scholarly journals Muscle specific stress fibers give rise to sarcomeres and are mechanistically distinct from stress fibers in non-muscle cells

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan M. Feinx ◽  
Nilay Taneja ◽  
Abigail C. Neininger ◽  
Mike R. Visetsouk ◽  
Benjamin R. Nixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Myosin Filament ◽  
Human Cardiomyocytes ◽  
Fiber Assembly ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Sarcomere Assembly

AbstractThe sarcomere is the basic contractile unit within cardiomyocytes driving heart muscle contraction. We sought to test the mechanisms regulating thin (i.e., actin) and thick (i.e., myosin) filament assembly during sarcomere formation. Thus, we developed an assay using human cardiomyocytes to test de novo sarcomere assembly. Using this assay, we report a population of muscle-specific stress fibers are essential sarcomere precursors. We show sarcomeric actin filaments arise directly from these muscle stress fibers. This process requires formin-mediated but not Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization and nonmuscle myosin IIB but not non-muscle myosin IIA. Furthermore, we show a short species of β cardiac myosin II filaments grows to form ~1.5 long filaments that then “stitch” together to form the stack of filaments at the core of the sarcomere (i.e., A-band). Interestingly, these are different from mechanisms that have previously been reported during stress fiber assembly in non-muscle cells. Thus, we provide a new model of cardiac sarcomere assembly based on distinct mechanisms of stress fiber regulation between non-muscle and muscle cells.

scholarly journals Muscle-specific stress fibers give rise to sarcomeres in cardiomyocytes

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan M Fenix ◽  
Abigail C Neininger ◽  
Nilay Taneja ◽  
Karren Hyde ◽  
Mike R Visetsouk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Myosin Filament ◽  
Cardiac Myosin ◽  
Human Cardiomyocytes ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Muscle Stress ◽  
Sarcomere Assembly ◽  
Muscle Myosin

The sarcomere is the contractile unit within cardiomyocytes driving heart muscle contraction. We sought to test the mechanisms regulating actin and myosin filament assembly during sarcomere formation. Therefore, we developed an assay using human cardiomyocytes to monitor sarcomere assembly. We report a population of muscle stress fibers, similar to actin arcs in non-muscle cells, which are essential sarcomere precursors. We show sarcomeric actin filaments arise directly from muscle stress fibers. This requires formins (e.g., FHOD3), non-muscle myosin IIA and non-muscle myosin IIB. Furthermore, we show short cardiac myosin II filaments grow to form ~1.5 μm long filaments that then ‘stitch’ together to form the stack of filaments at the core of the sarcomere (i.e., the A-band). A-band assembly is dependent on the proper organization of actin filaments and, as such, is also dependent on FHOD3 and myosin IIB. We use this experimental paradigm to present evidence for a unifying model of sarcomere assembly.

scholarly journals Generation of contractile actomyosin bundles depends on mechanosensitive actin filament assembly and disassembly

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Tojkander ◽  
Gergana Gateva ◽  
Amjad Husain ◽  
Ramaswamy Krishnan ◽  
Pekka Lappalainen
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
Contractile Stress ◽  
Lateral Fusion

Adhesion and morphogenesis of many non-muscle cells are guided by contractile actomyosin bundles called ventral stress fibers. While it is well established that stress fibers are mechanosensitive structures, physical mechanisms by which they assemble, align, and mature have remained elusive. Here we show that arcs, which serve as precursors for ventral stress fibers, undergo lateral fusion during their centripetal flow to form thick actomyosin bundles that apply tension to focal adhesions at their ends. Importantly, this myosin II-derived force inhibits vectorial actin polymerization at focal adhesions through AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of VASP, and thereby halts stress fiber elongation and ensures their proper contractility. Stress fiber maturation additionally requires ADF/cofilin-mediated disassembly of non-contractile stress fibers, whereas contractile fibers are protected from severing. Taken together, these data reveal that myosin-derived tension precisely controls both actin filament assembly and disassembly to ensure generation and proper alignment of contractile stress fibers in migrating cells.

