scholarly journals Force-induced changes of α-catenin conformation stabilize vascular junctions independent of vinculin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cao Nguyen Duong ◽  
Randy Brückner ◽  
Martina Schmitt ◽  
Astrid F. Nottebaum ◽  
Laura Braun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Alternative Explanation ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Binding Region ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Endothelial Junctions ◽  
Induced Changes

Cadherin-mediated cell adhesion requires anchoring via the β-catenin-α-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton, yet, α-catenin binds F-actin only weakly. A covalent fusion of VE-cadherin to α-catenin enhances actin anchorage in endothelial cells and strongly stabilizes endothelial junctions in vivo, blocking inflammatory responses. Here, we have analyzed the underlying mechanism. We found that VE-cadherin-α-catenin constitutively recruits the actin adaptor vinculin. However, removal of the vinculin binding region of α-catenin did not impair the ability of VE-cadherin-α-catenin to enhance junction integrity. Searching for an alternative explanation for the junction stabilizing mechanism, we found that an antibody-defined epitope, normally buried in a short α1-helix of the actin binding domain (ABD) of α-catenin, is openly displayed in junctional VE-cadherin-α-catenin chimera. This epitope, we found to become exposed in normal α-catenin upon triggering thrombin-induced tension across the VE-cadherin complex. These results suggest, that the VE-cadherin-α-catenin chimera stabilizes endothelial junctions due to conformational changes in the ABD of α-catenin, which support constitutive strong binding to actin.

scholarly journals Microtubule Actin Cross-Linking Factor (Macf)

1999 ◽  
Vol 147 (6) ◽  
pp. 1275-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conrad L. Leung ◽  
Dongming Sun ◽  
Min Zheng ◽  
David R. Knowles ◽  
Ronald K.H. Liem
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Actin Binding Domain

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.

NUANCE, a giant protein connecting the nucleus and actin cytoskeleton

2002 ◽  
Vol 115 (15) ◽  
pp. 3207-3222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Yi Zhen ◽  
Thorsten Libotte ◽  
Martina Munck ◽  
Angelika A. Noegel ◽  
Elena Korenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Microfilament System

NUANCE (NUcleus and ActiN Connecting Element) was identified as a novel protein with an α-actinin-like actin-binding domain. A human 21.8 kb cDNA of NUANCE spreads over 373 kb on chromosome 14q22.1-q22.3. The cDNA sequence predicts a 796 kDa protein with an N-terminal actin-binding domain, a central coiled-coil rod domain and a predicted C-terminal transmembrane domain. High levels of NUANCE mRNA were detected in the kidney, liver,stomach, placenta, spleen, lymphatic nodes and peripheral blood lymphocytes. At the subcellular level NUANCE is present predominantly at the outer nuclear membrane and in the nucleoplasm. Domain analysis shows that the actin-binding domain binds to Factin in vitro and colocalizes with the actin cytoskeleton in vivo as a GFP-fusion protein. The C-terminal transmembrane domain is responsible for the targeting the nuclear envelope. Thus, NUANCE is the firstα-actinin-related protein that has the potential to link the microfilament system with the nucleus.

A dual-action peptide-containing hydrogel targets wound infection and inflammation

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (524) ◽  
pp. eaax6601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Puthia ◽  
Marta Butrym ◽  
Jitka Petrlova ◽  
Ann-Charlotte Strömdahl ◽  
Madelene Å. Andersson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Reporter Mice ◽  
Dual Action ◽  
Infection And Inflammation ◽  
Molecular Patterns

