scholarly journals Loss of Ena/VASP interferes with lamellipodium architecture, motility and integrin-dependent adhesion

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Damiano-Guercio ◽  
Laëtitia Kurzawa ◽  
Jan Mueller ◽  
Georgi Dimchev ◽  
Matthias Schaks ◽  
...  

Cell migration entails networks and bundles of actin filaments termed lamellipodia and microspikes or filopodia, respectively, as well as focal adhesions, all of which recruit Ena/VASP family members hitherto thought to antagonize efficient cell motility. However, we find these proteins to act as positive regulators of migration in different murine cell lines. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss of Ena/VASP proteins reduced lamellipodial actin assembly and perturbed lamellipodial architecture, as evidenced by changed network geometry as well as reduction of filament length and number that was accompanied by abnormal Arp2/3 complex and heterodimeric capping protein accumulation. Loss of Ena/VASP function also abolished the formation of microspikes normally embedded in lamellipodia, but not of filopodia capable of emanating without lamellipodia. Ena/VASP-deficiency also impaired integrin-mediated adhesion accompanied by reduced traction forces exerted through these structures. Our data thus uncover novel Ena/VASP functions of these actin polymerases that are fully consistent with their promotion of cell migration.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Damiano-Guercio ◽  
Laëtitia Kurzawa ◽  
Jan Mueller ◽  
Georgi Dimchev ◽  
Maria Nemethova ◽  
...  

AbstractCell migration entails networks and bundles of actin filaments termed lamellipodia and microspikes or filopodia, respectively, as well as focal adhesions, all of which recruit Ena/VASP family members hitherto thought to antagonize efficient cell motility. However, we find these proteins to act as positive regulators of migration in different cell lines. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss of Ena/VASP proteins reduced lamellipodial actin assembly and perturbed lamellipodial architecture, as evidenced by changed network geometry as well as reduction of filament length and number that was accompanied by abnormal Arp2/3 complex and heterodimeric capping protein accumulation. Loss of Ena/VASP function also abolished the formation of microspikes normally embedded in lamellipodia, but not of filopodia capable of emanating without lamellipodia. Ena/VASP-deficiency also impaired integrin-mediated adhesion accompanied by reduced traction forces exerted through these structures. Our data thus uncover novel, cellular Ena/VASP functions of these actin polymerases that are fully consistent with their promotion of cell migration.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (14) ◽  
pp. 2152-2160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamim A. Sinnar ◽  
Susumu Antoku ◽  
Jean-Michel Saffin ◽  
Jon A. Cooper ◽  
Shelley Halpain

Capping protein (CP) binds to barbed ends of growing actin filaments and inhibits elongation. CP is essential for actin-based motility in cell-free systems and in Dictyostelium. Even though CP is believed to be critical for creating the lamellipodial actin structure necessary for protrusion and migration, CP's role in mammalian cell migration has not been directly tested. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that structures besides lamellipodia, including lamella and filopodia, may have unappreciated roles in cell migration. CP has been postulated to be absent from filopodia, and thus its role in filopodial activity has remained unexplored. We report that silencing CP in both cultured mammalian B16F10 cells and in neurons of developing neocortex impaired cell migration. Moreover, we unexpectedly observed that low levels of CP were detectable in the majority of filopodia. CP depletion decreased filopodial length, altered filopodial shape, and reduced filopodial dynamics. Our results support an expansion of the potential roles that CP plays in cell motility by implicating CP in filopodia as well as in lamellipodia, both of which are important for locomotion in many types of migrating cells.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aanand A. Patel ◽  
Zeynep A. Oztug Durer ◽  
Aaron P. van Loon ◽  
Margot E. Quinlan

