scholarly journals Espin cross-links cause the elongation of microvillus-type parallel actin bundles in vivo

2003 ◽  
Vol 163 (5) ◽  
pp. 1045-1055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Loomis ◽  
Lili Zheng ◽  
Gabriella Sekerková ◽  
Benjarat Changyaleket ◽  
Enrico Mugnaini ◽  
...  

The espin actin-bundling proteins, which are the target of the jerker deafness mutation, caused a dramatic, concentration-dependent lengthening of LLC-PK1-CL4 cell microvilli and their parallel actin bundles. Espin level was also positively correlated with stereocilium length in hair cells. Villin, but not fascin or fimbrin, also produced noticeable lengthening. The espin COOH-terminal peptide, which contains the actin-bundling module, was necessary and sufficient for lengthening. Lengthening was blocked by 100 nM cytochalasin D. Espin cross-links slowed actin depolymerization in vitro less than twofold. Elimination of an actin monomer-binding WASP homology 2 domain and a profilin-binding proline-rich domain from espin did not decrease lengthening, but made it possible to demonstrate that actin incorporation was restricted to the microvillar tip and that bundles continued to undergo actin treadmilling at ∼1.5 s−1 during and after lengthening. Thus, through relatively subtle effects on actin polymerization/depolymerization reactions in a treadmilling parallel actin bundle, espin cross-links cause pronounced barbed-end elongation and, thereby, make a longer bundle without joining shorter modules.

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 2893-2903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Barker ◽  
Linda Lee ◽  
B. Daniel Pierce ◽  
Lymarie Maldonado-Báez ◽  
David G. Drubin ◽  
...  

The yeast endocytic scaffold Pan1 contains an uncharacterized proline-rich domain (PRD) at its carboxy (C)-terminus. We report that the pan1-20 temperature-sensitive allele has a disrupted PRD due to a frame-shift mutation in the open reading frame of the domain. To reveal redundantly masked functions of the PRD, synthetic genetic array screens with a pan1ΔPRD strain found genetic interactions with alleles of ACT1, LAS17 and a deletion of SLA1. Through a yeast two-hybrid screen, the Src homology 3 domains of the type I myosins, Myo3 and Myo5, were identified as binding partners for the C-terminus of Pan1. In vitro and in vivo assays validated this interaction. The relative timing of recruitment of Pan1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) and Myo3/5-red fluorescent protein (RFP) at nascent endocytic sites was revealed by two-color real-time fluorescence microscopy; the type I myosins join Pan1 at cortical patches at a late stage of internalization, preceding the inward movement of Pan1 and its disassembly. In cells lacking the Pan1 PRD, we observed an increased lifetime of Myo5-GFP at the cortex. Finally, Pan1 PRD enhanced the actin polymerization activity of Myo5–Vrp1 complexes in vitro. We propose that Pan1 and the type I myosins interactions promote an actin activity important at a late stage in endocytic internalization.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1609-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Caracino ◽  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Mark Compton ◽  
Charles L. Saxe

Scar/WAVE proteins, members of the conserved Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) family, promote actin polymerization by activating the Arp2/3 complex. A number of proteins, including a complex containing Nap1, PIR121, Abi1/2, and HSPC300, interact with Scar/WAVE, though the role of this complex in regulating Scar function remains unclear. Here we identify a short N-terminal region of Dictyostelium Scar that is necessary and sufficient for interaction with HSPC300 and Abi in vitro. Cells expressing Scar lacking this N-terminal region show abnormalities in F-actin distribution, cell morphology, movement, and cytokinesis. This is true even in the presence of wild-type Scar. The data suggest that the first 96 amino acids of Scar are necessary for participation in a large-molecular-weight protein complex, and that this Scar-containing complex is responsible for the proper localization and regulation of Scar. The presence of mis-regulated or unregulated Scar has significant deleterious effects on cells and may explain the need to keep Scar activity tightly controlled in vivo either by assembly in a complex or by rapid degradation.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (16) ◽  
pp. 7206-7213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric D. Ross ◽  
Ulrich Baxa ◽  
Reed B. Wickner

