scholarly journals Three determinants in ezrin are responsible for cell extension activity.

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1543-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Martin ◽  
C Roy ◽  
P Montcourrier ◽  
A Sahuquet ◽  
P Mangeat

The ERM proteins--ezrin, radixin, and moesin--are key players in membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. In insect cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses, amino acids 1-115 of ezrin were shown to inhibit an actin- and tubulin-dependent cell-extension activity located in ezrin C-terminal domain (ezrin310-586), whereas full-length ezrin1-586 did not induce any morphological change. To refine the mapping of functional domains of ezrin, 30 additional constructs were overexpressed in Sf9 cells, and the resulting effect of each was qualitatively and semiquantitatively compared. The removal of amino acids 13-30 was sufficient to release a cell-extension phenotype. This effect was abrogated if the 21 distal-most C-terminal amino acids were subsequently deleted (ezrin31-565), confirming the existence of a head-to-tail regulation in the whole molecule. Surprisingly, the deletion in full-length ezrin of the same 21 amino acids provided strong cell-extension competence to ezrin1-565, and this property was recovered in N-terminal constructs as short as ezrin1-310. Within ezrin1-310, amino acid sequences 13-30 and 281-310 were important determinants and acted in cooperation to induce cytoskeleton mobilization. In addition, these same residues are part of a new actin-binding site characterized in vitro in ezrin N-terminal domain.

1995 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1081-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Martin ◽  
C Andréoli ◽  
A Sahuquet ◽  
P Montcourrier ◽  
M Algrain ◽  
...  

Overexpression in insect cells of the full coding sequence of the human membrane cytoskeletal linker ezrin (1-586) was compared with that of a NH2-terminal domain (ezrin 1-233) and that of a COOH-terminal domain (ezrin 310-586). Ezrin (1-586), as well as ezrin (1-233) enhanced cell adhesion of infected Sf9 cells without inducing gross morphological changes in the cell structure. Ezrin (310-586) enhanced cell adhesion and elicited membrane spreading followed by microspike and lamellipodia extensions by mobilization of Sf9 cell actin. Moreover some microspikes elongated into thin processes, up to 200 microns in length, resembling neurite outgrowths by a mechanism requiring microtubule assembly. Kinetics of videomicroscopic and drug-interference studies demonstrated that mobilization of actin was required for tubulin assembly to proceed. A similar phenotype was observed in CHO cells when a comparable ezrin domain was transiently overexpressed. The shortest domain promoting cell extension was localized between residues 373-586. Removal of residues 566-586, involved in in vitro actin binding (Turunen, O., T. Wahlström, and A. Vaheri. 1994. J. Cell Biol. 126:1445-1453), suppressed the extension activity. Coexpression of ezrin (1-233) with ezrin (310-586) in the same insect cells blocked the constitutive activity of ezrin COOH-terminal domain. The inhibitory activity was mapped within ezrin 115 first NH2-terminal residues. We conclude that ezrin has properties to promote cell adhesion, and that ezrin NH2-terminal domain negatively regulates membrane spreading and elongation properties of ezrin COOH-terminal domain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 473 (18) ◽  
pp. 2763-2782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanita M. Phang ◽  
Stephen J. Harrop ◽  
Anthony P. Duff ◽  
Anna V. Sokolova ◽  
Ben Crossett ◽  
...  

Ezrin is a member of the ERM (ezrin–radixin–moesin) family of proteins that have been conserved through metazoan evolution. These proteins have dormant and active forms, where the latter links the actin cytoskeleton to membranes. ERM proteins have three domains: an N-terminal FERM [band Four-point-one (4.1) ERM] domain comprising three subdomains (F1, F2, and F3); a helical domain; and a C-terminal actin-binding domain. In the dormant form, FERM and C-terminal domains form a stable complex. We have determined crystal structures of the active FERM domain and the dormant FERM:C-terminal domain complex of human ezrin. We observe a bistable array of phenylalanine residues in the core of subdomain F3 that is mobile in the active form and locked in the dormant form. As subdomain F3 is pivotal in binding membrane proteins and phospholipids, these transitions may facilitate activation and signaling. Full-length ezrin forms stable monomers and dimers. We used small-angle X-ray scattering to determine the solution structures of these species. As expected, the monomer shows a globular domain with a protruding helical coiled coil. The dimer shows an elongated dumbbell structure that is twice as long as the monomer. By aligning ERM sequences spanning metazoan evolution, we show that the central helical region is conserved, preserving the heptad repeat. Using this, we have built a dimer model where each monomer forms half of an elongated antiparallel coiled coil with domain-swapped FERM:C-terminal domain complexes at each end. The model suggests that ERM dimers may bind to actin in a parallel fashion.


