scholarly journals Direct electron microscopic visualization of barbed end capping and filament cutting by intestinal microvillar 95-kdalton protein (villin): a new actin assembly assay using the limulus acrosomal process

1983 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 1097-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM Bonder ◽  
MS Mooseker
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Initial Rate ◽  
Potent Inhibitor ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
End Capping ◽  
Dependent Interaction

We have re-examined the Ca(++)-dependent interaction of an intestinal microvillar 95- kdalton protein (MV-95K) and actin using the isolated acrosomal process bundles from limulus sperm. Making use of the processes as nuclei for assembling actin filaments, we quantitatively and qualitatively examined MV-95K's effect on filament assembly and on F- actin, both in the presence and in the absence of Ca(++). The acrosomal processes are particularly advantageous for this approach because they nucleate large numbers of filaments, they are extremely stable, and their morphology can be used to determine the polarity of any nucleated filaments. When filament nucleation was initiated in the presence of MV-95K and the absence of Ca(++), there was biased filament assembly from the bundle ends. The calculated elongation rates from both the barbed and pointed filament ends were virtually indistinguishable from control preparations. In the presence of Ca(++), MV-95K completely inhibited filament assembly from the barbed filament end without affecting the initial rate of assembly from the pointed filament end. The inhibition of assembly results from MV-95K binding to and capping the barbed filament end, thereby preventing monomer addition. This indicates that, while MV-95K is a potent nucleator of actin assembly, it is also a potent inhibitor of actin filament elongation. To examine the effects of MV-95K on F-actin in the presence of Ca(++), we developed an assay where MV-95K is added to filaments previously assembled from acrosomal processes without causing filament breakage during mixing. These results clearly demonstrated that rapid filament shortening by MV-95K results through a mechanism of disrupting intrafilament monomer-monomer interactions. Finally, we show that tropomyosin-containing actin filaments are insensitive to cutting, but not to capping, by MV-95K in the presence of Ca(++).

scholarly journals Nucleation of polar actin filament assembly by a positively charged surface.

1979 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 499-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Brown ◽  
J A Spudich
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Charged Surface ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Filamentous Form ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Biochemical Assays ◽  
Positively Charged

Polylysine-coated polystyrene beads can nucleate polar assembly of monomeric actin into filamentous form. This nucleation has been demonstrated by a combination of biochemical and structural experiments. The polylysine-coated beads accelerate the rate of actin assembly as detected by two different biochemical assays. Subsequent examination of the beads by electron microscopy reveals numerous actin filaments of similar length radiating from the beads. ATP promotes this bead-induced acceleration of assembly. Decoration of the filaments with the myosin fragment S1 shows that these filaments all have the same polarity, with the arrowhead pattern pointing toward the bead. The relevance of the system to in vitro mechanisms and its usefulness in other studies are discussed.

scholarly journals Profilin promotes formin-mediated actin filament assembly and vesicle transport during polarity formation in pollen

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Liu ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Haiyun Ren
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Pollen Germination ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Vesicle Trafficking ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Polarity Establishment

Abstract Pollen germination is critical for the reproduction of flowering plants. Formin-dependent actin polymerization plays vital roles in vesicle trafficking and polarity establishment during this process. However, how formin-mediated actin assembly is regulated in vivo remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the function of reproductive profilin 4 and 5 (PRF4 and PRF5) in polarity establishment during pollen germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our data showed that the actin filament content was reduced in the prf4 prf5 double mutant and substantially increased in both PRF4- and PRF5-overexpressing pollen grains. By contrast, the positive effect of profilin in promoting actin polymerization was abolished in a formin mutant, atfh5. In addition, the interaction between Arabidopsis formin homology 5 (AtFH5) and actin filaments was attenuated and the trafficking of AtFH5-labeled vesicles was slowed in prf4 prf5 pollen grains. Formation of the collar-like structure at the germination pore was also defective in prf4 prf5 pollen grains as the fast assembly of actin filaments was impaired. Together, our results suggest that PRF4 and PRF5 regulate vesicle trafficking and polarity establishment during pollen germination by promoting AtFH5-mediated actin polymerization and enhancing the interaction between AtFH5 and actin filaments.