ABSTRACT The [URE3] prion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a self-propagating amyloid form of Ure2p. The amino-terminal prion domain of Ure2p is necessary and sufficient for prion formation and has a high glutamine (Q) and asparagine (N) content. Such Q/N-rich domains are found in two other yeast prion proteins, Sup35p and Rnq1p, although none of the many other yeast Q/N-rich domain proteins have yet been found to be prions. To examine the role of amino acid sequence composition in prion formation, we used Ure2p as a model system and generated five Ure2p variants in which the order of the amino acids in the prion domain was randomly shuffled while keeping the amino acid composition and C-terminal domain unchanged. Surprisingly, all five formed prions in vivo, with a range of frequencies and stabilities, and the prion domains of all five readily formed amyloid fibers in vitro. Although it is unclear whether other amyloid-forming proteins would be equally resistant to scrambling, this result demonstrates that [URE3] formation is driven primarily by amino acid composition, largely independent of primary sequence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Macia ◽  
Mariagrazia Partisani ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
Sandra Lacas-Gervais ◽  
Christophe Le Clainche ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Arf6-specific exchange factor EFA6 is involved in the endocytic/recycling pathway for different cargos. In addition EFA6 acts as a powerful actin cytoskeleton organizer, a function required for its role in the establishment of the epithelial cell polarity and in neuronal morphogenesis. We previously showed that the C-terminus of EFA6 (EFA6-Ct) is the main domain which contributes to actin reorganization. Here, by in vitro and in vivo experiments, we sought to decipher, at the molecular level, how EFA6 controls the dynamic and structuring of actin filaments. We showed that EFA6-Ct interferes with actin polymerization by interacting with and capping actin filament barbed ends. Further, in the presence of actin mono-filaments, the addition of EFA6-Ct triggered the formation of actin bundles. In cells, when the EFA6-Ct was directed to the plasma membrane, as is the case for the full-length protein, its expression induced the formation of membrane protrusions enriched in actin cables. Collectively our data explain, at least in part, how EFA6 plays an essential role in actin organization by interacting with and bundling F-actin.


1987 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 561-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
P J Weidman ◽  
B M Shapiro

At fertilization, the glycocalyx (vitelline layer) of the sea urchin egg is transformed into an elevated fertilization envelope by the association of secreted peptides and the formation of intermolecular dityrosine bonds. Dityrosine cross-links are formed by a secreted ovoperoxidase that exists in a Ca2+-stabilized complex with proteoliaisin in the fertilization envelope. By using purified proteins, we now show that proteoliaisin is necessary and sufficient to link ovoperoxidase to the egg glycocalyx. Specifically, we have found that ovoperoxidase can associate with the vitelline layer only when complexed with proteoliaisin; proteoliaisin binds to the vitelline layer independently of its association with ovoperoxidase; proteolytic modification of the vitelline layer is not required for this interaction to occur; the binding of proteoliaisin to the vitelline layer is mediated by the synergistic action of the two major seawater divalent cations, Ca2+ and Mg2+; the number of proteoliaisin-binding sites on the vitelline layer of unfertilized eggs is equivalent to the amount of proteoliaisin secreted at fertilization; and the binding of ovoperoxidase to the vitelline layer, via proteoliaisin, permits the in vitro cross-linking of these two in vivo substrates. The association of purified ovoperoxidase and proteoliaisin with the vitelline layer of unfertilized eggs reconstitutes part of the morphogenesis of the fertilization envelope.


eLife ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Ge ◽  
David Melville ◽  
Min Zhang ◽  
Randy Schekman

Autophagy is a catabolic process for bulk degradation of cytosolic materials mediated by double-membraned autophagosomes. The membrane determinant to initiate the formation of autophagosomes remains elusive. Here, we establish a cell-free assay based on LC3 lipidation to define the organelle membrane supporting early autophagosome formation. In vitro LC3 lipidation requires energy and is subject to regulation by the pathways modulating autophagy in vivo. We developed a systematic membrane isolation scheme to identify the endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) as a primary membrane source both necessary and sufficient to trigger LC3 lipidation in vitro. Functional studies demonstrate that the ERGIC is required for autophagosome biogenesis in vivo. Moreover, we find that the ERGIC acts by recruiting the early autophagosome marker ATG14, a critical step for the generation of preautophagosomal membranes.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1844
Author(s):  
Maria Luísa da Silveira Hahmeyer ◽  
José Eduardo da Silva-Santos

