scholarly journals Capping Protein Modulates the Dynamic Behavior of Actin Filaments in Response to Phosphatidic Acid in Arabidopsis

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 3742-3754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiejie Li ◽  
Jessica L. Henty-Ridilla ◽  
Shanjin Huang ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Laurent Blanchoin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phosphatidic Acid ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Capping Protein

scholarly journals Tropomodulin caps the pointed ends of actin filaments.

1994 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 1627-1635 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Weber ◽  
C R Pennise ◽  
G G Babcock ◽  
V M Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Red Blood Cells ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Critical Concentration ◽  
Thin Filaments ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
End Capping ◽  
Pointed End ◽  
A Site

Many proteins have been shown to cap the fast growing (barbed) ends of actin filaments, but none have been shown to block elongation and depolymerization at the slow growing (pointed) filament ends. Tropomodulin is a tropomyosin-binding protein originally isolated from red blood cells that has been localized by immunofluorescence staining to a site at or near the pointed ends of skeletal muscle thin filaments (Fowler, V. M., M. A., Sussman, P. G. Miller, B. E. Flucher, and M. P. Daniels. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 120: 411-420). Our experiments demonstrate that tropomodulin in conjunction with tropomyosin is a pointed end capping protein: it completely blocks both elongation and depolymerization at the pointed ends of tropomyosin-containing actin filaments in concentrations stoichiometric to the concentration of filament ends (Kd < or = 1 nM). In the absence of tropomyosin, tropomodulin acts as a "leaky" cap, partially inhibiting elongation and depolymerization at the pointed filament ends (Kd for inhibition of elongation = 0.1-0.4 microM). Thus, tropomodulin can bind directly to actin at the pointed filament end. Tropomodulin also doubles the critical concentration at the pointed ends of pure actin filaments without affecting either the rate of extent of polymerization at the barbed filament ends, indicating that tropomodulin does not sequester actin monomers. Our experiments provide direct biochemical evidence that tropomodulin binds to both the terminal tropomyosin and actin molecules at the pointed filament end, and is the long sought-after pointed end capping protein. We propose that tropomodulin plays a role in maintaining the narrow length distributions of the stable, tropomyosin-containing actin filaments in striated muscle and in red blood cells.

scholarly journals Guard Cell Microfilament Analyzer Facilitates the Analysis of the Organization and Dynamics of Actin Filaments in Arabidopsis Guard Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 2753
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Min Diao ◽  
Yanan Zhang ◽  
Guanlin Chen ◽  
Shanjin Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Guard Cell ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Guard Cells ◽  
Stomatal Movement ◽  
Selection Of

The actin cytoskeleton is involved in regulating stomatal movement, which forms distinct actin arrays within guard cells of stomata with different apertures. How those actin arrays are formed and maintained remains largely unexplored. Elucidation of the dynamic behavior of differently oriented actin filaments in guard cells will enhance our understanding in this regard. Here, we initially developed a program called ‘guard cell microfilament analyzer’ (GCMA) that enables the selection of individual actin filaments and analysis of their orientations semiautomatically in guard cells. We next traced the dynamics of individual actin filaments and performed careful quantification in open and closed stomata. We found that de novo nucleation of actin filaments occurs at both dorsal and ventral sides of guard cells from open and closed stomata. Interestingly, most of the nucleated actin filaments elongate radially and longitudinally in open and closed stomata, respectively. Strikingly, radial filaments tend to form bundles whereas longitudinal filaments tend to be removed by severing and depolymerization in open stomata. By contrast, longitudinal filaments tend to form bundles that are severed less frequently in closed stomata. These observations provide insights into the formation and maintenance of distinct actin arrays in guard cells in stomata of different apertures.

scholarly journals Comparison of actin and cell surface dynamics in motile fibroblasts.