scholarly journals Visualization and Molecular Analysis of Actin Assembly in Living Cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 143 (7) ◽  
pp. 1919-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy A. Schafer ◽  
Matthew D. Welch ◽  
Laura M. Machesky ◽  
Paul C. Bridgman ◽  
Shelley M. Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Cell Periphery ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Lim Kinase ◽  
Permeabilized Cells ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Filament Assembly

Actin filament assembly is critical for eukaryotic cell motility. Arp2/3 complex and capping protein (CP) regulate actin assembly in vitro. To understand how these proteins regulate the dynamics of actin filament assembly in a motile cell, we visualized their distribution in living fibroblasts using green flourescent protein (GFP) tagging. Both proteins were concentrated in motile regions at the cell periphery and at dynamic spots within the lamella. Actin assembly was required for the motility and dynamics of spots and for motility at the cell periphery. In permeabilized cells, rhodamine-actin assembled at the cell periphery and at spots, indicating that actin filament barbed ends were present at these locations. Inhibition of the Rho family GTPase rac1, and to a lesser extent cdc42 and RhoA, blocked motility at the cell periphery and the formation of spots. Increased expression of phosphatidylinositol 5-kinase promoted the movement of spots. Increased expression of LIM–kinase-1, which likely inactivates cofilin, decreased the frequency of moving spots and led to the formation of aggregates of GFP–CP. We conclude that spots, which appear as small projections on the surface by whole mount electron microscopy, represent sites of actin assembly where local and transient changes in the cortical actin cytoskeleton take place.

scholarly journals Coordinated regulation of platelet actin filament barbed ends by gelsolin and capping protein.

1996 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Barkalow ◽  
W Witke ◽  
D J Kwiatkowski ◽  
J H Hartwig
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Residual Activity ◽  
Human Platelets ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Capping Proteins ◽  
End Capping ◽  
Human And Mouse

Exposure of cryptic actin filament fast growing ends (barbed ends) initiates actin polymerization in stimulated human and mouse platelets. Gelsolin amplifies platelet actin assembly by severing F-actin and increasing the number of barbed ends. Actin filaments in stimulated platelets from transgenic gelsolin-null mice elongate their actin without severing. F-actin barbed end capping activity persists in human platelet extracts, depleted of gelsolin, and the heterodimeric capping protein (CP) accounts for this residual activity. 35% of the approximately 5 microM CP is associated with the insoluble actin cytoskeleton of the resting platelet. Since resting platelets have an F-actin barbed end concentration of approximately 0.5 microM, sufficient CP is bound to cap these ends. CP is released from OG-permeabilized platelets by treatment with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate or through activation of the thrombin receptor. However, the fraction of CP bound to the actin cytoskeleton of thrombin-stimulated mouse and human platelets increases rapidly to approximately 60% within 30 s. In resting platelets from transgenic mice lacking gelsolin, which have 33% more F-actin than gelsolin-positive cells, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of CP associated with the resting cytoskeleton but no change with stimulation. These findings demonstrate an interaction between the two major F-actin barbed end capping proteins of the platelet: gelsolin-dependent severing produces barbed ends that are capped by CP. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate release of gelsolin and CP from platelet cytoskeleton provides a mechanism for mediating barbed end exposure. After actin assembly, CP reassociates with the new actin cytoskeleton.

scholarly journals Mechanism of synergistic actin filament pointed end depolymerization by cyclase-associated protein and cofilin

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommi Kotila ◽  
Hugo Wioland ◽  
Giray Enkavi ◽  
Konstantin Kogan ◽  
Ilpo Vattulainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Monomeric Form ◽  
Actin Monomer ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Structural Work ◽  
Cytoskeletal Dynamics ◽  
Pointed End ◽  
Dependent Processes

