scholarly journals The β-carboline Harmine Induces Actin Dynamic Remodeling and Abrogates the Malignant Phenotype in Tumorigenic Cells

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1168
Author(s):  
Ronan Le Moigne ◽  
Frédéric Subra ◽  
Manale Karam ◽  
Christian Auclair
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Malignant Cell ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Malignant Phenotype ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
High Throughput Screening Assay

Numerous studies have shown that alteration of actin remodeling plays a pivotal role in the regulation of morphologic and phenotypic changes leading to malignancy. In the present study, we searched for drugs that can regulate actin polymerization and reverse the malignant phenotype in cancer cells. We developed a cell-free high-throughput screening assay for the identification of compounds that induce the actin polymerization in vitro, by fluorescence anisotropy. Then, the potential of the hit compound to restore the actin cytoskeleton and reverse the malignant phenotype was checked in EWS-Fli1-transformed fibroblasts and in B16-F10 melanoma cells. A β-carboline extracted from Peganum harmala (i.e., harmine) is identified as a stimulator of actin polymerization through a mechanism independent of actin binding and requiring intracellular factors involved in a process that regulates actin kinetics. Treatment of malignant cells with non-cytotoxic concentrations of harmine induces the recovery of a non-malignant cell morphology accompanied by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, rescued cell–cell adhesion, inhibition of cell motility and loss of anchorage-independent growth. In conclusion, harmine induces the reversion of the malignant phenotype by a process involving the modulation of actin dynamics and is a potential anti-tumor agent acting principally through a non-cytotoxic process.

scholarly journals STIP1/HOP Regulates the Actin Cytoskeleton through Interactions with Actin and Changes in Actin-Binding Proteins Cofilin and Profilin

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 3152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Joy Beckley ◽  
Morgan Campbell Hunter ◽  
Sarah Naulikha Kituyi ◽  
Ianthe Wingate ◽  
Abantika Chakraborty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Actin Binding Proteins ◽  
Hsp90 Chaperone

Cell migration plays a vital role in both health and disease. It is driven by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which is regulated by actin-binding proteins cofilin and profilin. Stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) is a well-described co-chaperone of the Hsp90 chaperone system, and our findings identify a potential regulatory role of STIP1 in actin dynamics. We show that STIP1 can be isolated in complex with actin and Hsp90 from HEK293T cells and directly interacts with actin in vitro via the C-terminal TPR2AB-DP2 domain of STIP1, potentially due to a region spanning two putative actin-binding motifs. We found that STIP1 could stimulate the in vitro ATPase activity of actin, suggesting a potential role in the modulation of F-actin formation. Interestingly, while STIP1 depletion in HEK293T cells had no major effect on total actin levels, it led to increased nuclear accumulation of actin, disorganization of F-actin structures, and an increase and decrease in cofilin and profilin levels, respectively. This study suggests that STIP1 regulates the cytoskeleton by interacting with actin, or via regulating the ratio of proteins known to affect actin dynamics.

Closing the empty anti-Babesia gibsoni drug pipeline in vitro using fluorescence-based high throughput screening assay

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 102054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdo Rizk ◽  
Shengwei Ji ◽  
Mingming Liu ◽  
Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed ◽  
Yongchang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Babesia Gibsoni ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
High Throughput Screening Assay ◽  
Drug Pipeline

scholarly journals Mammalian Adenylyl Cyclase-associated Protein 1 (CAP1) Regulates Cofilin Function, the Actin Cytoskeleton, and Cell Adhesion

2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (29) ◽  
pp. 20966-20977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitao Zhang ◽  
Pooja Ghai ◽  
Huhehasi Wu ◽  
Changhui Wang ◽  
Jeffrey Field ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Hela Cells ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Filamentous Actin ◽  
Camp Pathway