Sepsis and septic shock are associated with acute and sustained impairment in the function of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, lungs, liver, and brain, among others. Despite the significant advances in prevention and treatment, sepsis and septic shock sepsis remain global health problems with elevated mortality rates. Rho proteins can interact with a considerable number of targets, directly affecting cellular contractility, actin filament assembly and growing, cell motility and migration, cytoskeleton rearrangement, and actin polymerization, physiological functions that are intensively impaired during inflammatory conditions, such as the one that occurs in sepsis. In the last few decades, Rho proteins and their downstream pathways have been investigated in sepsis-associated experimental models. The most frequently used experimental design included the exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in both in vitro and in vivo approaches, but experiments using the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of sepsis have also been performed. The findings described in this review indicate that Rho proteins, mainly RhoA and Rac1, are associated with the development of crucial sepsis-associated dysfunction in different systems and cells, including the endothelium, vessels, and heart. Notably, the data found in the literature suggest that either the inhibition or activation of Rho proteins and associated pathways might be desirable in sepsis and septic shock, accordingly with the cellular system evaluated. This review included the main findings, relevance, and limitations of the current knowledge connecting Rho proteins and sepsis-associated experimental models.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1507-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank van den Boom ◽  
Heiko Düssmann ◽  
Katharina Uhlenbrock ◽  
Marouan Abouhamed ◽  
Martin Bähler

Myosin IXb (Myo9b) is a single-headed processive myosin that exhibits Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) activity in its tail region. Using live cell imaging, we determined that Myo9b is recruited to extending lamellipodia, ruffles, and filopodia, the regions of active actin polymerization. A functional motor domain was both necessary and sufficient for targeting Myo9b to these regions. The head domains of class IX myosins comprise a large insertion in loop2. Deletion of the large Myo9b head loop 2 insertion abrogated the enrichment in extending lamellipodia and ruffles, but enhanced significantly the enrichment at the tips of filopodia and retraction fibers. The enrichment in the tips of filopodia and retraction fibers depended on four lysine residues C-terminal to the loop 2 insertion and the tail region. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and photoactivation experiments in lamellipodia revealed that the dynamics of Myo9b was comparable to that of actin. The exchange rates depended on the Myo9b motor region and motor activity, and they were also dependent on the turnover of F-actin. These results demonstrate that Myo9b functions as a motorized RhoGAP molecule in regions of actin polymerization and identify Myo9b head sequences important for in vivo motor properties.


1982 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
C.G. Bellows ◽  
A.H. Melcher ◽  
J.E. Aubin

The relationship between the development of tension in sheets of fibroblasts and the orientation of these cells and collagen fibres in collagen gels was examined. Cell-containing, three-dimensional collagen gels were established in agarose-coated Epon dies measuring 10 mm X 4 mm X 4 mm, to which pieces of demineralized tooth and bone had been attached at opposite ends. Contraction of the gel into an opaque structure suspended between the two particles occurred over 24 h and resulted in concave upper and lateral surfaces and a flat to slightly concave lower surface. Initial orientation of the fibres along the tooth-bone axis was followed by similar orientation of the cells. Gels cast without cells exhibited no change in dimensions. Release of the tooth particle after 12 or 24 h of incubation led to shortening of the contracted gels 5 min following release. This shortening was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) than that of uncontracted or slightly contracted gels (1 h and 3 h incubation). Gels attached at one end only compacted around the site of attachment but did not show orientation of cells or fibres. Gels containing colcemid or cytochalasin D were only slightly compacted and did not develop tension. Collagen fibres, but not cell in colcemid-containing gels, showed some alignment; neither were aligned in the presence of cytochalasin D. These data suggest that both microtubules and microfilaments are necessary for alignment of cells and the establishment of tension between two points of attachment in collagen gels. Furthermore, they lend support to our previously advanced hypothesis that the development of tension between two points can result in the orientation of the cells along an axis connecting the points of attachment. This could provide a mechanism for the development of oriented fibre systems in vivo.


Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (11) ◽  
pp. 3495-3503 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.K. Jaglarz ◽  
K.R. Howard

We describe our analysis of primordial germ cell migration in Drosophila wild-type and mutant embryos using high resolution microscopy and primary culture in vitro. During migratory events the germ cells form transient interactions with each other and surrounding somatic cells. Both in vivo and in vitro they extend pseudopodia and the accompanying changes in the cytoskeleton suggest that actin polymerization drives these movements. These cellular events occur from the end of the blastoderm stage and are regulated by environmental cues. We show that the vital transepithelial migration allowing exit from the gut primordium and passage into the interior of the embryo is facilitated by changes in the structure of this epithelium. Migrating germ cells extend processes in different directions. This phenomenon also occurs in primary culture where the cells move in an unoriented fashion at substratum concentration-dependent rates. In vivo this migration is oriented leading germ cells to the gonadal mesoderm. We suggest that this guidance involves stabilization of states of an intrinsic cellular oscillator resulting in cell polarization and oriented movement.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document