AbstractThe ability of cells to generate forces through actin filament turnover was an early adaptation in evolution. While much is known about how actin filaments grow, mechanisms of their disassembly are incompletely understood. The best-characterized actin disassembly factors are the cofilin family proteins, which increase cytoskeletal dynamics by severing actin filaments. However, the mechanism by which severed actin filaments are recycled back to monomeric form has remained enigmatic. We report that cyclase-associated-protein (CAP) works in synergy with cofilin to accelerate actin filament depolymerization by nearly 100-fold. Structural work uncovers the molecular mechanism by which CAP interacts with actin filament pointed end to destabilize the interface between terminal actin subunits, and subsequently recycles the newly-depolymerized actin monomer for the next round of filament assembly. These findings establish CAP as a molecular machine promoting rapid actin filament depolymerization and monomer recycling, and explain why CAP is critical for actin-dependent processes in all eukaryotes.

scholarly journals Actin filament dynamics are dominated by rapid growth and severing activity in the Arabidopsis cortical array

2009 ◽  
Vol 184 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Staiger ◽  
Michael B. Sheahan ◽  
Parul Khurana ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
David W. McCurdy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Stochastic Dynamics ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Epifluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Filament Dynamics ◽  
Cortical Array

Metazoan cells harness the power of actin dynamics to create cytoskeletal arrays that stimulate protrusions and drive intracellular organelle movements. In plant cells, the actin cytoskeleton is understood to participate in cell elongation; however, a detailed description and molecular mechanism(s) underpinning filament nucleation, growth, and turnover are lacking. Here, we use variable-angle epifluorescence microscopy (VAEM) to examine the organization and dynamics of the cortical cytoskeleton in growing and nongrowing epidermal cells. One population of filaments in the cortical array, which most likely represent single actin filaments, is randomly oriented and highly dynamic. These filaments grow at rates of 1.7 µm/s, but are generally short-lived. Instead of depolymerization at their ends, actin filaments are disassembled by severing activity. Remodeling of the cortical actin array also features filament buckling and straightening events. These observations indicate a mechanism inconsistent with treadmilling. Instead, cortical actin filament dynamics resemble the stochastic dynamics of an in vitro biomimetic system for actin assembly.

scholarly journals The actin released from profilin--actin complexes is insufficient to account for the increase in F-actin in chemoattractant-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

1990 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 1965-1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
F S Southwick ◽  
C L Young
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes ◽  
Critical Concentration ◽  
Relative Concentration ◽  
Insoluble Fraction ◽  
Membrane Receptors ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Total Change ◽  
Filament Assembly

Chemoattractant stimulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes is associated with a nearly two-fold rise in actin filament content. We examined the role of the actin monomer sequestering protein, profilin, in the regulation of PMN actin filament assembly during chemoattractant stimulation using a Triton extraction method. Poly-L-proline-conjugated Sepharose beads were used to assess the relative concentration of actin bound to profilin with high enough affinity to withstand dilution (profilin-actin complex) and DNase I-conjugated beads to measure the relative concentration of actin in the Triton-soluble fraction not bound to profilin. Actin associated with the Triton-insoluble fraction (F-actin) was also measured. In unstimulated PMN, the relative concentration of actin bound to profilin was maximum. After FMLP stimulation, profilin released actin monomers within 10 s, with the profilin-actin complex concentration reaching a nadir by 40 s and remaining low as long as the cells were exposed to chemoattractant (up to 30 min). If FMLP was dissociated from PMN membrane receptors using t-BOC, actin reassociated with profilin within 20 s. Quantitative analysis of these reactions, however, revealed that profilin release of and rebinding to actin could account for only a small percentage of the total change in F-actin content. Determination of the total profilin and actin concentrations in PMN revealed that the molar ratio of profilin to actin was 1 to 5.2. When purified actin was polymerized in PMN Triton extract containing EGTA, removal of profilin from the extract minimally affected (12% reduction) the high apparent critical concentration at which actin began to assemble. Although profilin released actin at the appropriate time to stimulate actin assembly during exposure to chemoattractants, the concentration of profilin in PMN was insufficient to explain the high unpolymerized actin content in unstimulated PMN and the quantity of actin released from profilin too small to account for the large shifts from unpolymerized to polymerized actin associated with maximal chemoattractant stimulation.