1992 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Theriot ◽  
T J Mitchison
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Dorsal Surface ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
3T3 Cells ◽  
3T3 Fibroblasts ◽  
Continuous Filament ◽  
Time Required

We have investigated the dynamic behavior of actin in fibroblast lamellipodia using photoactivation of fluorescence. Activated regions of caged resorufin (CR)-labeled actin in lamellipodia of IMR 90 and MC7 3T3 fibroblasts were observed to move centripetally over time. Thus in these cells, actin filaments move centripetally relative to the substrate. Rates were characteristic for each cell type; 0.66 +/- 0.27 microns/min in IMR 90 and 0.36 +/- 0.16 microns/min in MC7 3T3 cells. In neither case was there any correlation between the rate of actin movement and the rate of lamellipodial protrusion. The half-life of the activated CR-actin filaments was approximately 1 min in IMR 90 lamellipodia, and approximately 3 min in MC7 3T3 lamellipodia. Thus continuous filament turnover accompanies centripetal movement. In both cell types, the length of time required for a section of the actin meshwork to traverse the lamellipodium was several times longer than the filament half-life. The dynamic behavior of the dorsal surface of the cell was also observed by tracking lectin-coated beads on the surface and phase-dense features within lamellipodia of MC7 3T3 cells. The movement of these dorsal features occurred at rates approximately three times faster than the rate of movement of the underlying bulk actin cytoskeleton, even when measured in the same individual cells. Thus the transport of these dorsal features must occur by some mechanism other than simple attachment to the moving bulk actin cytoskeleton.

scholarly journals High Rates of Actin Filament Turnover in Budding Yeast and Roles for Actin in Establishment and Maintenance of Cell Polarity Revealed Using the Actin Inhibitor Latrunculin-A

1997 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Ayscough ◽  
Joel Stryker ◽  
Navin Pokala ◽  
Miranda Sanders ◽  
Phil Crews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Surface Growth ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Latrunculin A

We report that the actin assembly inhibitor latrunculin-A (LAT-A) causes complete disruption of the yeast actin cytoskeleton within 2–5 min, suggesting that although yeast are nonmotile, their actin filaments undergo rapid cycles of assembly and disassembly in vivo. Differences in the LAT-A sensitivities of strains carrying mutations in components of the actin cytoskeleton suggest that tropomyosin, fimbrin, capping protein, Sla2p, and Srv2p act to increase actin cytoskeleton stability, while End3p and Sla1p act to decrease stability. Identification of three LAT-A resistant actin mutants demonstrated that in vivo effects of LAT-A are due specifically to impairment of actin function and implicated a region on the three-dimensional actin structure as the LAT-A binding site. LAT-A was used to determine which of 19 different proteins implicated in cell polarity development require actin to achieve polarized localization. Results show that at least two molecular pathways, one actindependent and the other actin-independent, underlie polarity development. The actin-dependent pathway localizes secretory vesicles and a putative vesicle docking complex to sites of cell surface growth, providing an explanation for the dependence of polarized cell surface growth on actin function. Unexpectedly, several proteins that function with actin during cell polarity development, including an unconventional myosin (Myo2p), calmodulin, and an actin-interacting protein (Bud6/Aip3p), achieved polarized localization by an actin-independent pathway, revealing interdependence among cell polarity pathways. Finally, transient actin depolymerization caused many cells to abandon one bud site or mating projection and to initiate growth at a second site. Thus, actin filaments are also required for maintenance of an axis of cell polarity.

scholarly journals Quantitative variations of ADF/cofilin’s multiple actions on actin filaments with pH

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Wioland ◽  
Antoine Jegou ◽  
Guillaume Romet-Lemonne
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Protein Family ◽  
Single Filament ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Domain Boundaries ◽  
Single Protein

