scholarly journals Actin-depolymerizing Factor and Cofilin-1 Play Overlapping Roles in Promoting Rapid F-Actin Depolymerization in Mammalian Nonmuscle Cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 649-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirta Hotulainen ◽  
Eija Paunola ◽  
Maria K. Vartiainen ◽  
Pekka Lappalainen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Motility ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Depolymerizing Factor ◽  
Cytoskeletal Dynamics ◽  
Nonmuscle Cells ◽  
In Cells

Actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilins are small actin-binding proteins found in all eukaryotes. In vitro, ADF/cofilins promote actin dynamics by depolymerizing and severing actin filaments. However, whether ADF/cofilins contribute to actin dynamics in cells by disassembling “old” actin filaments or by promoting actin filament assembly through their severing activity is a matter of controversy. Analysis of mammalian ADF/cofilins is further complicated by the presence of multiple isoforms, which may contribute to actin dynamics by different mechanisms. We show that two isoforms, ADF and cofilin-1, are expressed in mouse NIH 3T3, B16F1, and Neuro 2A cells. Depleting cofilin-1 and/or ADF by siRNA leads to an accumulation of F-actin and to an increase in cell size. Cofilin-1 and ADF seem to play overlapping roles in cells, because the knockdown phenotype of either protein could be rescued by overexpression of the other one. Cofilin-1 and ADF knockdown cells also had defects in cell motility and cytokinesis, and these defects were most pronounced when both ADF and cofilin-1 were depleted. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis and studies with an actin monomer-sequestering drug, latrunculin-A, demonstrated that these phenotypes arose from diminished actin filament depolymerization rates. These data suggest that mammalian ADF and cofilin-1 promote cytoskeletal dynamics by depolymerizing actin filaments and that this activity is critical for several processes such as cytokinesis and cell motility.

scholarly journals Actin Depolymerizing Factor (ADF/Cofilin) Enhances the Rate of Filament Turnover: Implication in Actin-based Motility

1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 1307-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-France Carlier ◽  
Valérie Laurent ◽  
Jérôme Santolini ◽  
Ronald Melki ◽  
Dominique Didry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Depolymerizing Factor ◽  
Filament Dynamics ◽  
Relevant Effect

Actin-binding proteins of the actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin family are thought to control actin-based motile processes. ADF1 from Arabidopsis thaliana appears to be a good model that is functionally similar to other members of the family. The function of ADF in actin dynamics has been examined using a combination of physical–chemical methods and actin-based motility assays, under physiological ionic conditions and at pH 7.8. ADF binds the ADPbound forms of G- or F-actin with an affinity two orders of magnitude higher than the ATP- or ADP-Pi– bound forms. A major property of ADF is its ability to enhance the in vitro turnover rate (treadmilling) of actin filaments to a value comparable to that observed in vivo in motile lamellipodia. ADF increases the rate of propulsion of Listeria monocytogenes in highly diluted, ADF-limited platelet extracts and shortens the actin tails. These effects are mediated by the participation of ADF in actin filament assembly, which results in a change in the kinetic parameters at the two ends of the actin filament. The kinetic effects of ADF are end specific and cannot be accounted for by filament severing. The main functionally relevant effect is a 25-fold increase in the rate of actin dissociation from the pointed ends, while the rate of dissociation from the barbed ends is unchanged. This large increase in the rate-limiting step of the monomer-polymer cycle at steady state is responsible for the increase in the rate of actin-based motile processes. In conclusion, the function of ADF is not to sequester G-actin. ADF uses ATP hydrolysis in actin assembly to enhance filament dynamics.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of actin disassembly

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 2299-2302 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Brieher
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Cell Motility ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Actin Depolymerization ◽  
Filament Dynamics ◽  
Physiological Demands ◽  
In Cells

The actin cytoskeleton is constantly assembling and disassembling. Cells harness the energy of these turnover dynamics to drive cell motility and organize cytoplasm. Although much is known about how cells control actin polymerization, we do not understand how actin filaments depolymerize inside cells. I briefly describe how the combination of imaging actin filament dynamics in cells and using in vitro biochemistry progressively altered our views of actin depolymerization. I describe why I do not think that the prevailing model of actin filament turnover—cofilin-mediated actin filament severing—can account for actin filament disassembly detected in cells. Finally, I speculate that cells might be able to tune the mechanism of actin depolymerization to meet physiological demands and selectively control the stabilities of different actin arrays.

scholarly journals Enhancement of Actin-depolymerizing Factor/Cofilin-dependent Actin Disassembly by Actin-interacting Protein 1 Is Required for Organized Actin Filament Assembly in the Caenorhabditis elegans Body Wall Muscle