CAP (adenylyl cyclase-associated protein) was first identified in yeast as a protein that regulates both the actin cytoskeleton and the Ras/cAMP pathway. Although the role in Ras signaling does not extend beyond yeast, evidence supports that CAP regulates the actin cytoskeleton in all eukaryotes including mammals. In vitro actin polymerization assays show that both mammalian and yeast CAP homologues facilitate cofilin-driven actin filament turnover. We generated HeLa cells with stable CAP1 knockdown using RNA interference. Depletion of CAP1 led to larger cell size and remarkably developed lamellipodia as well as accumulation of filamentous actin (F-actin). Moreover, we found that CAP1 depletion also led to changes in cofilin phosphorylation and localization as well as activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and enhanced cell spreading. CAP1 forms complexes with the adhesion molecules FAK and Talin, which likely underlie the cell adhesion phenotypes through inside-out activation of integrin signaling. CAP1-depleted HeLa cells also had substantially elevated cell motility as well as invasion through Matrigel. In summary, in addition to generating in vitro and in vivo evidence further establishing the role of mammalian CAP1 in actin dynamics, we identified a novel cellular function for CAP1 in regulating cell adhesion.

scholarly journals Burkholderia pseudomalleitype III secreted protein BipC: role in actin modulation and translocation activities required for the bacterial intracellular lifecycle

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Tyng Kang ◽  
Kumutha Malar Vellasamy ◽  
Lakshminarayanan Rajamani ◽  
Roger W. Beuerman ◽  
Jamuna Vadivelu
Keyword(s):  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Number Of Patients

Melioidosis, an infection caused by the facultative intracellular pathogenBurkholderia pseudomallei, has been classified as an emerging disease with the number of patients steadily increasing at an alarming rate.B. pseudomalleipossess various virulence determinants that allow them to invade the host and evade the host immune response, such as the type III secretion systems (TTSS). The products of this specialized secretion system are particularly important for theB. pseudomalleiinfection. Lacking in one or more components of the TTSS demonstrated different degrees of defects in the intracellular lifecycle ofB. pseudomallei. Further understanding the functional roles of proteins involved inB. pseudomalleiTTSS will enable us to dissect the enigma ofB. pseudomallei-host cell interaction. In this study, BipC (a translocator), which was previously reported to be involved in the pathogenesis ofB. pseudomallei, was further characterized using the bioinformatics and molecular approaches. ThebipCgene, coding for a putative invasive protein, was first PCR amplified fromB. pseudomalleiK96243genomic DNA and cloned into an expression vector for overexpression inEscherichia coli. The soluble protein was subsequently purified and assayed for actin polymerization and depolymerization. BipC was verified to subvert the host actin dynamics as demonstrated by the capability to polymerize actinin vitro. Homology modeling was also attempted to predict the structure of BipC. Overall, our findings identified that the protein encoded by thebipCgene plays a role as an effector involved in the actin binding activity to facilitate internalization ofB. pseudomalleiinto the host cells.

scholarly journals TetraThymosinβ Is Required for Actin Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans and Acts via Functionally Different Actin-binding Repeats

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 4735-4748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen Van Troys ◽  
Kanako Ono ◽  
Daisy Dewitte ◽  
Veronique Jonckheere ◽  
Natalie De Ruyck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Filamentous Actin ◽  
Lethal Mutant ◽  
Interaction Sites

Generating specific actin structures via controlled actin polymerization is a prerequisite for eukaryote development and reproduction. We here report on an essential Caenorhabditis elegans protein tetraThymosinβ expressed in developing neurons and crucial during oocyte maturation in adults. TetraThymosinβ has four repeats, each related to the actin monomer-sequestering protein thymosinβ 4 and assists in actin filament elongation. For homologues with similar multirepeat structures, a profilin-like mechanism of ushering actin onto filament barbed ends, based on the formation of a 1:1 complex, is proposed to underlie this activity. We, however, demonstrate that tetraThymosinβ binds multiple actin monomers via different repeats and in addition also interacts with filamentous actin. All repeats need to be functional for attaining full activity in various in vitro assays. The activities on actin are thus a direct consequence of the repeated structure. In containing both G- and F-actin interaction sites, tetraThymosinβ may be reminiscent of nonhomologous multimodular actin regulatory proteins implicated in actin filament dynamics. A mutation that suppresses expression of tetraThymosinβ is homozygous lethal. Mutant organisms develop into adults but display a dumpy phenotype and fail to reproduce as their oocytes lack essential actin structures. This strongly suggests that the activity of tetraThymosinβ is of crucial importance at specific developmental stages requiring actin polymerization.

