scholarly journals Side-binding proteins modulate actin filament dynamics

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro H Crevenna ◽  
Marcelino Arciniega ◽  
Aurélie Dupont ◽  
Naoko Mizuno ◽  
Kaja Kowalska ◽  
...  

Actin filament dynamics govern many key physiological processes from cell motility to tissue morphogenesis. A central feature of actin dynamics is the capacity of filaments to polymerize and depolymerize at their ends in response to cellular conditions. It is currently thought that filament kinetics can be described by a single rate constant for each end. In this study, using direct visualization of single actin filament elongation, we show that actin polymerization kinetics at both filament ends are strongly influenced by the binding of proteins to the lateral filament surface. We also show that the pointed-end has a non-elongating state that dominates the observed filament kinetic asymmetry. Estimates of flexibility as well as effects on fragmentation and growth suggest that the observed kinetic diversity arises from structural alteration. Tuning elongation kinetics by exploiting the malleability of the filament structure may be a ubiquitous mechanism to generate a rich variety of cellular actin dynamics.

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro H. Crevenna ◽  
Marcelino Arciniega ◽  
Aurelie Dupont ◽  
Kaja Kowalska ◽  
Oliver Lange ◽  
...  

Actin filament dynamics govern many key physiological processes from cell motility to tissue morphogenesis. A central feature of actin dynamics is the capacity of the filament to polymerize and depolymerize at its ends in response to cellular conditions. It is currently thought that filament kinetics can be described by a single rate constant for each end. Here, using direct visualization of single actin filament elongation, we show that actin polymerization kinetics at both filament ends are strongly influenced by proteins that bind to the lateral filament surface. We also show that the less dynamic end, called the pointed-end, has a non-elongating state that dominates the observed filament kinetic asymmetry. Estimates of filament flexibility and Brownian dynamics simulations suggest that the observed kinetic diversity arises from structural alteration. Tuning filament kinetics by exploiting the natural malleability of the actin filament structure may be a ubiquitous mechanism to generate the rich variety of observed cellular actin dynamics.


2002 ◽  
Vol 156 (6) ◽  
pp. 1065-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoichiro Ono ◽  
Kanako Ono

Tropomyosin binds to actin filaments and is implicated in stabilization of actin cytoskeleton. We examined biochemical and cell biological properties of Caenorhabditis elegans tropomyosin (CeTM) and obtained evidence that CeTM is antagonistic to ADF/cofilin-dependent actin filament dynamics. We purified CeTM, actin, and UNC-60B (a muscle-specific ADF/cofilin isoform), all of which are derived from C. elegans, and showed that CeTM and UNC-60B bound to F-actin in a mutually exclusive manner. CeTM inhibited UNC-60B–induced actin depolymerization and enhancement of actin polymerization. Within isolated native thin filaments, actin and CeTM were detected as major components, whereas UNC-60B was present at a trace amount. Purified UNC-60B was unable to interact with the native thin filaments unless CeTM and other associated proteins were removed by high-salt extraction. Purified CeTM was sufficient to restore the resistance of the salt-extracted filaments from UNC-60B. In muscle cells, CeTM and UNC-60B were localized in different patterns. Suppression of CeTM by RNA interference resulted in disorganized actin filaments and paralyzed worms in wild-type background. However, in an ADF/cofilin mutant background, suppression of CeTM did not worsen actin organization and worm motility. These results suggest that tropomyosin is a physiological inhibitor of ADF/cofilin-dependent actin dynamics.


1998 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Y. Chan ◽  
S. Raft ◽  
M. Bailly ◽  
J.B. Wyckoff ◽  
J.E. Segall ◽  
...  

Stimulation of metastatic MTLn3 cells with EGF causes the rapid extension of lamellipods, which contain a zone of F-actin at the leading edge. In order to establish the mechanism for accumulation of F-actin at the leading edge and its relationship to lamellipod extension in response to EGF, we have studied the kinetics and location of EGF-induced actin nucleation activity in MTLn3 cells and characterized the actin dynamics at the leading edge by measuring the changes at the pointed and barbed ends of actin filaments upon EGF stimulation of MTLn3 cells. The major result of this study is that stimulation of MTLn3 cells with EGF causes a transient increase in actin nucleation activity resulting from the appearance of free barbed ends very close to the leading edge of extending lamellipods. In addition, cytochalasin D causes a significant decrease in the total F-actin content in EGF-stimulated cells, indicating that both actin polymerization and depolymerization are stimulated by EGF. Pointed end incorporation of rhodamine-labeled actin by the EGF stimulated cells is 2.12+/−0.47 times higher than that of control cells. Since EGF stimulation causes an increase in both barbed and pointed end incorporation of rhodamine-labeled actin in the same location, the EGF-stimulated nucleation sites are more likely due either to severing of pre-existing filaments or de novo nucleation of filaments at the leading edge thereby creating new barbed and pointed ends. The timing and location of EGF-induced actin nucleation activity in MTLn3 cells can account for the observed accumulation of F-actin at the leading edge and demonstrate that this F-actin rich zone is the primary actin polymerization zone after stimulation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (33) ◽  
pp. 19904-19913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caner Akıl ◽  
Linh T. Tran ◽  
Magali Orhant-Prioux ◽  
Yohendran Baskaran ◽  
Edward Manser ◽  
...  

