scholarly journals A Cell-free System to Study Regulation of Focal Adhesions and of the Connected Actin Cytoskeleton

1999 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Cattelino ◽  
Chiara Albertinazzi ◽  
Mario Bossi ◽  
David R. Critchley ◽  
Ivan de Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Free System ◽  
Β1 Integrins ◽  
A Cell ◽  
And Function

Assembly and modulation of focal adhesions during dynamic adhesive processes are poorly understood. We describe here the use of ventral plasma membranes from adherent fibroblasts to explore mechanisms regulating integrin distribution and function in a system that preserves the integration of these receptors into the plasma membrane. We find that partial disruption of the cellular organization responsible for the maintenance of organized adhesive sites allows modulation of integrin distribution by divalent cations. High Ca2+ concentrations induce quasi-reversible diffusion of β1 integrins out of focal adhesions, whereas low Ca2+ concentrations induce irreversible recruitment of β1 receptors along extracellular matrix fibrils, as shown by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Both effects are independent from the presence of actin stress fibers in this system. Experiments with cells expressing truncated β1 receptors show that the cytoplasmic portion of β1 is required for low Ca2+-induced recruitment of the receptors to matrix fibrils. Analysis with function-modulating antibodies indicates that divalent cation-mediated receptor distribution within the membrane correlates with changes in the functional state of the receptors. Moreover, reconstitution experiments show that purified α-actinin colocalizes and redistributes with β1 receptors on ventral plasma membranes depleted of actin, implicating binding of α-actinin to the receptors. Finally, we found that recruitment of exogenous actin is specifically restricted to focal adhesions under conditions in which new actin polymerization is inhibited. Our data show that the described system can be exploited to investigate the mechanisms of integrin function in an experimental setup that permits receptor redistribution. The possibility to uncouple, under cell-free conditions, events involved in focal adhesion and actin cytoskeleton assembly should facilitate the comprehension of the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Syndesmos, a protein that interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4, mediates cell spreading and actin cytoskeletal organization

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.C. Baciu ◽  
S. Saoncella ◽  
S.H. Lee ◽  
F. Denhez ◽  
D. Leuthardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Cell Spreading ◽  
Cytoplasmic Domain ◽  
Cellular Protein ◽  
Actin Stress Fiber ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Intracellular Proteins ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
A Cell

Syndecan-4 is a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan which, in cooperation with integrins, transduces signals for the assembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers in cells plated on fibronectin. The regulation of these cellular events is proposed to occur, in part, through the interaction of the cytoplasmic domains of these transmembrane receptors with intracellular proteins. To identify potential intracellular proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4, we carried out a yeast two-hybrid screen in which the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 was used as bait. As a result of this screen, we have identified a novel cellular protein that interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 but not with those of the other three syndecan family members. The interaction involves both the membrane proximal and variable central regions of the cytoplasmic domain. We have named this cDNA and encoded protein syndesmos. Syndesmos is ubiquitously expressed and can be myristylated. Consistent with its myristylation and syndecan-4 association, syndesmos colocalizes with syndecan-4 in the ventral plasma membranes of cells plated on fibronectin. When overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells, syndesmos enhances cell spreading, actin stress fiber and focal contact formation in a serum-independent manner.

scholarly journals Piezo2 channel regulates RhoA and actin cytoskeleton to promote cell mechanobiological responses

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (8) ◽  
pp. 1925-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Pardo-Pastor ◽  
Fanny Rubio-Moscardo ◽  
Marina Vogel-González ◽  
Selma A. Serra ◽  
Alexandros Afthinos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Force Transmission ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Fyn Kinase ◽  
Downstream Effector ◽  
Metastatic Cells

Actin polymerization and assembly into stress fibers (SFs) is central to many cellular processes. However, how SFs form in response to the mechanical interaction of cells with their environment is not fully understood. Here we have identified Piezo2 mechanosensitive cationic channel as a transducer of environmental physical cues into mechanobiological responses. Piezo2 is needed by brain metastatic cells from breast cancer (MDA-MB-231-BrM2) to probe their physical environment as they anchor and pull on their surroundings or when confronted with confined migration through narrow pores. Piezo2-mediated Ca2+ influx activates RhoA to control the formation and orientation of SFs and focal adhesions (FAs). A possible mechanism for the Piezo2-mediated activation of RhoA involves the recruitment of the Fyn kinase to the cell leading edge as well as calpain activation. Knockdown of Piezo2 in BrM2 cells alters SFs, FAs, and nuclear translocation of YAP; a phenotype rescued by overexpression of dominant-positive RhoA or its downstream effector, mDia1. Consequently, hallmarks of cancer invasion and metastasis related to RhoA, actin cytoskeleton, and/or force transmission, such as migration, extracellular matrix degradation, and Serpin B2 secretion, were reduced in cells lacking Piezo2.