scholarly journals Establishment of an In Vitro High-Throughput Screening Assay for Detecting Phospholipidosis-Inducing Potential

2005 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiko Kasahara ◽  
Kazuo Tomita ◽  
Hiroyuki Murano ◽  
Tsuyoshi Harada ◽  
Keisuke Tsubakimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
High Throughput Screening Assay

scholarly journals Practical High-Throughput Method to Screen Compounds for Anthelmintic Activity against Caenorhabditis elegans

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (14) ◽  
pp. 4156
Author(s):  
Aya C. Taki ◽  
Joseph J. Byrne ◽  
Peter R. Boag ◽  
Abdul Jabbar ◽  
Robin B. Gasser
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Anthelmintic Activity ◽  
Infrared Light ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
High Throughput Screening Assay

In the present study, we established a practical and cost-effective high throughput screening assay, which relies on the measurement of the motility of Caenorhabditis elegans by infrared light-interference. Using this assay, we screened 14,400 small molecules from the “HitFinder” library (Maybridge), achieving a hit rate of 0.3%. We identified small molecules that reproducibly inhibited the motility of C. elegans (young adults) and assessed dose relationships for a subset of compounds. Future work will critically evaluate the potential of some of these hits as candidates for subsequent optimisation or repurposing as nematocides or nematostats. This high throughput screening assay has the advantage over many previous assays in that it is cost- and time-effective to carry out and achieves a markedly higher throughput (~10,000 compounds per week); therefore, it is suited to the screening of libraries of tens to hundreds of thousands of compounds for subsequent evaluation and development. The present phenotypic whole-worm assay should be readily adaptable to a range of socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes of humans and animals, depending on their dimensions and motility characteristics in vitro, for the discovery of new anthelmintic candidates. This focus is particularly important, given the widespread problems associated with drug resistance in many parasitic worms of livestock animals globally.

scholarly journals Identification of Arabidopsis Cyclase-associated Protein 1 as the First Nucleotide Exchange Factor for Plant Actin

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3002-3014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Chaudhry ◽  
Christophe Guérin ◽  
Matthias von Witsch ◽  
Laurent Blanchoin ◽  
Christopher J. Staiger
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Suspension Cells ◽  
Actin Binding Proteins ◽  
Cell Shapes

The actin cytoskeleton powers organelle movements, orchestrates responses to abiotic stresses, and generates an amazing array of cell shapes. Underpinning these diverse functions of the actin cytoskeleton are several dozen accessory proteins that coordinate actin filament dynamics and construct higher-order assemblies. Many actin-binding proteins from the plant kingdom have been characterized and their function is often surprisingly distinct from mammalian and fungal counterparts. The adenylyl cyclase-associated protein (CAP) has recently been shown to be an important regulator of actin dynamics in vivo and in vitro. The disruption of actin organization in cap mutant plants indicates defects in actin dynamics or the regulated assembly and disassembly of actin subunits into filaments. Current models for actin dynamics maintain that actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin removes ADP–actin subunits from filament ends and that profilin recharges these monomers with ATP by enhancing nucleotide exchange and delivery of subunits onto filament barbed ends. Plant profilins, however, lack the essential ability to stimulate nucleotide exchange on actin, suggesting that there might be a missing link yet to be discovered from plants. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana CAP1 (AtCAP1) is an abundant cytoplasmic protein; it is present at a 1:3 M ratio with total actin in suspension cells. AtCAP1 has equivalent affinities for ADP– and ATP–monomeric actin (Kd ∼ 1.3 μM). Binding of AtCAP1 to ATP–actin monomers inhibits polymerization, consistent with AtCAP1 being an actin sequestering protein. However, we demonstrate that AtCAP1 is the first plant protein to increase the rate of nucleotide exchange on actin. Even in the presence of ADF/cofilin, AtCAP1 can recharge actin monomers and presumably provide a polymerizable pool of subunits to profilin for addition onto filament ends. In turnover assays, plant profilin, ADF, and CAP act cooperatively to promote flux of subunits through actin filament barbed ends. Collectively, these results and our understanding of other actin-binding proteins implicate CAP1 as a central player in regulating the pool of unpolymerized ATP–actin.

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