2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1985-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiping Fu ◽  
Hong Wei Liu ◽  
Sean M. Forsythe ◽  
Paul Kogut ◽  
John F. McConville ◽  
...  

SM22 is a 201-amino acid actin-binding protein expressed at high levels in smooth muscle cells. It has structural homology to calponin, but how SM22 binds to actin remains unknown. We performed site-directed mutagenesis to generate a series of NH2-terminal histidine (His)-tagged mutants of human SM22 in Escherichia coli and used these to analyze the functional importance of potential actin binding domains. Purified full-length recombinant SM22 bound to actin in vitro, as demonstrated by cosedimentation assay. Binding did not vary with calcium concentration. The COOH-terminal domain of SM22 is required for actin affinity, because COOH terminally truncated mutants [SM22-(1–186) and SM22-(1–166)] exhibited markedly reduced cosedimentation with actin, and no actin binding of SM22-(1–151) could be detected. Internal deletion of a putative actin binding site (154-KKAQEHKR-161) partially prevented actin binding, as did point mutation to neutralize either or both pairs of positively charged residues at the ends of this region (KK154LL and/or KR160LL). Internal deletion of amino acids 170–180 or 170–186 also partially or almost completely inhibited actin cosedimentation, respectively. Of the three consensus protein kinase C or casein kinase II phosphorylation sites in SM22, only Ser-181 was readily phosphorylated by protein kinase C in vitro, and such phosphorylation greatly decreased actin binding. Substitution of Ser-181 to aspartic acid (to mimic serine phosphorylation) also reduced actin binding. Immunostains of transiently transfected airway myocytes revealed that full-length NH2-terminal FLAG-tagged SM22 colocalizes with actin filaments, whereas FLAG-SM22-(1–151) does not. These data confirm that SM22 binds to actin in vitro and in vivo and, for the first time, demonstrate that multiple regions within the COOH-terminal domain are required for full actin affinity.


2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Stewart ◽  
Fouad T. Chebib ◽  
Syed W. Akbar ◽  
Maria J. Salas ◽  
Rajan A. Sonik ◽  
...  

The AE1 mutation G701D, associated with recessive distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), produces only minimal erythroid phenotype, reflecting erythroid-specific expression of stimulatory AE1 subunit glycophorin A (GPA). GPA transgene expression could theoretically treat recessive dRTA in patients and in mice expressing cognate Ae1 mutation G719D. However, human (h) GPA and mouse (m) Gpa amino acid sequences are widely divergent, and mGpa function in vitro has not been investigated. We therefore studied in Xenopus oocytes the effects of coexpressed mGpa and hGPA on anion transport by erythroid (e) and kidney (k) isoforms of wild-type mAe1 (meAe1, mkAe1) and of mAe1 mutant G719D. Coexpression of hGPA or mGpa enhanced the function of meAe1 and mkAe1 and rescued the nonfunctional meAe1 and mkAe1 G719D mutants through increased surface expression. Progressive N-terminal truncation studies revealed a role for meAe1 amino acids 22–28 in GPA-responsiveness of meAe1 G719D. MouseN-cyto/humanTMD and humanN-cyto/mouseTMD kAE1 chimeras were active and GPA-responsive. In contrast, whereas chimera mkAe1N-cyto/hkAE1 G701DTMD was GPA-responsive, chimera hkAE1N-cyto/mkAe1 G719DTMD was GPA-insensitive. Moreover, whereas the isolated transmembrane domain (TMD) of hAE1 G701D was GPA-responsive, that of mAe1 G719D was GPA-insensitive. Thus, mGpa increases surface expression and activity of meAe1 and mkAe1. However, the G719D mutation renders certain mAe1 mutant constructs GPA-unresponsive and highlights a role for erythroid-specific meAe1 amino acids 22–28 in GPA-responsiveness.