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 2190-2199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurato Mohri ◽  
Kanako Ono ◽  
Robinson Yu ◽  
Sawako Yamashiro ◽  
Shoichiro Ono
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Actin Depolymerizing Factor ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Cytoskeletal Dynamics ◽  
End Capping

Regulated disassembly of actin filaments is involved in several cellular processes that require dynamic rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Actin-interacting protein (AIP) 1 specifically enhances disassembly of actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin-bound actin filaments. In vitro, AIP1 actively disassembles filaments, caps barbed ends, and binds to the side of filaments. However, how AIP1 functions in the cellular actin cytoskeletal dynamics is not understood. We compared biochemical and in vivo activities of mutant UNC-78 proteins and found that impaired activity of mutant UNC-78 proteins to enhance disassembly of ADF/cofilin-bound actin filaments is associated with inability to regulate striated organization of actin filaments in muscle cells. Six functionally important residues are present in the N-terminal β-propeller, whereas one residue is located in the C-terminal β-propeller, suggesting the presence of two separate sites for interaction with ADF/cofilin and actin. In vitro, these mutant UNC-78 proteins exhibited variable alterations in actin disassembly and/or barbed end-capping activities, suggesting that both activities are important for its in vivo function. These results indicate that the actin-regulating activity of AIP1 in cooperation with ADF/cofilin is essential for its in vivo function to regulate actin filament organization in muscle cells.

scholarly journals Villin Severing Activity Enhances Actin-based Motility In Vivo

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 827-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Revenu ◽  
Matthieu Courtois ◽  
Alphée Michelot ◽  
Cécile Sykes ◽  
Daniel Louvard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shigella Flexneri ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Function Strategy ◽  
In Cells

Villin, an actin-binding protein associated with the actin bundles that support microvilli, bundles, caps, nucleates, and severs actin in a calcium-dependant manner in vitro. We hypothesized that the severing activity of villin is responsible for its reported role in enhancing cell plasticity and motility. To test this hypothesis, we chose a loss of function strategy and introduced mutations in villin based on sequence comparison with CapG. By pyrene-actin assays, we demonstrate that this mutant has a strongly reduced severing activity, whereas nucleation and capping remain unaffected. The bundling activity and the morphogenic effects of villin in cells are also preserved in this mutant. We thus succeeded in dissociating the severing from the three other activities of villin. The contribution of villin severing to actin dynamics is analyzed in vivo through the actin-based movement of the intracellular bacteria Shigella flexneri in cells expressing villin and its severing variant. The severing mutations abolish the gain of velocity induced by villin. To further analyze this effect, we reconstituted an in vitro actin-based bead movement in which the usual capping protein is replaced by either the wild type or the severing mutant of villin. Confirming the in vivo results, villin-severing activity enhances the velocity of beads by more than two-fold and reduces the density of actin in the comets. We propose a model in which, by severing actin filaments and capping their barbed ends, villin increases the concentration of actin monomers available for polymerization, a mechanism that might be paralleled in vivo when an enterocyte undergoes an epithelio-mesenchymal transition.

scholarly journals Myosin and gelsolin cooperate in actin filament severing and actomyosin motor activity

2020 ◽  
pp. jbc.RA120.015863
Author(s):  
Venukumar Vemula ◽  
Tamás Huber ◽  
Marko Ušaj ◽  
Beáta Bugyi ◽  
Alf Mansson
Keyword(s):  
Motor Activity ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
In Vitro Motility Assay ◽  
Cooperative Effects ◽  
Myosin Motor ◽  
Filament Dynamics

Actin is a major intracellular protein with key functions in cellular motility, signaling and structural rearrangements. Its dynamic behavior, such as polymerisation and depolymerisation of actin filaments in response to intra- and extracellular cues, is regulated by an abundance of actin binding proteins. Out of these, gelsolin is one of the most potent for filament severing. However, myosin motor activity also fragments actin filaments through motor induced forces, suggesting that these two proteins could cooperate to regulate filament dynamics and motility. To test this idea, we used an in vitro motility assay, where actin filaments are propelled by surface-adsorbed heavy meromyosin (HMM) motor fragments. This allows studies of both motility and filament dynamics using isolated proteins. Gelsolin, at both nanomolar and micromolar Ca2+ concentration, appreciably enhanced actin filament severing caused by HMM-induced forces at 1 mM MgATP, an effect that was increased at higher HMM motor density. This finding is consistent with cooperativity between actin filament severing by myosin-induced forces and by gelsolin. We also observed reduced sliding velocity of the HMM-propelled filaments in the presence of gelsolin, providing further support of myosin-gelsolin cooperativity. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy based single molecule studies corroborated that the velocity reduction was a direct effect of gelsolin-binding to the filament and revealed different filament severing pattern of stationary and HMM propelled filaments. Overall, the results corroborate cooperative effects between gelsolin-induced alterations in the actin filaments and changes due to myosin motor activity leading to enhanced F-actin severing of possible physiological relevance.