ABSTRACTFormins are a conserved group of proteins that nucleate and processively elongate actin filaments. Among them, the formin homology domain-containing protein (FHOD) family of formins contributes to contractility of striated muscle and cell motility in several contexts. However, the mechanisms by which they carry out these functions remain poorly understood. Unlike other formins, mammalian FHOD1 and FHOD3 do not accelerate actin assembly in vitro, and have instead been suggested to act as barbed end cappers or bundlers. Here, we show that purified Drosophila Fhod, in contrast with the mammalian homologues, potently accelerates actin assembly by nucleation. We found that Fhod binds tightly to barbed ends, where it slows elongation in the absence of profilin and allows elongation in the presence of profilin. Fhod protects barbed ends from capping protein, but dissociates from barbed ends relatively quickly. Finally, we used cosedimentation assays to determine that Fhod binds the sides of actin filaments and bundles filaments. This work establishes that Fhod shares the capacity of other formins to nucleate and bundle actin filaments, but is notably less effective at processively elongating barbed ends.


Cell ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Hug ◽  
Patrick Y. Jay ◽  
Indira Reddy ◽  
James G. McNally ◽  
Paul C. Bridgman ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Gu ◽  
Masahito Tamura ◽  
Roumen Pankov ◽  
Erik H.J. Danen ◽  
Takahisa Takino ◽  
...  

Cell migration is modulated by regulatory molecules such as growth factors, oncogenes, and the tumor suppressor PTEN. We previously described inhibition of cell migration by PTEN and restoration of motility by focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and p130 Crk-associated substrate (p130Cas). We now report a novel pathway regulating random cell motility involving Shc and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, which is downmodulated by PTEN and additive to a FAK pathway regulating directional migration. Overexpression of Shc or constitutively activated MEK1 in PTEN- reconstituted U87-MG cells stimulated integrin- mediated MAP kinase activation and cell migration. Conversely, overexpression of dominant negative Shc inhibited cell migration; Akt appeared uninvolved. PTEN directly dephosphorylated Shc. The migration induced by FAK or p130Cas was directionally persistent and involved extensive organization of actin microfilaments and focal adhesions. In contrast, Shc or MEK1 induced a random type of motility associated with less actin cytoskeletal and focal adhesion organization. These results identify two distinct, additive pathways regulating cell migration that are downregulated by tumor suppressor PTEN: one involves Shc, a MAP kinase pathway, and random migration, whereas the other involves FAK, p130Cas, more extensive actin cytoskeletal organization, focal contacts, and directionally persistent cell motility. Integration of these pathways provides an intracellular mechanism for regulating the speed and the directionality of cell migration.


eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D Hansen ◽  
R Dyche Mullins

Enabled/Vasodilator (Ena/VASP) proteins promote actin filament assembly at multiple locations, including: leading edge membranes, focal adhesions, and the surface of intracellular pathogens. One important Ena/VASP regulator is the mig-10/Lamellipodin/RIAM family of adaptors that promote lamellipod formation in fibroblasts and drive neurite outgrowth and axon guidance in neurons. To better understand how MRL proteins promote actin network formation we studied the interactions between Lamellipodin (Lpd), actin, and VASP, both in vivo and in vitro. We find that Lpd binds directly to actin filaments and that this interaction regulates its subcellular localization and enhances its effect on VASP polymerase activity. We propose that Lpd delivers Ena/VASP proteins to growing barbed ends and increases their polymerase activity by tethering them to filaments. This interaction represents one more pathway by which growing actin filaments produce positive feedback to control localization and activity of proteins that regulate their assembly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (152) ◽  
pp. 20180934
Author(s):  
Takumi Hiraiwa ◽  
Takahiro G. Yamada ◽  
Norihisa Miki ◽  
Akira Funahashi ◽  
Noriko Hiroi

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumour of childhood, and it metastasizes to distant organs. However, the mechanism of metastasis, which generally depends on the cell motility of the neuroblastoma, remains unclear. In many solid tumours, it has been reported that shear stress promotes metastasis. Here, we investigated the relationship between shear stress and cell motility in the MYCN-amplified human neuroblastoma cell line IMR32, using a microfluidic device. We confirmed that most of the cells migrated downstream, and cell motility increased dramatically when the cells were exposed to a shear stress of 0.4 Pa, equivalent to that expected in vivo . We observed that the morphological features of focal adhesion were changed under a shear stress of 0.4 Pa. We also investigated the relationship between malignancy and the motility of IMR32 cells under shear stress. Decreasing the expression of MYCN in IMR32 cells via siRNA transfection inhibited cell motility by a shear stress of 0.4 Pa. These results suggest that MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells under high shear stress migrate to distant organs due to high cell motility, allowing cell migration to lymphatic vessels and venules.


