for use as an antiactin agent in cellular biological investigations. Despite its high hydrophilicity, it rapidly enters cells and disturbs the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in a dose-dependent reversible manner by binding fibrillar actin and forcing the actin filaments (left) to wind themselves into ball-like fibrillar aggregates (right).