There is a clinical need for improved wound treatments that prevent both infection and excessive inflammation. TCP-25, a thrombin-derived peptide, is antibacterial and scavenges pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as lipopolysaccharide, thereby preventing CD14 interaction and Toll-like receptor dimerization, leading to reduced downstream immune activation. Here, we describe the development of a hydrogel formulation that was functionalized with TCP-25 to target bacteria and associated PAMP-induced inflammation. In vitro studies determined the polymer prerequisites for such TCP-25–mediated dual action, favoring the use of noncharged hydrophilic hydrogels, which enabled peptide conformational changes and LPS binding. The TCP-25–functionalized hydrogels killed Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in vitro, as well as in experimental mouse models of subcutaneous infection. The TCP-25 hydrogel also mediated reduction of LPS-induced local inflammatory responses, as demonstrated by analysis of local cytokine production and in vivo bioimaging using nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) reporter mice. In porcine partial thickness wound models, TCP-25 prevented infection with S. aureus and reduced concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines. Proteolytic fragmentation of TCP-25 in vitro yielded a series of bioactive TCP fragments that were identical or similar to those present in wounds in vivo. Together, the results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of TCP-25 hydrogel, a wound treatment based on the body’s peptide defense, for prevention of both bacterial infection and the accompanying inflammation.

scholarly journals Binding partner- and force-promoted changes in αE-catenin conformation probed by native cysteine labeling

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia Terekhova ◽  
Sabine Pokutta ◽  
Yee S. Kee ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Emad Tajkhorshid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
Allosteric Coupling ◽  
Actin Binding Protein ◽  
Binding Partners ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Cysteine Labeling

Abstract Adherens Junctions (AJs) are cell-cell adhesion complexes that sense and propagate mechanical forces by coupling cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton via β-catenin and the F-actin binding protein αE-catenin. When subjected to mechanical force, the cadherin•catenin complex can tightly link to F-actin through αE-catenin, and also recruits the F-actin-binding protein vinculin. In this study, labeling of native cysteines combined with mass spectrometry revealed conformational changes in αE-catenin upon binding to the E-cadherin•β-catenin complex, vinculin and F-actin. A method to apply physiologically meaningful forces in solution revealed force-induced conformational changes in αE-catenin when bound to F-actin. Comparisons of wild-type αE-catenin and a mutant with enhanced vinculin affinity using cysteine labeling and isothermal titration calorimetry provide evidence for allosteric coupling of the N-terminal β-catenin-binding and the middle (M) vinculin-binding domain of αE-catenin. Cysteine labeling also revealed possible crosstalk between the actin-binding domain and the rest of the protein. The data provide insight into how binding partners and mechanical stress can regulate the conformation of full-length αE-catenin, and identify the M domain as a key transmitter of conformational changes.

scholarly journals Modeling and Experimental Validation of the Binary Complex of the Plectin Actin-binding Domain and the First Pair of Fibronectin Type III (FNIII) Domains of the β4 Integrin

2005 ◽  
Vol 280 (23) ◽  
pp. 22270-22277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy H. M. Litjens ◽  
Kevin Wilhelmsen ◽  
José M. de Pereda ◽  
Anastassis Perrakis ◽  
Arnoud Sonnenberg
Keyword(s):  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Protein Docking ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Binary Complex ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Fibronectin Type Iii ◽  
Fibronectin Type

The binding of plectin to the β4 subunit of the α6β4 integrin is a critical step in the formation of hemidesmosomes. An important interaction between these two proteins occurs between the actin-binding domain (ABD) of plectin and the first pair of fibronectin type III (FNIII) domains and a small part of the connecting segment of β4. Previously, a few amino acids, critical for this interaction, were identified in both plectin and β4 and mapped on the crystal structures of the ABD of plectin and the first pair of FNIII domains of β4. In the present study, we used this biochemical information and protein-protein docking calculations to construct a model of the binary complex between these two protein domains. The top scoring computational model predicts that the calponin-homology 1 (CH1) domain of the ABD associates with the first and the second FNIII domains of β4. Our mutational analysis of the residues at the proposed interface of both the FNIII and the CH1 domains is in agreement with the suggested interaction model. Computational simulations to predict protein motions suggest that the exact model of FNIII and plectin CH1 interaction might well differ in detail from the suggested model due to the conformational plasticity of the FNIII domains, which might lead to a closely related but different mode of interaction with the plectin-ABD. Furthermore, we show that Ser-1325 in the connecting segment of β4 appears to be essential for the recruitment of plectin into hemidesmosomes in vivo. This is consistent with the proposed model and previously published mutational data. In conclusion, our data support a model in which the CH1 domain of the plectin-ABD associates with the groove between the two FNIII domains of β4.

scholarly journals Functional recovery of troponin I in a Drosophila heldup mutant after a second site mutation.