Role of Rho and myosin phosphorylation in actin stress fiber assembly in mesangial cells

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (2) ◽  
pp. F283-F288 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Kreisberg ◽  
N. Ghosh-Choudhury ◽  
R. A. Radnik ◽  
M. A. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Mesangial Cells ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Fiber Formation ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Actin Stress Fiber ◽  
Glomerular Mesangial Cells ◽  
Fiber Assembly ◽  
Camp Elevation ◽  
Actin Stress Fibers

Treatment of renal glomerular mesangial cells with adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-elevating agents induces actin stress fiber disassembly, myosin light chain (MLC) dephosphorylation, loss of adhesion to the substratum and cell shape change [J. I. Kreisberg and M. A. Venkatachalam. Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Cell Physiol. 20): C505-C511, 1986]. Thrombin and vasopressin block the effects of cAMP. Because these agents are known to promote stress fiber formation via the small GTP-binding protein Rho, we investigated the effect of an activated variant of Rho on the response to cAMP elevation. Microinjecting V14-Rho completely blocked the effect of cAMP elevation on cell shape and the actin cytoskeleton, whereas inactivating Rho with botulinum C3 exoenzyme induced stress fiber disruption and cell retraction that was indistinguishable from that caused by elevations in intracellular levels of cAMP. Disruption of actin stress fibers by cAMP has previously been ascribed to MLC dephosphorylation; however, both C3 and cytochalasin D also caused dephosphorylation of MLC, whereas blocking MLC dephosphorylation failed to block the cAMP-induced loss of actin stress fibers. We conclude that Rho can modulate the effects of cAMP elevation and suggest that MLC dephosphorylation may be a consequence of actin stress fiber disassembly.

scholarly journals Force-dependent activation of actin elongation factor mDia1 protects the cytoskeleton from mechanical damage and facilitates stress fiber repair

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando R. Valencia ◽  
Eduardo Sandoval ◽  
Jian Liu ◽  
Sergey V. Plotnikov
Keyword(s):  
Cell Mechanics ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Safety Valve ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Mechanical Tension ◽  
Contractile Forces

ABSTRACTPlasticity of cell mechanics, which relies heavily on the spatiotemporal regulation of the actomyosin cytoskeleton, safeguards cells against mechanical damage. Yet, mechanisms of adaptive change in cell mechanics remain elusive. Here, we report a new mechanism whereby mechanically activated actin elongation factor mDia1 controls the dynamics of actin polymerization at focal adhesions, force bearing linkages between the actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. By combining live-cell imaging with mathematical modelling, we show that actin polymerization at focal adhesions exhibits pulsatile dynamics where the spikes of mDia1 activity are triggered by cell-generated contractile forces. We show that suppression of mDia1-mediated actin polymerization at focal adhesions results in two-fold increase in mechanical tension on the stress fibers. This elevated tension leads to an increased frequency of spontaneous stress fiber damage and decreased efficiency of zyxin-mediated stress fiber repair. We conclude that tension-controlled actin polymerization at focal adhesions acts as a safety valve dampening excessive mechanical tension on the actin cytoskeleton and safeguarding stress fibers against mechanical damage.SUMMARYValencia et al. reports that stress fiber elongation at focal adhesion requires mDia1 activity, furthermore contractile forces trigger mDia1-dependent actin polymerization. mDia1-mediated actin polymerization acts as a safety valve to dampen mechanical stress and protect the cell from damage.

Regulation of Stretch-Induced Mechanotransduction by Cytoskeletal Tension

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Ju Hsu ◽  
Andrea K. Locke ◽  
Susan Q. Vanderzyl ◽  
Chin-Fu Lee ◽  
Roland Kaunas
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Traction Forces ◽  
Cell Matrix ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Cytoskeletal Tension

Cytoskeletal tension enables cells to adhere, spread, contract, and migrate. In adherent, non-muscle cells such as endothelial cells and fibroblasts, tension is generated by actomyosin stress fibers applying traction forces to cell-matrix adhesions. Tension extends stress fibers beyond their unloaded lengths and cells maintain a preferred level of fiber strain that depends on actomyosin activity (Lu 2008). Stretching the matrix upon which cells adhere perturbs the cell-matrix traction forces and cells respond by actively re-establishing the pre-existing level of force (Gavara 2006). Sudden large increases or decreases in strain result in rapid stress fiber disassembly and reassembly (Lu 2008), suggesting that perturbing fiber strain from a preferred level stimulates stress fiber turnover.

scholarly journals UNC-45a promotes myosin folding and stress fiber assembly

2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (12) ◽  
pp. 4053-4072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaakko I. Lehtimäki ◽  
Aidan M. Fenix ◽  
Tommi M. Kotila ◽  
Giuseppe Balistreri ◽  
Lassi Paavolainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Fraction ◽  
Gradient Centrifugation ◽  
Proteasome Inhibition ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Structured Illumination ◽  
Structured Illumination Microscopy ◽  
Dynamic Component ◽  
Fiber Assembly

