scholarly journals Toxofilin, a Novel Actin-binding Protein from Toxoplasma gondii, Sequesters Actin Monomers and Caps Actin Filaments

2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Poupel ◽  
Haralabia Boleti ◽  
Sophie Axisa ◽  
Evelyne Couture-Tosi ◽  
Isabelle Tardieux
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Toxoplasma gondii relies on its actin cytoskeleton to glide and enter its host cell. However, T. gondii tachyzoites are known to display a strikingly low amount of actin filaments, which suggests that sequestration of actin monomers could play a key role in parasite actin dynamics. We isolated a 27-kDa tachyzoite protein on the basis of its ability to bind muscle G-actin and demonstrated that it interacts with parasite G-actin. Cloning and sequence analysis of the gene coding for this protein, which we named Toxofilin, showed that it is a novel actin-binding protein. In in vitro assays, Toxofilin not only bound to G-actin and inhibited actin polymerization as an actin-sequestering protein but also slowed down F-actin disassembly through a filament end capping activity. In addition, when green fluorescent protein-tagged Toxofilin was overexpressed in mammalian nonmuscle cells, the dynamics of actin stress fibers was drastically impaired, whereas green fluorescent protein-Toxofilin copurified with G-actin. Finally, in motile parasites, during gliding or host cell entry, Toxofilin was localized in the entire cytoplasm, including the rear end of the parasite, whereas in intracellular tachyzoites, especially before they exit from the parasitophorous vacuole of their host cell, Toxofilin was found to be restricted to the apical end.

scholarly journals Actin-binding protein promotes the bipolar and perpendicular branching of actin filaments.

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-848 ◽  
Author(s):  
J H Hartwig ◽  
J Tyler ◽  
T P Stossel
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Branch Points ◽  
Heavy Meromyosin ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Protein Dimers ◽  
Protein Molecules

Branching filaments with striking perpendicularity form when actin polymerizes in the presence of macrophage actin-binding protein. Actin-binding protein molecules are visible at the branch points. Compared with actin polymerized in the absence of actin-binding proteins, not only do the filaments branch but the average length of the actin filaments decreases from 3.2 to 0.63 micrometer. Arrowhead complexes formed by addition of heavy meromyosin molecules to the branching actin filaments point toward the branch points. Actin-binding protein also accelerates the onset of actin polymerization. All of these findings show that actin filaments assemble from nucleating sites on actin-binding protein dimers. A branching polymerization of actin filaments from a preexisting lattice of actin filaments joined by actin-binding protein molecules could generate expansion of cortical cytoplasm in amoeboid cells.

scholarly journals In vivo dynamics of the F-actin-binding protein neurabin-II

2000 ◽  
Vol 345 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. STEPHENS ◽  
George BANTING
Keyword(s):  
Cell Body ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Cytochalasin D ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Rhodamine Phalloidin ◽  
Actin Binding Protein

Neurabin-II (spinophilin) is a ubiquitously expressed F-actin-binding protein containing an N-terminal actin-binding domain, a PDZ (PSD95/discs large/ZO-1) domain and a C-terminal domain predicted to form a coiled-coil structure. We have stably expressed a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged version of neurabin-II in PC12 cells, and characterized the in vivo dynamics of this actin-binding protein using confocal fluorescence microscopy. We show that GFP-neurabin-II localizes to actin filaments, especially at cortical sites and areas underlying sites of active membrane remodelling. GFP-neurabin-II labels only a subset of F-actin within these cells, as indicated by rhodamine-phalloidin staining. Both actin filaments and small, highly motile structures within the cell body are seen. Photobleaching experiments show that GFP-neurabin-II also exhibits highly dynamic behaviour when bound to actin filaments. Latrunculin B treatment results in rapid relocalization of GFP-neurabin-II to the cytosol, whereas cytochalasin D treatment causes the collapse of GFP-neurabin-II fluorescence to intensely fluorescent foci of F-actin within the cell body. This collapse is reversed on cytochalasin D removal, recovery from which is greatly accelerated by stimulation of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF). Furthermore, we show that this EGF-induced relocalization of GFP-neurabin-II is dependent on the activity of the small GTPase Rac1 but not the activity of ADP-ribosylation factor 6.

