scholarly journals Actin flow and talin dynamics govern rigidity sensing in actin–integrin linkage through talin extension

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (99) ◽  
pp. 20140734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Hirata ◽  
Keng-Hwee Chiam ◽  
Chwee Teck Lim ◽  
Masahiro Sokabe

At cell–substrate adhesion sites, the linkage between actin filaments and integrin is regulated by mechanical stiffness of the substrate. Of potential molecular regulators, the linker proteins talin and vinculin are of particular interest because mechanical extension of talin induces vinculin binding with talin, which reinforces the actin–integrin linkage. For understanding the molecular and biophysical mechanism of rigidity sensing at cell–substrate adhesion sites, we constructed a simple physical model to examine a role of talin extension in the stiffness-dependent regulation of actin–integrin linkage. We show that talin molecules linking between retrograding actin filaments and substrate-bound integrin are extended in a manner dependent on substrate stiffness. The model predicts that, in adhesion complexes containing ≈30 talin links, talin is extended enough for vinculin binding when the substrate is stiffer than 1 kPa. The lifetime of talin links needs to be 2–5 s to achieve an appropriate response of talin extension against substrate stiffness. Furthermore, changes in actin velocity drastically shift the range of substrate stiffness that induces talin–vinculin binding. Our results suggest that talin extension is a key step in sensing and responding to substrate stiffness at cell adhesion sites.

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1256-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Schirenbeck ◽  
R. Arasada ◽  
T. Bretschneider ◽  
M. Schleicher ◽  
J. Faix

Filopodia are finger-like cell protrusions composed of parallel arrays of actin filaments, which elongate through actin polymerization at their tips. These highly dynamic structures seem to be used by many cell types as sensing organs to explore environmental cues and have been implicated in cell motility as well as in cell–substrate adhesion. Formins are highly conserved multidomain proteins that play important roles in the nucleation of actin and the formation of linear actin filaments, yet their role in filopodia formation has remained poorly defined. The Dictyostelium diaphanous-related formin dDia2 is strongly enriched in filopodia tips. Genetic and biochemical analysis revealed that this protein is important for cell migration and cell adhesion, but most importantly for the formation of filopodia. Recently, we have identified the Dictyostelium VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) orthologue as a binding partner of dDia2 and provide evidence for a co-operative role of both proteins in filopodia formation.


1994 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
pp. 1371-1384 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Takeuchi ◽  
N Sato ◽  
H Kasahara ◽  
N Funayama ◽  
A Nagafuchi ◽  
...  

To examine the functions of ERM family members (ezrin, radixin, and moesin), mouse epithelial cells (MTD-1A cells) and thymoma cells (L5178Y), which coexpress all of them, were cultured in the presence of antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PONs) complementary to ERM sequences. Immunoblotting revealed that the antisense PONs selectively suppressed the expression of each member. Immunofluorescence microscopy of these ezrin, radixin, or moesin "single-suppressed" MTD-1A cells revealed that the ERM family members are colocalized at cell-cell adhesion sites, microvilli, and cleavage furrows, where actin filaments are densely associated with plasma membranes. The ezrin/radixin/moesin antisense PONs mixture induced the destruction of both cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion, as well as the disappearance of microvilli. Ezrin or radixin antisense PONs individually affected the initial step of the formation of both cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion, but did not affect the microvilli structures. In sharp contrast, moesin antisense PONs did not singly affect cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion, whereas it partly affected the microvilli structures. These data indicate that ezrin and radixin can be functionally substituted, that moesin has some synergetic functional interaction with ezrin and radixin, and that these ERM family members are involved in cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion, as well as microvilli formation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 264 (14) ◽  
pp. 8012-8018 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Yamagata ◽  
S Suzuki ◽  
S K Akiyama ◽  
K M Yamada ◽  
K Kimata

1992 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. 1235-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
M H Symons ◽  
T J Mitchison

Cell-substrate adhesion is crucial at various stages of development and for the maintenance of normal tissues. Little is known about the regulation of these adhesive interactions. To investigate the role of GTPases in the control of cell morphology and cell-substrate adhesion we have injected guanine nucleotide analogs into Xenopus XTC fibroblasts. Injection of GTP gamma S inhibited ruffling and increased spreading, suggesting an increase in adhesion. To further investigate this, we made use of GRGDSP, a peptide which inhibits binding of integrins to vitronectin and fibronectin. XTC fibroblasts injected with non-hydrolyzable analogs of GTP took much more time to round up than mock-injected cells in response to treatment with GRGDSP, while GDP beta S-injected cells rounded up in less time than controls. Injection with GTP gamma S did not inhibit cell rounding induced by trypsin however, showing that cell contractility is not significantly affected by the activation of GTPases. These data provide evidence for the existence of a GTPase which can control cell-substrate adhesion from the cytoplasm. Treatment of XTC fibroblasts with the phorbol ester 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate reduced cell spreading and accelerated cell rounding in response to GRGDSP, which is essentially opposite to the effect exerted by non-hydrolyzable GTP analogs. These results suggest the existence of at least two distinct pathways controlling cell-substrate adhesion in XTC fibroblasts, one depending on a GTPase and another one involving protein kinase C.


1986 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 1679-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
M C Beckerle

A new protein found at sites of cell-substrate adhesion has been identified by analysis of a nonimmune rabbit serum. By indirect immunofluorescence this serum stains focal contacts (adhesion plaques) and the associated termini of actin filament bundles in cultured chicken cells. Western immunoblot analysis of total chick embryo fibroblast protein demonstrated an 82-kD polypeptide to be the major protein recognized by the unfractionated serum. This 82-kD protein is immunologically distinct from other known adhesion plaque proteins such as vinculin, talin, alpha-actinin, and fimbrin. Antibody affinity-purified against the electrophoretically isolated, nitrocellulose-bound 82-kD protein retained the ability to stain the area of the adhesion plaque, which confirms that the 82-kD protein is indeed a constituent of the focal contact. The 82-kD polypeptide has a basic isoelectric point relative to actin and fibronectin, and it appears to be very low in abundance. The 82-kD protein is ubiquitous in chicken embryo tissues. However, it appears to be more abundant in fibroblasts and smooth muscle than in brain or liver. Intermediate levels of the protein were detected in skeletal and cardiac muscle. The subcellular distribution of the 82-kD protein raises the possibility that this polypeptide is involved in linking actin filaments to the plasma membrane at sites of substrate attachment or regulating these dynamic interactions.


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