ABSTRACTActin Depolymerizing Factor (ADF)/cofilin is the main protein family promoting the disassembly of actin filaments, which is essential for numerous cellular functions. ADF/cofilin proteins disassemble actin filaments through different reactions, as they bind to their sides, sever them, and promote the depolymerization of the resulting ADF/cofilin-saturated filaments. Moreover, the efficiency of ADF/cofilin is known to be very sensitive to pH. ADF/cofilin thus illustrates two challenges in actin biochemistry: separating the different regulatory actions of a single protein, and characterizing them as a function of specific biochemical conditions. Here, we investigate the different reactions of ADF/cofilin on actin filaments, over four different values of pH ranging from pH 6.6 to pH 7.8, using single filament microfluidics techniques. We show that lowering pH reduces the effective filament severing rate by increasing the rate at which filaments become saturated by ADF/cofilin, thereby reducing the number of ADF/cofilin domain boundaries, where severing can occur. The severing rate per domain boundary, however, remains unchanged at different pH values. The ADF/cofilin-decorated filaments (refered to as “cofilactin” filaments) depolymerize from both ends. We show here that, at physiological pH (pH 7.0 to 7.4), the pointed end depolymerization of cofilactin filaments is barely faster than that of bare filaments. In contrast, cofilactin barbed ends undergo an “unstoppable” depolymerization (depolymerizing for minutes despite the presence of free actin monomers and capping protein in solution), throughout our range of pH. We thus show that, at physiological pH, the main contribution of ADF/cofilin to filament depolymerization is at the barbed end.A number of key cellular processes rely on the proper assembly and disassembly of actin filament networks 1. The central regulator of actin disassembly is the ADF/cofilin protein family 2, 3, which comprises three isoforms in mammals: cofilin-1 (cof1, found in nearly all cell types), cofilin-2 (cof2, found primarily in muscles) and Actin Depolymerization Factor (ADF, found mostly in neurons and epithelial cells). We refer to them collectively as “ADF/cofilin”.Over the years, the combined efforts of several labs have led to the following understanding of actin filament disassembly by ADF/cofilin. Molecules of ADF/cofilin bind stoechiometrically 4, 5 to the sides of actin filaments, with a strong preference for ADP-actin subunits 6–10. Though ADF/cofilin molecules do not contact each other 11, they bind in a cooperative manner, leading to the formation of ADF/cofilin domains on the filaments 5, 7, 9, 12, 13. Compared to bare F-actin, the filament portions decorated by ADF/cofilin (refered to as “cofilactin”) are more flexible 14, 15 and exhibit a shorter right-handed helical pitch, with a different subunit conformation 11, 16–19. Thermal fluctuations are then enough to sever actin filaments at (or near) domain boundaries8, 9, 13, 20, 21. Cofilactin filaments do not sever, but depolymerize from both ends 13 thereby renewing the actin monomer pool.ADF/cofilin thus disassembles actin filaments through the combination of different actions. As such, it vividly illustrates a current challenge in actin biochemistry: identifying and quantifying the multiple reactions involving a single protein. This is a very difficult task for bulk solution assays, where a large number of reactions take place simultaneously, and single-filament techniques have played a key role in deciphering ADF/cofilin’s actions 9, 13, 20, 22–24. In particular, the microfluidics-based method that we have developed over the past years, is a powerful tool for such investigations 25. It has recently allowed us to quantify the kinetics of the aforementioned reactions, and to discover that ADF/cofilin-saturated filament (cofilactin) barbed ends can hardly stop depolymerizing, even when ATP-G-actin and capping protein are present in solution 13.In addition, ADF/cofilin is very sensitive to pH 4, 5, 26–29. In cells, pH can be a key regulatory factor 30. It can vary between compartments, between cell types, and be specifically modulated. We can consider that a typical cytoplasmic pH would be comprised between 7.0 and 7.4. Recently, we have quantified the different reactions involving ADF/cofilin at pH 7.8 13, leaving open the question of how these reaction rates are indivdually affected by pH variations. For instance, it has been reported that ADF/cofilin is a more potent filament disassembler at higher pH values 4, 5, 26–29 but the actual impact of pH on the rate constants of individual reactions has yet to be characterized. Moreover, whether the unstoppable barbed end depolymerization that we have recently discovered for ADF/cofilin-saturated filaments at pH 7.8 13 remains significant at lower, more physiological pH values is an open question.Here, we investigate how the different contributions of ADF/cofilin (using unlabeled ADF, unlabeled cof1 and eGFP-cof1) to actin filament disassembly depend on pH, which we varied from 6.6 to 7.8. We first present the methods which we have used to do so, based on the observation of individual filaments, using microfluidics (Fig. 1). We measured cofilin’s abitility to decorate actin filament by binding to its sides (Fig. 2), and the rate at which individual cofilin domains severed actin filaments (Fig. 3). We next quantified the kinetic parameters of filament ends, for bare and ADF/cofilin-saturated (cofilactin) filaments (Fig. 4), and we specifically quantified the extent to which the barbed ends of cofilactin filaments are in a state which can hardly stop depolymerizing (Fig. 5). We finally summarize our results (Fig. 6).