scholarly journals Alix Protein Is Substrate of Ozz-E3 Ligase and Modulates Actin Remodeling in Skeletal Muscle

2012 ◽  
Vol 287 (15) ◽  
pp. 12159-12171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Bongiovanni ◽  
Daniele P. Romancino ◽  
Yvan Campos ◽  
Gaetano Paterniti ◽  
Xiaohui Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
E3 Ligase ◽  
Adaptor Protein ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Endogenous Proteins ◽  
And Function

Alix/AIP1 is a multifunctional adaptor protein that participates in basic cellular processes, including membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeleton assembly, by binding selectively to a variety of partner proteins. However, the mechanisms regulating Alix turnover, subcellular distribution, and function in muscle cells are unknown. We now report that Alix is expressed in skeletal muscle throughout myogenic differentiation. In myotubes, a specific pool of Alix colocalizes with Ozz, the substrate-binding component of the muscle-specific ubiquitin ligase complex Ozz-E3. We found that interaction of the two endogenous proteins in the differentiated muscle fibers changes Alix conformation and promotes its ubiquitination. This in turn regulates the levels of the protein in specific subcompartments, in particular the one containing the actin polymerization factor cortactin. In Ozz−/− myotubes, the levels of filamentous (F)-actin is perturbed, and Alix accumulates in large puncta positive for cortactin. In line with this observation, we show that the knockdown of Alix expression in C2C12 muscle cells affects the amount and distribution of F-actin, which consequently leads to changes in cell morphology, impaired formation of sarcolemmal protrusions, and defective cell motility. These findings suggest that the Ozz-E3 ligase regulates Alix at sites where the actin cytoskeleton undergoes remodeling.

scholarly journals Intracellular membrane flow: reconstitution of transition vesicle formation and function in a cell-free system.

1987 ◽  
Vol 84 (17) ◽  
pp. 6098-6102 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Nowack ◽  
D. M. Morre ◽  
M. Paulik ◽  
T. W. Keenan ◽  
D. J. Morre
Keyword(s):  
Vesicle Formation ◽  
Intracellular Membrane ◽  
Membrane Flow ◽  
Free System ◽  
Cell Free System ◽  
A Cell ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals Sphingomyelin Synthase 2, but Not Sphingomyelin Synthase 1, Is Involved in HIV-1 Envelope-mediated Membrane Fusion

2014 ◽  
Vol 289 (44) ◽  
pp. 30842-30856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Hayashi ◽  
Yoko Nemoto-Sasaki ◽  
Takashi Tanikawa ◽  
Saori Oka ◽  
Kiyoto Tsuchiya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Sphingomyelin Synthase ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Hiv 1

Membrane fusion between the viral envelope and plasma membranes of target cells has previously been correlated with HIV-1 infection. Lipids in the plasma membrane, including sphingomyelin, may be crucially involved in HIV-1 infection; however, the role of lipid-metabolic enzymes in membrane fusion remains unclear. In this study, we examined the roles of sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) in HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion using a cell-cell fusion assay with HIV-1 mimetics and their target cells. We employed reconstituted cells as target cells that stably express Sms1 or Sms2 in Sms-deficient cells. Fusion susceptibility was ∼5-fold higher in Sms2-expressing cells (not in Sms1-expressing cells) than in Sms-deficient cells. The enhancement of fusion susceptibility observed in Sms2-expressing cells was reversed and reduced by Sms2 knockdown. We also found that catalytically nonactive Sms2 promoted membrane fusion susceptibility. Moreover, SMS2 co-localized and was constitutively associated with the HIV receptor·co-receptor complex in the plasma membrane. In addition, HIV-1 Env treatment resulted in a transient increase in nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (Pyk2) phosphorylation in Sms2-expressing and catalytically nonactive Sms2-expressing cells. We observed that F-actin polymerization in the region of membrane fusion was more prominent in Sms2-expressing cells than Sms-deficient cells. Taken together, our research provides insight into a novel function of SMS2 which is the regulation of HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion via actin rearrangement.

