Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-like protein in plasmalemmal caveolae is linked to actin filaments

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Fujimoto ◽  
A. Miyawaki ◽  
K. Mikoshiba

We reported that a plasmalemmal inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-like protein (PM InsP3R-L) is localized in caveolae of various non-neuronal cells in vivo (Fujimoto et al. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119, 1507–1513). In the present study, we investigated the distribution of PM InsP3R-L in cultured cells. In mouse epidermal keratinocytes (Pam 212) cultured in standard Ca2+ (1.8 mM), PM InsP3R-L was distributed densely in the vicinity of cell-to-cell contacts. In contrast, when Pam cells were cultured in low Ca2+ (0.06 mM) without making cell-to-cell contacts, PM InsP3R-L was observed randomly; by restoring the Ca2+ concentration, the circumferential actin filaments became obvious and the density of PM InsP3R-L increased in the contact region. Treatment of Pam cells with cytochalasin D caused aggregation of caveolae where PM InsP3R-L as well as F-actin and fodrin were localized. In bovine aortic endothelial cells, PM InsP3R-L was aligned along actin filaments crossing the cytoplasm in various directions. PM InsP3R-L of Pam cells was hardly extracted by treatment with 0.5% Triton X-100 or 60 mM octyl-glucoside in a cytoskeleton-stabilizing buffer for 15 minutes at 4 degrees C. The results show that the distribution of caveolae bearing PM InsP3R-L changes when the actin cytoskeleton is modified. They also indicate that the association of PM InsP3R-L with actin filaments may mediate the redistribution of caveolae. Since caveolae are thought to be related to signal transduction, their location defined by the actin cytoskeleton may affect the site where cellular reaction is to occur in response to various stimuli.

Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Philip R. LeDuc

The actin cytoskeleton provides mechanical support for the cell and influences activities such as cancer metastasis and chemotaxis. While their mechanical responses have been studied in vivo and in vitro, understanding the link between these two forms remains challenging. To explore this gap and further understand cell structure, we reconstructed the cell cytoskeleton in a membrane-like spherical liposome to mimic the cellular environment; this enables an artificial “cell like” system. Through this approach, we are pursuing a path to compare in vitro mechanics from a polymer physics perspective of individual actin filaments with the in vivo mechanics of a living cell [1]. A living cell contains many organelles, which are in a highly packed environment and require significant organization to function. The actin cytoskeleton provides both structural and organizational regulation that is essential for cellular response. Here, we first encapsulated G-actin into giant unilamellar vesicles through an electroformation technique and then polymerized them into actin filaments (F-actin) within individual vesicles. To probe their conformation, we visualized these vesicles with fluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscopy. We then used a tapping mode atomic force microscopy to determine the mechanical properties of these cell-like systems. These results provide insight into a wide range of fields and studies including polymer physics, cell biology, and biotechnology.


2009 ◽  
Vol 185 (5) ◽  
pp. 769-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülsen Çolakoğlu ◽  
Anthony Brown

Actin filaments and microtubules lengthen and shorten by addition and loss of subunits at their ends, but it is not known whether this is also true for intermediate filaments. In fact, several studies suggest that in vivo, intermediate filaments may lengthen by end-to-end annealing and that addition and loss of subunits is not confined to the filament ends. To test these hypotheses, we investigated the assembly dynamics of neurofilament and vimentin intermediate filament proteins in cultured cells using cell fusion, photobleaching, and photoactivation strategies in combination with conventional and photoactivatable fluorescent fusion proteins. We show that neurofilaments and vimentin filaments lengthen by end-to-end annealing of assembled filaments. We also show that neurofilaments and vimentin filaments incorporate subunits along their length by intercalation into the filament wall with no preferential addition of subunits to the filament ends, a process which we term intercalary subunit exchange.


2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenlei Hua ◽  
Kiki Kots ◽  
Tijs Ketelaar ◽  
Francine Govers ◽  
Harold J. G. Meijer

Oomycetes are fungal-like pathogens that cause notorious diseases. Protecting crops against oomycetes requires regular spraying with chemicals, many with an unknown mode of action. In the 1990s, flumorph was identified as a novel crop protection agent. It was shown to inhibit the growth of oomycete pathogens including Phytophthora spp., presumably by targeting actin. We recently generated transgenic Phytophthora infestans strains that express Lifeact-enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), which enabled us to monitor the actin cytoskeleton during hyphal growth. For analyzing effects of oomicides on the actin cytoskeleton in vivo, the P. infestans Lifeact-eGFP strain is an excellent tool. Here, we confirm that flumorph is an oomicide with growth inhibitory activity. Microscopic analyses showed that low flumorph concentrations provoked hyphal tip swellings accompanied by accumulation of actin plaques in the apex, a feature reminiscent of tips of nongrowing hyphae. At higher concentrations, swelling was more pronounced and accompanied by an increase in hyphal bursting events. However, in hyphae that remained intact, actin filaments were indistinguishable from those in nontreated, nongrowing hyphae. In contrast, in hyphae treated with the actin depolymerizing drug latrunculin B, no hyphal bursting was observed but the actin filaments were completely disrupted. This difference demonstrates that actin is not the primary target of flumorph.


1997 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Ayscough ◽  
Joel Stryker ◽  
Navin Pokala ◽  
Miranda Sanders ◽  
Phil Crews ◽  
...  

