scholarly journals Direct Observation of a Coil-to-Helix Contraction Triggered by Vinculin Binding to Talin

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Tapia-Rojo ◽  
Alvaro Alonso-Caballero ◽  
Julio M. Fernandez

Vinculin binds unfolded talin domains in focal adhesions, which recruits actin filaments to rein-force the mechanical coupling of this organelle. However, the mechanism by which this interaction is regulated, and its impact in the force transmission properties of this mechanotransduction pathway remain unknown. Here, we use magnetic tweezers force spectroscopy to measure the binding of vinculin head to the talin R3 domain under physiological force loads. For the first time, we resolve individual binding events as a short contraction of the unfolded talin polypeptide due to the reformation of the helices in the vinculin-binding sites. This force-dependent contraction dictates the mechanism by which force regulates the talin-vinculin interaction. Force is needed to unfold talin and expose the cryptic vinculin-binding sites; however, the structural contraction triggered by binding introduces an energy penalty that increases with force, defining an optimal binding force range. This novel mechanism implies that the talin-vinculin-actin association works in focal adhesions as a negative feedback mechanism, which operates to stabilize the force acting on each junction.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (21) ◽  
pp. eaaz4707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Tapia-Rojo ◽  
Alvaro Alonso-Caballero ◽  
Julio M. Fernandez

Vinculin binds unfolded talin domains in focal adhesions, which recruits actin filaments to reinforce the mechanical coupling of this organelle. However, it remains unknown how this interaction is regulated and its impact on the force transmission properties of this mechanotransduction pathway. Here, we use magnetic tweezers to measure the interaction between vinculin head and the talin R3 domain under physiological forces. For the first time, we resolve individual binding events as a short contraction of the unfolded talin polypeptide caused by the reformation of the vinculin-binding site helices, which dictates a biphasic mechanism that regulates this interaction. Force favors vinculin binding by unfolding talin and exposing the vinculin-binding sites; however, the coil-to-helix contraction introduces an energy penalty that increases with force, defining an optimal binding regime. This mechanism implies that the talin-vinculin-actin association could operate as a negative feedback mechanism to stabilize force on focal adhesions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzia Bianchi ◽  
Rita Crinelli ◽  
Elisa Giacomini ◽  
Elisa Carloni ◽  
Lucia Radici ◽  
...  

AbstractUBC gene plays a critical role in maintaining ubiquitin (Ub) homeostasis. It is upregulated under stress conditions, and herein we report that it is downregulated upon Ub overexpression. Downregulation occurs in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting the existence of a fine-tuned Ub sensing mechanism. This “sensor” requires a conjugation competent ubiquitin to detect Ub levels. Searching the sensor among the transcription factors involved in basal and stress-induced UBC gene expression was unsuccessful. Neither HSF1 and HSF2, nor Sp1 and YY1 are affected by the increased Ub levels. Moreover, mutagenesis of their binding sites in the UBC promoter-driven reporter constructs does not impair the downmodulation effect. Epigenetic studies show that H2A and H2B ubiquitination within the UBC promoter region is unchanged upon ubiquitin overexpression. Noteworthy, quantification of nascent RNA molecules excludes that the downmodulation arises in the transcription initiation step, rather pointing towards a post-transcriptional mechanism. Indeed, a significantly higher fraction of unspliced UBC mRNA is detected in ubiquitin overexpressing cells, compared to empty vector transfected cells. Our findings suggest how increasing cellular ubiquitin levels may control the expression of UBC gene by negatively affecting the splicing of its pre-mRNA, providing a straightforward feedback strategy for the homeostatic control of ubiquitin pools.


1994 ◽  
Vol 299 (3) ◽  
pp. 631-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Benevolensky ◽  
I I Moraru ◽  
J Watras

The mechanism by which Ca2+ inhibits InsP3-induced Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of vascular smooth muscle was investigated. InsP3 binding to sarcoplasmic-reticulum vesicles from dog aortic smooth muscle was inhibited by 51 +/- 6% by 2 microM Ca2+ in the presence of 10 nM [3H]InsP3. Scatchard analysis indicated the presence of two InsP3-binding sites in the absence of Ca2+ (Kd = 2.5 +/- 0.9 and 49 +/- 8 nM InsP3), though the low-affinity site was more prevalent (representing 92 +/- 3% of the total number of binding sites). Ca2+ (2 microM) did not alter InsP3 binding to the high-affinity site (P > 0.05), but increased the Kd of the low-affinity site 3-fold (Kd = 155 +/- 4 nM InsP3; P < 0.001). The possibility that the apparent decrease in InsP3 affinity was caused by Ca(2+)-dependent activation of an endogenous phospholipase C could be excluded, because the Ca(2+)-dependent inhibition of InsP3 binding was completely reversible and insensitive to an inhibitor of phospholipase C. Moreover, Ca2+ did not inhibit InsP3 binding to InsP3 receptor partially purified by heparin-Sepharose chromatography, though another fraction (devoid of InsP3 receptor) restored Ca(2+)-sensitivity of the partially purified InsP3 receptor. Thus Ca2+ binding to a Ca(2+)-sensitizing factor associated with the InsP3 receptor decreases the affinity of the receptor complex for InsP3. This Ca(2+)-sensitizing factor may provide a negative-feedback mechanism for regulating the rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in vascular smooth muscle after hormone activation of the phosphoinositide cascade.