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 Actin depolymerizing factor controls actin turnover and gliding motility in Toxoplasma gondii

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1290-1299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simren Mehta ◽  
L. David Sibley
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Gliding Motility ◽  
Conditional Knockout ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Depolymerizing Factor

Apicomplexan parasites rely on actin-based gliding motility to move across the substratum, cross biological barriers, and invade their host cells. Gliding motility depends on polymerization of parasite actin filaments, yet ∼98% of actin is nonfilamentous in resting parasites. Previous studies suggest that the lack of actin filaments in the parasite is due to inherent instability, leaving uncertain the role of actin-binding proteins in controlling dynamics. We have previously shown that the single allele of Toxoplasma gondii actin depolymerizing factor (TgADF) has strong actin monomer–sequestering and weak filament-severing activities in vitro. Here we used a conditional knockout strategy to investigate the role of TgADF in vivo. Suppression of TgADF led to accumulation of actin-rich filaments that were detected by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Parasites deficient in TgADF showed reduced speed of motility, increased aberrant patterns of motion, and inhibition of sustained helical gliding. Lack of TgADF also led to severe defects in entry and egress from host cells, thus blocking infection in vitro. These studies establish that the absence of stable actin structures in the parasite are not simply the result of intrinsic instability, but that TgADF is required for the rapid turnover of parasite actin filaments, gliding motility, and cell invasion.

scholarly journals Basic Characterization of Plant Actin Depolymerizing Factors: A Simplified, Streamlined Guide

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonali Sengupta ◽  
Kanniah Rajasekaran ◽  
Niranjan Baisakh
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Monomer ◽  
Oligomeric State ◽  
Binding Partners ◽  
Helical Twist

Abstract Actin depolymerizing factors (ADFs) are small monomeric actin-binding proteins that alter the oligomeric state of cellular actin. Members of the ADF family can bind both the G-actin and F-actin in plants, and their functions are regulated by cellular pH, ionic strength and availability of other binding partners. Actin depolymerization activity is reportedly essential for plant viability. By binding to the ADP-bound form of actin, ADFs severe actin filaments and thereby provide more barbed filament ends for polymerization. They also increase the rate of dissociation of F-actin monomer by changing the helical twist of the actin filament. These two activities together make ADF the major regulator of actin dynamics in plant cell. Therefore, it is essential to measure the binding and depolymerization activity of the plant ADFs. Here, we present a simplified, streamlined step-by-step protocol to quickly measure these important functions of the ADF proteins in vitro.

scholarly journals The dynamic instability of actin filament barbed ends

2021 ◽  
Vol 220 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Romet-Lemonne ◽  
Antoine Jégou
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Dynamic Instability ◽  
Filament Networks ◽  
In Cells

The turnover of actin filament networks in cells has long been considered to reflect the treadmilling behavior of pure actin filaments in vitro, where only the pointed ends depolymerize. Newly discovered molecular mechanisms challenge this notion, as they provide evidence of situations in which growing and depolymerizing barbed ends coexist.

scholarly journals Synergy between Cyclase-associated protein and Cofilin accelerates actin filament depolymerization by two orders of magnitude

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shashank Shekhar ◽  
Johnson Chung ◽  
Jane Kondev ◽  
Jeff Gelles ◽  
Bruce L. Goode
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Network ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Actin Networks ◽  
Binding Event

AbstractCellular actin networks can be rapidly disassembled and remodeled in a few seconds, yet in vitro actin filaments depolymerize slowly over minutes. The cellular mechanisms enabling actin to depolymerize this fast have so far remained obscure. Using microfluidics-assisted TIRF, we show that Cyclase-associated protein (CAP) and Cofilin synergize to processively depolymerize actin filament pointed ends at a rate 330-fold faster than spontaneous depolymerization. Single molecule imaging further reveals that hexameric CAP molecules interact with the pointed ends of Cofilin-decorated filaments for several seconds at a time, removing approximately 100 actin subunits per binding event. These findings establish a paradigm, in which a filament end-binding protein and a side-binding protein work in concert to control actin dynamics, and help explain how rapid actin network depolymerization is achieved in cells.

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