Binding of Human Platelet Glycoprotein lb and Actin to Fragments of Actin-Binding Protein

1992 ◽  
Vol 67 (02) ◽  
pp. 252-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M Aakhus ◽  
J Michael Wilkinson ◽  
Nils Olav Solum
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Platelet Glycoprotein ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Crossed Immunoelectrophoresis ◽  
Triton X ◽  
Calpain Inhibitors

SummaryActin-binding protein (ABP) is degraded into fragments of 190 and 90 kDa by calpain. A monoclonal antibody (MAb TI10) against the 90 kDa fragment of ABP coprecipitated with the glycoprotein lb (GP lb) peak observed on crossed immunoelectrophoresis of Triton X-100 extracts of platelets prepared without calpain inhibitors. MAb PM6/317 against the 190 kDa fragment was not coprecipitated with the GP lb peak under such conditions. The 90 kDa fragment was adsorbed on protein A agarose from extracts that had been preincubated with antibodies to GP lb. This supports the idea that the GP Ib-ABP interaction resides in the 90 kDa region of ABP. GP lb was sedimented with the Triton-insoluble actin filaments in trace amounts only, and only after high speed centrifugation (100,000 × g, 3 h). Both the 190 kDa and the 90 kDa fragments of ABP were sedimented with the Triton-insoluble actin filaments.

scholarly journals Actin-binding Protein Drebrin Regulates HIV-1-triggered Actin Polymerization and Viral Infection

2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (39) ◽  
pp. 28382-28397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Gordón-Alonso ◽  
Vera Rocha-Perugini ◽  
Susana Álvarez ◽  
Ángeles Ursa ◽  
Nuria Izquierdo-Useros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infection ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Hiv 1

scholarly journals Three-dimensional structure of actin filaments and of an actin gel made with actin-binding protein.

1983 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 1400-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Niederman ◽  
P C Amrein ◽  
J Hartwig
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Three Dimensional Structure ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Critical Point Drying

Purified muscle actin and mixtures of actin and actin-binding protein were examined in the transmission electron microscope after fixation, critical point drying, and rotary shadowing. The three-dimensional structure of the protein assemblies was analyzed by a computer-assisted graphic analysis applicable to generalized filament networks. This analysis yielded information concerning the frequency of filament intersections, the filament length between these intersections, the angle at which filaments branch at these intersections, and the concentration of filaments within a defined volume. Purified actin at a concentration of 1 mg/ml assembled into a uniform mass of long filaments which overlap at random angles between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. Actin in the presence of macrophage actin-binding protein assembled into short, straight filaments, organized in a perpendicular branching network. The distance between branch points was inversely related to the molar ratio of actin-binding protein to actin. This distance was what would be predicted if actin filaments grew at right angles off of nucleation sites on the two ends of actin-binding protein dimers, and then annealed. The results suggest that actin in combination with actin-binding protein self-assembles to form a three-dimensional network resembling the peripheral cytoskeleton of motile cells.

scholarly journals Visualization of Microtubule Growth in Cultured Neurons via the Use of EB3-GFP (End-Binding Protein 3-Green Fluorescent Protein)

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 2655-2664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Stepanova ◽  
Jenny Slemmer ◽  
Casper C. Hoogenraad ◽  
Gideon Lansbergen ◽  
Bjorn Dortland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Cultured Neurons ◽  
Microtubule Growth ◽  
Green Fluorescent

scholarly journals Effect of actin-binding protein on the sedimentation properties of actin.

1982 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rosenberg ◽  
A Stracher
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Human Platelet ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Cell Biol

Actin and actin-binding protein (ABP) have recently been purified from human platelet cytoskeletons (S. Rosenberg, A. Stracher, and R.C. Lucas, 1981, J. Cell Biol. 91:201-211). Here, the effect of ABP on the sedimentation of actin was studied. When ABP was added to preformed F-actin filaments, it bound until a maximum ratio of 1:9 (ABP:actin, mol:mol) was reached. however, when actin was polymerized in the presence of ABP, two and a half times more ABP was able to bind to the actin- that is, every 3.4 actin monomers were now bound by an ABP dimer. ABP was not able to induce the sedimentation of actin under nonpolymerizing conditions but was able to reduce the time and concentration of actin required for sedimentation under slow polymerizing conditions. ABP, therefore, exerts its effect of G-actin by either nucleating polymerization or by cross-linking newly formed oligomers into a more sedimentable form.

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