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 1433-1441 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Prado ◽  
I Canal ◽  
J A Barbas ◽  
J Molloy ◽  
A Ferrús
Keyword(s):  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Stoichiometric Ratio ◽  
Site Mutation ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Single Nucleotide Change ◽  
Actin Binding Domain

To identify proteins that interact in vivo with muscle components we have used a genetic approach based on the isolation of suppressors of mutant alleles of known muscle components. We have applied this system to the case of troponin I (TnI) in Drosophila and its mutant allele heldup2 (hdp2). This mutation causes an alanine to valine substitution at position 116 after a single nucleotide change in a constitutive exon. Among the isolated suppressors, one of them results from a second site mutation at the TnI gene itself. Muscles endowed with TnI mutated at both sites support nearly normal myofibrillar structure, perform notably well in wing beating and flight tests, and isolated muscle fibers produce active force. We show that the structural and functional recovery in this suppressor does not result from a change in the stoichiometric ratio of TnI isoforms. The second site suppression is due to a leucine to phenylalanine change within a heptameric leucine string motif adjacent to the actin binding domain of TnI. These data evidence a structural and functional role for the heptameric leucine string that is most noticeable, if not specific, in the indirect flight muscle.

scholarly journals VEGF controls lung Th2 inflammation via the miR-1–Mpl (myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene)–P-selectin axis

2013 ◽  
Vol 210 (10) ◽  
pp. 1993-2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedtaghi Takyar ◽  
Hema Vasavada ◽  
Jian-ge Zhang ◽  
Farida Ahangari ◽  
Naiqian Niu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Leukemia Virus ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Luciferase Expression ◽  
Inflammatory Disorder ◽  
Effector Pathway ◽  
Th2 Inflammation ◽  
Lung Endothelium

Asthma, the prototypic Th2-mediated inflammatory disorder of the lung, is an emergent disease worldwide. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a critical regulator of pulmonary Th2 inflammation, but the underlying mechanism and the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process have not been defined. Here we show that lung-specific overexpression of VEGF decreases miR-1 expression in the lung, most prominently in the endothelium, and a similar down-regulation occurs in lung endothelium in Th2 inflammation models. Intranasal delivery of miR-1 inhibited inflammatory responses to ovalbumin, house dust mite, and IL-13 overexpression. Blocking VEGF inhibited Th2-mediated lung inflammation, and this was restored by antagonizing miR-1. Using mRNA arrays, Argonaute pull-down assays, luciferase expression assays, and mutational analysis, we identified Mpl as a direct target of miR-1 and showed that VEGF controls the expression of endothelial Mpl during Th2 inflammation via the regulation of miR-1. In vivo knockdown of Mpl inhibited Th2 inflammation and indirectly inhibited the expression of P-selectin in lung endothelium. These experiments define a novel VEGF–miR-1–Mpl–P-selectin effector pathway in lung Th2 inflammation and herald the utility of miR-1 and Mpl as potential therapeutic targets for asthma.