Asgard archaea genomes contain potential eukaryotic-like genes that provide intriguing insight for the evolution of eukaryotes. The eukaryotic actin polymerization/depolymerization cycle is critical for providing force and structure in many processes, including membrane remodeling. In general, Asgard genomes encode two classes of actin-regulating proteins from sequence analysis, profilins and gelsolins. Asgard profilins were demonstrated to regulate actin filament nucleation. Here, we identify actin filament severing, capping, annealing and bundling, and monomer sequestration activities by gelsolin proteins from Thorarchaeota (Thor), which complete a eukaryotic-like actin depolymerization cycle, and indicate complex actin cytoskeleton regulation in Asgard organisms. Thor gelsolins have homologs in other Asgard archaea and comprise one or two copies of the prototypical gelsolin domain. This appears to be a record of an initial preeukaryotic gene duplication event, since eukaryotic gelsolins are generally comprise three to six domains. X-ray structures of these proteins in complex with mammalian actin revealed similar interactions to the first domain of human gelsolin or cofilin with actin. Asgard two-domain, but not one-domain, gelsolins contain calcium-binding sites, which is manifested in calcium-controlled activities. Expression of two-domain gelsolins in mammalian cells enhanced actin filament disassembly on ionomycin-triggered calcium release. This functional demonstration, at the cellular level, provides evidence for a calcium-controlled Asgard actin cytoskeleton, indicating that the calcium-regulated actin cytoskeleton predates eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, dynamic bundled actin filaments are responsible for shaping filopodia and microvilli. By correlation, we hypothesize that the formation of the protrusions observed from Lokiarchaeota cell bodies may involve the gelsolin-regulated actin structures.


2003 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond S. Maul ◽  
Yuhong Song ◽  
Kurt J. Amann ◽  
Sachi C. Gerbin ◽  
Thomas D. Pollard ◽  
...  

Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN) is a cytoskeleton-associated protein encoded by a gene that is down-regulated in transformed cells. EPLIN increases the number and size of actin stress fibers and inhibits membrane ruffling induced by Rac. EPLIN has at least two actin binding sites. Purified recombinant EPLIN inhibits actin filament depolymerization and cross-links filaments in bundles. EPLIN does not affect the kinetics of spontaneous actin polymerization or elongation at the barbed end, but inhibits branching nucleation of actin filaments by Arp2/3 complex. Side binding activity may stabilize filaments and account for the inhibition of nucleation mediated by Arp2/3 complex. We propose that EPLIN promotes the formation of stable actin filament structures such as stress fibers at the expense of more dynamic actin filament structures such as membrane ruffles. Reduced expression of EPLIN may contribute to the motility of invasive tumor cells.


2009 ◽  
Vol 184 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Staiger ◽  
Michael B. Sheahan ◽  
Parul Khurana ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
David W. McCurdy ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Hoyer ◽  
Jose Rafael Cabral Correia ◽  
Don C. Lamb ◽  
Alvaro H. Crevenna

ABSTRACTActin filament dynamics underlie key cellular processes, such as cell motility. Although actin filament elongation has been extensively studied under the past decades, the mechanism of filament nucleation remains unclear. Here, we immobilized gelsolin, a pointed-end nucleator, at the bottom of zero-mode waveguides to directly monitor the early steps of filament assembly. Our data revealed extensive dynamics and that only one, of two populations, elongates. Annalysis of the kinetics revealed a more stable trimer but a less stable tetramer in the elongating population compared to the non-elongating one. Furthermore, blocking flattening, the conformational change associated with filament formation, prevented the formation of both types of assemblies. Thus, flattening and the initial monomer arrangement determine gelsolin-mediated filament initiation.


Author(s):  
Gregory J. Hoeprich ◽  
Amy N. Sinclair ◽  
Shashank Shekhar ◽  
Bruce L. Goode

IQGAP is a conserved family of actin-binding proteins with essential roles in cell motility, cytokinesis, and cell adhesion, yet there remains a limited understanding of how IQGAP proteins directly influence actin filament dynamics. To close this gap, we used single-molecule and single-filament TIRF microscopy to observe IQGAP regulating actin dynamics in real time. To our knowledge, this is the first study to do so. Our results demonstrate that full-length human IQGAP1 forms dimers that stably bind to actin filament sides and transiently cap barbed ends. These interactions organize filaments into thin bundles, suppress barbed end growth, and inhibit filament disassembly. Surprisingly, each activity depends on distinct combinations of IQGAP1 domains and/or dimerization, suggesting that different mechanisms underlie each functional effect on actin. These observations have important implications for how IQGAP functions as an actin regulator in vivo, and how it may be regulated in different biological settings. [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text]


2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1900-1912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violaine Delorme ◽  
Xavier Cayla ◽  
Grazyna Faure ◽  
Alphonse Garcia ◽  
Isabelle Tardieux

Actin polymerization in Apicomplexa protozoa is central to parasite motility and host cell invasion. Toxofilin has been characterized as a protein that sequesters actin monomers and caps actin filaments in Toxoplasma gondii. Herein, we show that Toxofilin properties in vivo as in vitro depend on its phosphorylation. We identify a novel parasitic type 2C phosphatase that binds the Toxofilin/G-actin complex and a casein kinase II-like activity in the cytosol, both of which modulate the phosphorylation status of Toxofilin serine53. The interplay of these two molecules controls Toxofilin binding of G-actin as well as actin dynamics in vivo. Such functional interactions should play a major role in actin sequestration, a central feature of actin dynamics in Apicomplexa that underlies the spectacular speed and nature of parasite gliding motility.


1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 1307-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-France Carlier ◽  
Valérie Laurent ◽  
Jérôme Santolini ◽  
Ronald Melki ◽  
Dominique Didry ◽  
...  

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.


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