Actin Assembly Takes Off Like a Rocket!

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-9
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Carmichael ◽  
Jeffrey L. Salisbury
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Elongation Factors ◽  
Delicate Balance ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Two Factors

Actin filament assembly occurs in all eukaryotic cells and involves a delicate balance between factors that promote assembly and factors that inhibit assembly. Filament assembly begins with a process of nucleation and then proceeds via elongation. Filament assembly in vivo requires nucleation and elongation factors to overcome barriers that could either bind actin monomers to inhibit nucleation or “cap” the ends of elongating filaments. The formation of most cellular actin structures depends on two or more such factors, which may interact directly. The interaction between two factors that initiate nucleation and promote assembly has recently been demonstrated by Dennis Breitsprecher, Richa Jaiswal, Jeffrey Bombardier, Christopher Gould, Jeff Gelles, and Bruce Goode. Interestingly, the model of these factors in action (Figure 1) resembles a rocket launcher!

scholarly journals Lamellipodin promotes actin assembly by clustering Ena/VASP proteins and tethering them to actin filaments

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D Hansen ◽  
R Dyche Mullins
Keyword(s):  
Axon Guidance ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Network Formation ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Filament Assembly

Enabled/Vasodilator (Ena/VASP) proteins promote actin filament assembly at multiple locations, including: leading edge membranes, focal adhesions, and the surface of intracellular pathogens. One important Ena/VASP regulator is the mig-10/Lamellipodin/RIAM family of adaptors that promote lamellipod formation in fibroblasts and drive neurite outgrowth and axon guidance in neurons. To better understand how MRL proteins promote actin network formation we studied the interactions between Lamellipodin (Lpd), actin, and VASP, both in vivo and in vitro. We find that Lpd binds directly to actin filaments and that this interaction regulates its subcellular localization and enhances its effect on VASP polymerase activity. We propose that Lpd delivers Ena/VASP proteins to growing barbed ends and increases their polymerase activity by tethering them to filaments. This interaction represents one more pathway by which growing actin filaments produce positive feedback to control localization and activity of proteins that regulate their assembly.

scholarly journals Inhibition of CapZ during myofibrillogenesis alters assembly of actin filaments.

1995 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Schafer ◽  
C Hug ◽  
J A Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Mutant Form ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Skeletal Myotubes ◽  
Aligned Array

The actin filaments of myofibrils are highly organized; they are of a uniform length and polarity and are situated in the sarcomere in an aligned array. We hypothesized that the barbed-end actin-binding protein, CapZ, directs the process of actin filament assembly during myofibrillogenesis. We tested this hypothesis by inhibiting the actin-binding activity of CapZ in developing myotubes in culture using two different methods. First, injection of a monoclonal antibody that prevents the interaction of CapZ and actin disrupts the non-striated bundles of actin filaments formed during the early stages of myofibril formation in skeletal myotubes in culture. The antibody, when injected at concentrations lower than that required for disrupting the actin filaments, binds at nascent Z-disks. Since the interaction of CapZ and the monoclonal antibody are mutually exclusive, this result indicates that CapZ binds nascent Z-disks independent of an interaction with actin filaments. In a second approach, expression in myotubes of a mutant form of CapZ that does not bind actin results in a delay in the appearance of actin in a striated pattern in myofibrils. The organization of alpha-actinin at Z-disks also is delayed, but the organization of titin and myosin in sarcomeres is not significantly altered. We conclude that the interaction of CapZ and actin is important for the organization of actin filaments of the sarcomere.

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