Cortactin (also designated Ems-1) is a filamentous Actin (F-Actin) binding protein that has been shown to be a substrate for Src p60. Cortactin contains tandem 37 amino acid repeats at the amino-terminus and an SH3 domain at the carboxy-terminus. The tandem repeats appear to be necessary for F-Actin binding. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Cortactin by Src p60 results in diminished F-Actin binding to Cortactin and reduced F-Actin cross-linking activity. Cortactin has also been shown to be phosphorylated in response to FGF-1. Cortactin exhibits abundant expression in megakaryocytes and platelets, and it may play a role in the maturation of megakaryocytes.