Reduced oncogenicity of p190 Bcr/Abl F-actin–binding domain mutants

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 2226-2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Heisterkamp ◽  
Jan Willem Voncken ◽  
Dinithi Senadheera ◽  
Ignacio Gonzalez-Gomez ◽  
Anja Reichert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Stage Disease ◽  
Absolute Requirement ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
High Level ◽  
End Stage ◽  
Cas Proteins

The deregulated Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase is responsible for the development of Philadelphia (Ph)-positive leukemia in humans. To investigate the significance of the C-terminal Abl actin-binding domain within Bcr/Abl p190 in the development of leukemia/lymphoma in vivo, mutant p190 DNA constructs were used to generate transgenic mice. Eight founder and progeny mice of 5 different lines were monitored for leukemogenesis. Latency was markedly increased and occurrence decreased in the p190 del C lines as compared with nonmutated p190BCR/ABL transgenics. Western blot analysis of involved hematologic tissues of the p190 del C transgenics with end-stage disease showed high-level expression of the transgene and tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl and Hef1/Cas, proteins previously shown to be affected by Bcr/Abl. These results show that the actin-binding domain of Abl enhances leukemia development but does not appear to be an absolute requirement for leukemogenesis.

scholarly journals A High-affinity Interaction with ADP-Actin Monomers Underlies the Mechanism and In Vivo Function of Srv2/cyclase-associated Protein

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 5158-5171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieta K. Mattila ◽  
Omar Quintero-Monzon ◽  
Jamie Kugler ◽  
James B. Moseley ◽  
Steven C. Almo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Monomer ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Affinity Interaction

Cyclase-associated protein (CAP), also called Srv2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a conserved actin monomer-binding protein that promotes cofilin-dependent actin turnover in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying this function. Here, we show that S. cerevisiae CAP binds with strong preference to ADP-G-actin (Kd 0.02 μM) compared with ATP-G-actin (Kd 1.9 μM) and competes directly with cofilin for binding ADP-G-actin. Further, CAP blocks actin monomer addition specifically to barbed ends of filaments, in contrast to profilin, which blocks monomer addition to pointed ends of filaments. The actin-binding domain of CAP is more extensive than previously suggested and includes a recently solved β-sheet structure in the C-terminus of CAP and adjacent sequences. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we define evolutionarily conserved residues that mediate binding to ADP-G-actin and demonstrate that these activities are required for CAP function in vivo in directing actin organization and polarized cell growth. Together, our data suggest that in vivo CAP competes with cofilin for binding ADP-actin monomers, allows rapid nucleotide exchange to occur on actin, and then because of its 100-fold weaker binding affinity for ATP-actin compared with ADP-actin, allows other cellular factors such as profilin to take the handoff of ATP-actin and facilitate barbed end assembly.

scholarly journals The preprophase band-associated kinesin-14 OsKCH2 is a processive minus-end-directed microtubule motor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo-Fu Tseng ◽  
Pan Wang ◽  
Yuh-Ru Julie Lee ◽  
Joel Bowen ◽  
Allison M. Gicking ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Preprophase Band ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Coiled Coils ◽  
Land Plants ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Actin Binding Domain ◽  
Microtubule Motor

AbstractIn animals and fungi, cytoplasmic dynein is a processive motor that plays dominant roles in various intracellular processes. In contrast, land plants lack cytoplasmic dynein but contain many minus-end-directed kinesin-14s. No plant kinesin-14 is known to produce processive motility as a homodimer. OsKCH2 is a plant-specific kinesin-14 with an N-terminal actin-binding domain and a central motor domain flanked by two predicted coiled-coils (CC1 and CC2). Here, we show that OsKCH2 specifically decorates preprophase band microtubules in vivo and transports actin filaments along microtubules in vitro. Importantly, OsKCH2 exhibits processive minus-end-directed motility on single microtubules as individual homodimers. We find that CC1 but not CC2 forms the coiled-coil for OsKCH2 dimerization. Instead, CC2 functions to enable OsKCH2 processivity by enhancing its binding to microtubules. Collectively, these results show that land plants have evolved unconventional kinesin-14 homodimers with inherent minus-end-directed processivity that may function to compensate for the loss of cytoplasmic dynein.

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