Author(s):  
S. Jalalah ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
E. Horvath

Lactotrophs, as many other endocrine cells, change their morphology in response to factors influencing their secretory activity. Secretion of prolactin (PRL) from lactotrophs, like that of other anterior pituitary hormones, is under the control of the hypothalamus. Unlike most anterior pituitary hormones, PRL has no apparent target gland which could modulate the endocrine activity of lactotrophs. It is generally agreed that PRL regulates its own release from lactotrophs via the short loop negative feedback mechanism exerted at the level of the hypothalamus or the pituitary. Accordingly, ultrastructural morphology of lactotrophs is not constant; it is changing in response to high PRL levels showing signs of suppressed hormone synthesis and secretion.By transmission electron microscopy and morphometry, we have studied the morphology of lactotrophs in nontumorous (NT) portions of 7 human pituitaries containing PRL-secreting adenoma; these lactotrophs were exposed to abnormally high PRL levels.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1887
Author(s):  
Inbal Dagan ◽  
Raz Palty

Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays a dichotomous role in cellular biology, controlling cell survival and proliferation on the one hand and cellular toxicity and cell death on the other. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) by CRAC channels represents a major pathway for Ca2+ entry in non-excitable cells. The CRAC channel has two key components, the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor stromal interaction molecule (STIM) and the plasma-membrane Ca2+ channel Orai. Physical coupling between STIM and Orai opens the CRAC channel and the resulting Ca2+ flux is regulated by a negative feedback mechanism of slow Ca2+ dependent inactivation (SCDI). The identification of the SOCE-associated regulatory factor (SARAF) and investigations of its role in SCDI have led to new functional and molecular insights into how SOCE is controlled. In this review, we provide an overview of the functional and molecular mechanisms underlying SCDI and discuss how the interaction between SARAF, STIM1, and Orai1 shapes Ca2+ signaling in cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Ripamonti ◽  
Nicolas Liaudet ◽  
Latifeh Azizi ◽  
Daniel Bouvard ◽  
Vesa P. Hytönen ◽  
...  

AbstractThe LIM domain-dependent localization of the adapter protein paxillin to β3 integrin-positive focal adhesions (FAs) is not mechanistically understood. Here, by combining molecular biology, photoactivation and FA-isolation experiments, we demonstrate specific contributions of each LIM domain of paxillin and reveal multiple paxillin interactions in adhesion-complexes. Mutation of β3 integrin at a putative paxillin binding site (β3VE/YA) leads to rapidly inward-sliding FAs, correlating with actin retrograde flow and enhanced paxillin dissociation kinetics. Induced mechanical coupling of paxillin to β3VE/YA integrin arrests the FA-sliding, thereby disclosing an essential structural function of paxillin for the maturation of β3 integrin/talin clusters. Moreover, bimolecular fluorescence complementation unveils the spatial orientation of the paxillin LIM-array, juxtaposing the positive LIM4 to the plasma membrane and the β3 integrin-tail, while in vitro binding assays point to LIM1 and/or LIM2 interaction with talin-head domain. These data provide structural insights into the molecular organization of β3 integrin-FAs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Jean-Bernard Chatelain ◽  
Kirsten Ralf

This paper compares different implementations of monetary policy in a new-Keynesian setting. We can show that a shift from Ramsey optimal policy under short-term commitment (based on a negative feedback mechanism) to a Taylor rule (based on a positive feedback mechanism) corresponds to a Hopf bifurcation with opposite policy advice and a change of the dynamic properties. This bifurcation occurs because of the ad hoc assumption that interest rate is a forward-looking variable when policy targets (inflation and output gap) are forward-looking variables in the new-Keynesian theory.


2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (13) ◽  
pp. 2625-2634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Louis Milan ◽  
Ian Manifacier ◽  
Kevin M. Beussman ◽  
Sangyoon J. Han ◽  
Nathan J. Sniadecki ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 457 (6) ◽  
pp. 1351-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Düfer ◽  
D. Haspel ◽  
P. Krippeit-Drews ◽  
L. Aguilar-Bryan ◽  
J. Bryan ◽  
...  

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