Contractile actomyosin bundles, stress fibers, are crucial for adhesion, morphogenesis, and mechanosensing in nonmuscle cells. However, the mechanisms by which nonmuscle myosin II (NM-II) is recruited to those structures and assembled into functional bipolar filaments have remained elusive. We report that UNC-45a is a dynamic component of actin stress fibers and functions as a myosin chaperone in vivo. UNC-45a knockout cells display severe defects in stress fiber assembly and consequent abnormalities in cell morphogenesis, polarity, and migration. Experiments combining structured-illumination microscopy, gradient centrifugation, and proteasome inhibition approaches revealed that a large fraction of NM-II and myosin-1c molecules fail to fold in the absence of UNC-45a. The remaining properly folded NM-II molecules display defects in forming functional bipolar filaments. The C-terminal UNC-45/Cro1/She4p domain of UNC-45a is critical for NM-II folding, whereas the N-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat domain contributes to the assembly of functional stress fibers. Thus, UNC-45a promotes generation of contractile actomyosin bundles through synchronized NM-II folding and filament-assembly activities.

scholarly journals Role of Actin Polymerization and Adhesion to Extracellular Matrix in Rac- and Rho-induced Cytoskeletal Reorganization

1997 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
pp. 913-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Machesky ◽  
Alan Hall
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Stress Fiber ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Close Relative ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
3T3 Fibroblasts ◽  
Filament Bundles ◽  
Swiss 3T3 ◽  
Swiss 3T3 Fibroblasts

Most animal cells use a combination of actin-myosin–based contraction and actin polymerization– based protrusion to control their shape and motility. The small GTPase Rho triggers the formation of contractile stress fibers and focal adhesion complexes (Ridley, A.J., and A. Hall. 1992. Cell. 70:389–399) while a close relative, Rac, induces lamellipodial protrusions and focal complexes in the lamellipodium (Nobes, C.D., and A. Hall. 1995. Cell. 81:53–62; Ridley, A.J., H.F. Paterson, C.L. Johnston, D. Diekmann, and A. Hall. 1992. Cell. 70:401–410); the Rho family of small GTPases may thus play an important role in regulating cell movement. Here we explore the roles of actin polymerization and extracellular matrix in Rho- and Rac-stimulated cytoskeletal changes. To examine the underlying mechanisms through which these GTPases control F-actin assembly, fluorescently labeled monomeric actin, Cy3-actin, was introduced into serum-starved Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Incorporation of Cy3- actin into lamellipodial protrusions is concomitant with F-actin assembly after activation of Rac, but Cy3-actin is not incorporated into stress fibers formed immediately after Rho activation. We conclude that Rac induces rapid actin polymerization in ruffles near the plasma membrane, whereas Rho induces stress fiber assembly primarily by the bundling of actin filaments. Activation of Rho or Rac also leads to the formation of integrin adhesion complexes. Integrin clustering is not required for the Rho-induced assembly of actin-myosin filament bundles, or for vinculin association with actin bundles, but is required for stress fiber formation. Integrin-dependent focal complex assembly is not required for the Rac-induced formation of lamellipodia or membrane ruffles. It appears, therefore, that the assembly of large integrin complexes is not required for most of the actin reorganization or cell morphology changes induced by Rac or Rho activation in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts.

scholarly journals Stress fibers are generated by two distinct actin assembly mechanisms in motile cells

2006 ◽  
Vol 173 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirta Hotulainen ◽  
Pekka Lappalainen
Keyword(s):  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Dissociation Kinetics ◽  
Fiber Assembly ◽  
Motile Cells ◽  
Live Cell Microscopy ◽  
Assembly Pathways ◽  
Cell Microscopy

Stress fibers play a central role in adhesion, motility, and morphogenesis of eukaryotic cells, but the mechanism of how these and other contractile actomyosin structures are generated is not known. By analyzing stress fiber assembly pathways using live cell microscopy, we revealed that these structures are generated by two distinct mechanisms. Dorsal stress fibers, which are connected to the substrate via a focal adhesion at one end, are assembled through formin (mDia1/DRF1)–driven actin polymerization at focal adhesions. In contrast, transverse arcs, which are not directly anchored to substrate, are generated by endwise annealing of myosin bundles and Arp2/3-nucleated actin bundles at the lamella. Remarkably, dorsal stress fibers and transverse arcs can be converted to ventral stress fibers anchored to focal adhesions at both ends. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis revealed that actin filament cross-linking in stress fibers is highly dynamic, suggesting that the rapid association–dissociation kinetics of cross-linkers may be essential for the formation and contractility of stress fibers. Based on these data, we propose a general model for assembly and maintenance of contractile actin structures in cells.

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