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 ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Migration ◽  
Cell Motility ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Protein Accumulation ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Filament Length ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Network Geometry ◽  
Positive Regulators

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.

scholarly journals A barbed end interference mechanism reveals how capping protein promotes nucleation in branched actin networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Funk ◽  
Felipe Merino ◽  
Matthias Schaks ◽  
Klemens Rottner ◽  
Stefan Raunser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Biology ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Network ◽  
Essential Factor ◽  
Actin Networks ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution ◽  
Interference Mechanism

AbstractHeterodimeric capping protein (CP/CapZ) is an essential factor for the assembly of branched actin networks, which push against cellular membranes to drive a large variety of cellular processes. Aside from terminating filament growth, CP potentiates the nucleation of actin filaments by the Arp2/3 complex in branched actin networks through an unclear mechanism. Here, we combine structural biology with in vitro reconstitution to demonstrate that CP not only terminates filament elongation, but indirectly stimulates the activity of Arp2/3 activating nucleation promoting factors (NPFs) by preventing their association to filament barbed ends. Key to this function is one of CP’s C-terminal “tentacle” extensions, which sterically masks the main interaction site of the terminal actin protomer. Deletion of the β tentacle only modestly impairs capping. However, in the context of a growing branched actin network, its removal potently inhibits nucleation promoting factors by tethering them to capped filament ends. End tethering of NPFs prevents their loading with actin monomers required for activation of the Arp2/3 complex and thus strongly inhibits branched network assembly both in cells and reconstituted motility assays. Our results mechanistically explain how CP couples two opposed processes—capping and nucleation—in branched actin network assembly.

scholarly journals Actin turnover–dependent fast dissociation of capping protein in the dendritic nucleation actin network: evidence of frequent filament severing

2006 ◽  
Vol 175 (6) ◽  
pp. 947-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takushi Miyoshi ◽  
Takahiro Tsuji ◽  
Chiharu Higashida ◽  
Maud Hertzog ◽  
Akiko Fujita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Dissociation Rate ◽  
Actin Network ◽  
Lim Kinase ◽  
Capping Protein ◽  
Filament Dynamics ◽  
Actin Turnover ◽  
Kinetics Of

Actin forms the dendritic nucleation network and undergoes rapid polymerization-depolymerization cycles in lamellipodia. To elucidate the mechanism of actin disassembly, we characterized molecular kinetics of the major filament end-binding proteins Arp2/3 complex and capping protein (CP) using single-molecule speckle microscopy. We have determined the dissociation rates of Arp2/3 and CP as 0.048 and 0.58 s−1, respectively, in lamellipodia of live XTC fibroblasts. This CP dissociation rate is three orders of magnitude faster than in vitro. CP dissociates slower from actin stress fibers than from the lamellipodial actin network, suggesting that CP dissociation correlates with actin filament dynamics. We found that jasplakinolide, an actin depolymerization inhibitor, rapidly blocked the fast CP dissociation in cells. Consistently, the coexpression of LIM kinase prolonged CP speckle lifetime in lamellipodia. These results suggest that cofilin-mediated actin disassembly triggers CP dissociation from actin filaments. We predict that filament severing and end-to-end annealing might take place fairly frequently in the dendritic nucleation actin arrays.

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