Final answer:
Cofilin assists in the disassembly of older actin filaments, regulating the balance between polymerized and unpolymerized actin states, essential for various cellular processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cofilin is a protein important for the dynamics of actin filaments. Actin filaments are vital for various cellular processes, such as muscle contraction and cell motility. Cofilin specifically functions to bind to actin filaments and destabilize them, enhancing the disassembly of older actin filaments at the minus end. By doing so, it helps to regulate the turnover of actin filaments within the cell, maintaining the dynamic balance between the polymerized (gel form) and unpolymerized (soluble form) states of actin, which is critical for cellular functions like movement and division.