1999 ◽  
Vol 147 (6) ◽  
pp. 1275-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conrad L. Leung ◽  
Dongming Sun ◽  
Min Zheng ◽  
David R. Knowles ◽  
Ronald K.H. Liem

We cloned and characterized a full-length cDNA of mouse actin cross-linking family 7 (mACF7) by sequential rapid amplification of cDNA ends–PCR. The completed mACF7 cDNA is 17 kb and codes for a 608-kD protein. The closest relative of mACF7 is the Drosophila protein Kakapo, which shares similar architecture with mACF7. mACF7 contains a putative actin-binding domain and a plakin-like domain that are highly homologous to dystonin (BPAG1-n) at its NH2 terminus. However, unlike dystonin, mACF7 does not contain a coiled–coil rod domain; instead, the rod domain of mACF7 is made up of 23 dystrophin-like spectrin repeats. At its COOH terminus, mACF7 contains two putative EF-hand calcium-binding motifs and a segment homologous to the growth arrest–specific protein, Gas2. In this paper, we demonstrate that the NH2-terminal actin-binding domain of mACF7 is functional both in vivo and in vitro. More importantly, we found that the COOH-terminal domain of mACF7 interacts with and stabilizes microtubules. In transfected cells full-length mACF7 can associate not only with actin but also with microtubules. Hence, we suggest a modified name: MACF (microtubule actin cross-linking factor). The properties of MACF are consistent with the observation that mutations in kakapo cause disorganization of microtubules in epidermal muscle attachment cells and some sensory neurons.


2008 ◽  
Vol 411 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary S. Laco ◽  
Yves Pommier

Human Top1 (topoisomerase I) relaxes supercoiled DNA during cell division and transcription. Top1 is composed of 765 amino acids and contains an unstructured N-terminal domain of 200 amino acids, and a structured functional domain of 565 amino acids that binds and relaxes supercoiled DNA. In the present study we examined the region spanning the junction of the N-terminal domain and functional domain (junction region). Analysis of several published Top1 structures revealed that three tryptophan residues formed a network of aromatic stacking interactions and electrostatic interactions that anchored the N-terminus of the functional domain to sub-domains containing the nose cone and active site. Mutation of the three tryptophan residues (Trp203/Trp205/Trp206) to an alanine residue, either individually or together, in silico revealed that the individual tryptophan residue's contribution to the tryptophan ‘anchor’ was additive. When the three tryptophan residues were mutated to alanine in vitro, the resulting mutant Top1 differed from wild-type Top1 in that it lacked processivity, exhibited resistance to camptothecin and was inactivated by urea. The results indicated that the tryptophan anchor stabilized the N-terminus of the functional domain and prevented the loss of Top1 structure and function.


2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Mallela ◽  
Swati Bandi ◽  
Surinder Singh ◽  
Geoffrey Armstrong

Tandem calponin-homology (CH) domains constitute a major class of actin-binding domains that include dystrophin and utrophin, the two key proteins involved in muscular dystrophy. Despite their importance, how their structure controls their function is not understood. Here, we study the contribution of individual CH domains to the actin-binding function and thermodynamic stability of utrophin’s tandem CH domain. Traditional actin co-sedimentation assays indicate that the isolated C-terminal CH2 domain binds weakly to F-actin when compared with the full-length tandem CH domain. In contrast, isolated CH1 binds to F-actin with a similar efficiency as that of the full-length tandem CH domain. Thus, the obvious question that arises is why tandem CH domains require CH2, when their actin-binding efficiency is originating primarily from CH1. To answer, we probed the thermodynamic stabilities of individual CH domains. Isolated CH1 domain is unstable and is prone to serious aggregation. Isolated CH2 is very stable, even appears to be more stable than the full-length tandem CH domain. In addition, the CH2 domain, which is more stable, is less functional. These results indicate that the main function of CH2 is to stabilize CH1. Consistently, the proposed structure of utrophin’s tandem CH domain based on earlier X-ray studies indicates a close proximity between the C-terminal helix of CH2 and the N-terminal helix of CH1, and this helix in CH2 is more dynamic in the full-length protein when compared with that in the absence of CH1, suggesting the mechanism by which CH2 stabilizes CH1. These observations indicate that the two CH domains contribute differentially to the folding and function of tandem CH domains, although both domains essentially have the same native structure in the tandem CH domain. The N-terminal domain determines the function, whereas the C-terminal domain determines the stability. This work was funded by the AHA Grant 11SDG4880046.