We report that the actin assembly inhibitor latrunculin-A (LAT-A) causes complete disruption of the yeast actin cytoskeleton within 2–5 min, suggesting that although yeast are nonmotile, their actin filaments undergo rapid cycles of assembly and disassembly in vivo. Differences in the LAT-A sensitivities of strains carrying mutations in components of the actin cytoskeleton suggest that tropomyosin, fimbrin, capping protein, Sla2p, and Srv2p act to increase actin cytoskeleton stability, while End3p and Sla1p act to decrease stability. Identification of three LAT-A resistant actin mutants demonstrated that in vivo effects of LAT-A are due specifically to impairment of actin function and implicated a region on the three-dimensional actin structure as the LAT-A binding site. LAT-A was used to determine which of 19 different proteins implicated in cell polarity development require actin to achieve polarized localization. Results show that at least two molecular pathways, one actindependent and the other actin-independent, underlie polarity development. The actin-dependent pathway localizes secretory vesicles and a putative vesicle docking complex to sites of cell surface growth, providing an explanation for the dependence of polarized cell surface growth on actin function. Unexpectedly, several proteins that function with actin during cell polarity development, including an unconventional myosin (Myo2p), calmodulin, and an actin-interacting protein (Bud6/Aip3p), achieved polarized localization by an actin-independent pathway, revealing interdependence among cell polarity pathways. Finally, transient actin depolymerization caused many cells to abandon one bud site or mating projection and to initiate growth at a second site. Thus, actin filaments are also required for maintenance of an axis of cell polarity.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (19) ◽  
pp. 4604-4615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Tanji ◽  
Toshimasa Ishizaki ◽  
Saman Ebrahimi ◽  
Yuko Tsuboguchi ◽  
Taiko Sukezane ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The small GTPase Rho regulates cell morphogenesis through remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. While Rho is overexpressed in many clinical cancers, the role of Rho signaling in oncogenesis remains unknown. mDia1 is a Rho effector producing straight actin filaments. Here we transduced mouse embryonic fibroblasts from mDia1-deficient mice with temperature-sensitive v-Src and examined the involvement and mechanism of the Rho-mDia1 pathway in Src-induced oncogenesis. We showed that in v-Src-transduced mDia1-deficient cells, formation of actin filaments is suppressed, and v-Src in the perinuclear region does not move to focal adhesions upon a temperature shift. Consequently, membrane translocation of v-Src, v-Src-induced morphological transformation, and podosome formation are all suppressed in mDia1-deficient cells with impaired tyrosine phosphorylation. mDia1-deficient cells show reduced transformation in vitro as examined by focus formation and colony formation in soft agar and exhibit suppressed tumorigenesis and invasion when implanted in nude mice in vivo. Given overexpression of c-Src in various cancers, these findings suggest that Rho-mDia1 signaling facilitates malignant transformation and invasion by manipulating the actin cytoskeleton and targeting Src to the cell periphery.


2014 ◽  
Vol 211 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Liu ◽  
Kazuko Saeki ◽  
Takehiko Matsunobu ◽  
Toshiaki Okuno ◽  
Tomoaki Koga ◽  
...  

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor type 2 (BLT2) is a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) for 12(S)-hydroxyheptadeca-5Z,8E,10E-trienoic acid (12-HHT) and LTB4. Despite the well-defined proinflammatory roles of BLT1, the in vivo functions of BLT2 remain elusive. As mouse BLT2 is highly expressed in epidermal keratinocytes, we investigated the role of the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis in skin wound healing processes. 12-HHT accumulated in the wound fluid in mice, and BLT2-deficient mice exhibited impaired re-epithelialization and delayed wound closure after skin punching. Aspirin administration reduced 12-HHT production and resulted in delayed wound closure in wild-type mice, which was abrogated in BLT2-deficient mice. In vitro scratch assay using primary keratinocytes and a keratinocyte cell line also showed that the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis accelerated wound closure through the production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). A synthetic BLT2 agonist accelerated wound closure in cultured cells as well as in C57BL/6J and diabetic mice. These results identify a novel mechanism underlying the action of the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis in epidermal keratinocytes and accordingly suggest the use of BLT2 agonists as therapeutic agents to accelerate wound healing, particularly for intractable wounds, such as diabetic ulcers.


1997 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 759-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Brancolini ◽  
Dean Lazarevic ◽  
Joe Rodriguez ◽  
Claudio Schneider

Cell death by apoptosis is a tightly regulated process that requires coordinated modification in cellular architecture. The caspase protease family has been shown to play a key role in apoptosis. Here we report that specific and ordered changes in the actin cytoskeleton take place during apoptosis. In this context, we have dissected one of the first hallmarks in cell death, represented by the severing of contacts among neighboring cells. More specifically, we provide demonstration for the mechanism that could contribute to the disassembly of cytoskeletal organization at cell–cell adhesion. In fact, β-catenin, a known regulator of cell–cell adhesion, is proteolytically processed in different cell types after induction of apoptosis. Caspase-3 (cpp32/apopain/yama) cleaves in vitro translated β-catenin into a form which is similar in size to that observed in cells undergoing apoptosis. β-Catenin cleavage, during apoptosis in vivo and after caspase-3 treatment in vitro, removes the amino- and carboxy-terminal regions of the protein. The resulting β-catenin product is unable to bind α-catenin that is responsible for actin filament binding and organization. This evidence indicates that connection with actin filaments organized at cell–cell contacts could be dismantled during apoptosis. Our observations suggest that caspases orchestrate the specific and sequential changes in the actin cytoskeleton occurring during cell death via cleavage of different regulators of the microfilament system.


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