2003 ◽  
Vol 161 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Fischer ◽  
Kimberly L. Fritz-Six ◽  
Velia M. Fowler

Actin filament pointed-end dynamics are thought to play a critical role in cell motility, yet regulation of this process remains poorly understood. We describe here a previously uncharacterized tropomodulin (Tmod) isoform, Tmod3, which is widely expressed in human tissues and is present in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1). Tmod3 is present in sufficient quantity to cap pointed ends of actin filaments, localizes to actin filament structures in HMEC-1 cells, and appears enriched in leading edge ruffles and lamellipodia. Transient overexpression of GFP–Tmod3 leads to a depolarized cell morphology and decreased cell motility. A fivefold increase in Tmod3 results in an equivalent decrease in free pointed ends in the cells. Unexpectedly, a decrease in the relative amounts of F-actin, free barbed ends, and actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex in lamellipodia are also observed. Conversely, decreased expression of Tmod3 by RNA interference leads to faster average cell migration, along with increases in free pointed and barbed ends in lamellipodial actin filaments. These data collectively demonstrate that capping of actin filament pointed ends by Tmod3 inhibits cell migration and reveal a novel control mechanism for regulation of actin filaments in lamellipodia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (5) ◽  
pp. C1113-C1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne E. Kruchten ◽  
Eugene W. Krueger ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Mark A. McNiven

Cortactin is an actin-binding protein that is overexpressed in many cancers and is a substrate for both tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases. Tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin has been observed to increase cell motility and invasion in vivo, although it has been reported to have both positive and negative effects on actin polymerization in vitro. In contrast, serine phosphorylation of cortactin has been shown to stimulate actin assembly in vitro. Currently, the effects of cortactin serine phosphorylation on cell migration are unclear, and furthermore, how the distinct phospho-forms of cortactin may differentially contribute to cell migration has not been directly compared. Therefore, we tested the effects of different tyrosine and serine phospho-mutants of cortactin on lamellipodial protrusion, actin assembly within cells, and focal adhesion dynamics. Interestingly, while expression of either tyrosine or serine phospho-mimetic cortactin mutants resulted in increased lamellipodial protrusion and cell migration, these effects appeared to be via distinct processes. Cortactin mutants mimicking serine phosphorylation appeared to predominantly affect actin polymerization, whereas mutation of cortactin tyrosine residues resulted in alterations in focal adhesion turnover. Thus these findings provide novel insights into how distinct phospho-forms of cortactin may differentially contribute to actin and focal adhesion dynamics to control cell migration.


2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 489-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Le Clainche ◽  
Marie-France Carlier

To migrate, a cell first extends protrusions such as lamellipodia and filopodia, forms adhesions, and finally retracts its tail. The actin cytoskeleton plays a major role in this process. The first part of this review (sect. ii) describes the formation of the lamellipodial and filopodial actin networks. In lamellipodia, the WASP-Arp2/3 pathways generate a branched filament array. This polarized dendritic actin array is maintained in rapid treadmilling by the concerted action of ADF, profilin, and capping proteins. In filopodia, formins catalyze the processive assembly of nonbranched actin filaments. Cell matrix adhesions mechanically couple actin filaments to the substrate to convert the treadmilling into protrusion and the actomyosin contraction into traction of the cell body and retraction of the tail. The second part of this review (sect. iii) focuses on the function and the regulation of major proteins (vinculin, talin, tensin, and α-actinin) that control the nucleation, the binding, and the barbed-end growth of actin filaments in adhesions.


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