1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (17) ◽  
pp. 2833-2842 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mishima ◽  
E. Nishida

Coronin is a WD repeat-containing actin-binding protein, which was originally identified in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium. Coronin-null Dictyostelium cells show defects in cytokinesis, cell motility and phagocytosis. Although the existence of coronin in higher eukaryotes has been reported, its function in vertebrate cells has not been elucidated. We cloned a Xenopus homolog of coronin (Xcoronin) and examined its actin-binding properties, subcellular localization and possible functions. Xcoronin consists of 480 amino acids and is 63% identical to human coronin (p57). Bacterially expressed recombinant Xcoronin co-sedimented with F-actin in vitro. The WD repeat domain (residues 64–299) alone did not have any affinity for F-actin. Anti-Xcoronin antibodies reacted specifically with a single 57 kDa protein present in an extract of the Xenopus A6 cell line. Indirect immunofluorescent staining of A6 cells revealed that Xcoronin is present in the cytoplasm and concentrated in the cell periphery in membrane ruffles. During spreading after replating or wound healing after scratching a confluent monolayer, Xcoronin became concentrated in the leading edges of lamellipodia. A GFP-fusion protein of Xcoronin showed a subcellular distribution essentially identical to endogenous Xcoronin. The localization of Xcoronin to the cell periphery was resistant to treatment with 0.1% Triton X-100. The deletion of 63 N-terminal amino acids or of 65 C-terminal amino acids abolished the localization of Xcoronin to the cell periphery. Xcoronin expressed in 3T3 fibroblasts was concentrated to the leading edges of lamellipodia induced by active Rac. Remarkably, expression of a truncated form of Xcoronin (64–299), but not of full-length Xcoronin, significantly decreased the rate of cell spreading after replating and markedly inhibited lamellipodium extension induced by active Rac. These results suggest that Xcoronin plays an important role in lamellipodium extension and cell spreading.


Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.H. Barton ◽  
G. Dickson ◽  
H.J. Gower ◽  
L.H. Rowett ◽  
W. Putt ◽  
...  

Neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAMs) are a family of cell surface sialoglycoproteins encoded by a single copy gene. A full-length cDNA clone that encodes a nontransmembrane phosphatidylinositol (PI) linked N-CAM of Mr 125 × 10(3) has been isolated from a human skeletal muscle cDNA library. The deduced protein sequence encodes a polypeptide of 761 amino acids and is highly homologous to the N-CAM isoform in brain of Mr 120 × 10(3). The size difference between the 125 × 10(3). The size difference between the 125 × 10(3) Mr skeletal muscle form and the 120 × 10(3) Mr N-CAM form from brain is accounted for by the insertion of a block of 37 amino acids called MSD1, in the extracellular domain of the muscle form. Transient expression of the human cDNA in COS cells results in cell surface N-CAM expression via a putative covalent attachment to PI-containing phospholipid. Linked in vitro transcription and translation experiments followed by immunoprecipitation with anti-N-CAM antibodies demonstrate that the full-length clone of 761 amino acid coding potential produces a core polypeptide of Mr 110 × 10(3) which is processed by microsomal membranes to yield a 122 × 10(3) Mr species. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the cloned cDNA sequence encodes a lipid-linked, PI-specific phospholipase C releasable surface isoform of N-CAM with core glycopeptide molecular weight corresponding to the authentic muscle 125 × 10(3) Mr N-CAM isoform. This is the first direct correlation of cDNA and deduced protein sequence with a known PI-linked N-CAM isoform from skeletal muscle.


1988 ◽  
Vol 43 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwan Bissig ◽  
René A. Brunisholz ◽  
Franz Suter ◽  
Richard J. Cogdell ◽  
Herbert Zuber

Spectrally pure B 800-850 light harvesting complexes of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila 7750 were prepared by chromatography of LDAO-solubilised photosynthetic membranes on Whatmann DE-52 ion exchange resin. Two low molecular mass polypeptides (α, β) have been isolated by organic solvent extraction of the lyophilised B 800-850 light harvesting complexes. Their primary structures were determined by liquid phase sequencer runs, by the sequence analyses of C-terminal o-iodosobenzoic acid fragments, by hydrazinolysis and by carboxypeptidase degradation. B 800-850-a consists of 53 amino acids and is 45.3% and 50.9% homologous to the B 800-850- a antenna polypeptides of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodobacter capsulatus, respectively. The second very short polypeptide (B800-850-β, 41 amino acids) is 61.0% and 56.1% homologous to the corresponding polypeptides of Rb. sphaeroides and Rb. capsulatus. The molar ratio of the two polypeptides is about 1:1. Both polypeptides show a hydrophilic N-terminal domain, a very hydrophobic central domain and a short C-terminal domain. In both polypeptides the typical His residues, identified in all antenna polypeptides of purple nonsulphur bacteria as possible bacteriochlorophyll binding sites, were found


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