scholarly journals Baculovirus AC102 is a nucleocapsid protein that is crucial for nuclear actin polymerization and nucleocapsid morphogenesis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Hepp ◽  
Gina M. Borgo ◽  
Simina Ticau ◽  
Taro Ohkawa ◽  
Matthew D. Welch
Keyword(s):  
Protein Expression ◽  
Viral Replication ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Autographa Californica ◽  
Nuclear Actin ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Late Infection ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACTThe baculovirusAutographa californicamultiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), the type species of alphabaculoviruses, is an enveloped DNA virus that infects lepidopteran insects and is commonly known as a vector for protein expression and cell transduction. AcMNPV belongs to a diverse group of viral and bacterial pathogens that target the host cell actin cytoskeleton during infection. AcMNPV is unusual, however, in that it absolutely requires actin translocation into the nucleus early in infection, and actin polymerization within the nucleus late in infection coincident with viral replication. Of the six viral factors that are sufficient, when coexpressed, to induce the nuclear localization of actin, only AC102 is essential for viral replication and the nuclear accumulation of actin. We therefore sought to better understand the role of AC102 in actin mobilization in the nucleus early and late in infection. Although AC102 was thought to function early in infection, we found that AC102 is predominantly expressed as a late protein. In addition, we observed that AC102 is required for F-actin assembly in the nucleus during late infection, as well as for proper formation of viral replication structures and nucleocapsid morphogenesis. Finally, we found that AC102 is a nucleocapsid protein and a newly recognized member of a complex consisting of the viral proteins EC27, C42, and the actin polymerization protein P78/83. Taken together, our findings suggest that AC102 is necessary for nucleocapsid morphogenesis and actin assembly during late infection through its role as a component of the P78/83-C42-EC27-AC102 protein complex.IMPORTANCEThe baculovirusAutographa californicamultiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is an important biotechnological tool for protein expression and cell transduction, and related nucleopolyhedroviruses are also employed as environmentally benign insecticides. One impact of our work is to better understand the fundamental mechanisms through which AcMNPV exploits the cellular machinery of the host for replication, which may aid in the development of improved baculovirus-based research and industrial tools. Moreover, AcMNPV’s ability to mobilize the host actin cytoskeleton within the cell’s nucleus during infection makes it a powerful cell biological tool. It is becoming increasingly clear that actin plays important roles in the cell’s nucleus, yet the regulation and function of nuclear actin is poorly understood. Our work to better understand how AcMNPV relocalizes and polymerizes actin within the nucleus may reveal fundamental mechanisms that govern nuclear actin regulation and function, even in the absence of viral infection.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs in Ocular Infection

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunbin Xu ◽  
Linda D. Hazlett
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gene Expression Regulation ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Ocular Infection ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Novel Mirna ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
A Cell ◽  
And Function ◽  
Treatment And Diagnosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, regulatory RNA molecules and constitute a newly recognized, important layer of gene-expression regulation at post-transcriptional levels. miRNAs quantitatively fine tune the expression of their downstream genes in a cell type- and developmental stage-specific fashion. miRNAs have been proven to play important roles in the normal development and function as well as in the pathogenesis of diseases in all tissues and organ systems. miRNAs have emerged as new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for treatment and diagnosis of various diseases. Although miRNA research in ocular infection remains in its early stages, a handful of pioneering studies have provided insight into the roles of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of parasitic, fungal, bacterial, and viral ocular infections. Here, we review the current status of research in miRNAs in several major ocular infectious diseases. We predict that the field of miRNAs in ocular infection will greatly expand with the discovery of novel miRNA-involved molecular mechanisms that will inform development of new therapies and identify novel diagnostic biomarkers.

Actin and the coordination of protrusion, attachment and retraction in cell crawling

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Victor Small ◽  
Kurt Anderson ◽  
Klemens Rottner
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
The Other ◽  
Coordination Mechanism ◽  
Over Expression ◽  
Cell Crawling ◽  
Cell Front ◽  
A Cell

To crawl over a substrate a cell must first protrude in front, establish new attachments to the substrate and then retract its rear. Protrusion and retraction utilise different subcompartments of the actin cytoskeleton and operate by different mechanisms, one involving actin polymerization and the other myosin-based contraction. Using as examples the rapidly locomoting keratocyte and the slowly moving fibroblast we illustrate how over expression of one or the other actin subcompartments leads to the observed differences in motility. We also propose, that despite these differences there is a common coordination mechanism underlying the genesis of the actin cytoskeleton that involves the nucleation of actin filaments at the protruding cell front, in the lamellipodium, and the relocation of these filaments, via polymerization and flow, to the more posterior actin filament compartments.

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