Switching Cellular Swirling Upon One-Way Torsional Drive

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Li ◽  
Bin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Model Prediction ◽  
Elastic Energy ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Model Analysis ◽  
Radial Fiber ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
Chiral System

Abstract In understanding how a radially symmetrical actin cytoskeleton spontaneously evolves into a chiral system, here we construct a torsional clutch-filament model for one radial fiber. The model analysis indicates that when actin filaments in growth tend to actively drive the radial fiber to only rotate counter-clockwise, certain amount of passive elastic energy also builds up within the radial fiber upon filament growth, the release of which tends to drive it to rotate clockwise. The competition between these two sources would eventually determine the cellular swirling direction, which can be counter-clockwise or clockwise. The model prediction is in consistency with recent experimental findings. This work provides understanding into how the cellular chirality can be modulated by varied molecular components associated with the cytoskeleton.

Mobility of alpha-actinin along growing actin filaments might affect the cellular chirality

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Xi Li ◽  
Bin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Model Analysis ◽  
Elastic Response ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Radial Fiber ◽  
Proper Functions

Abstract Chirality is a widespread feature existing in nature and can be critical in the proper functions of some organisms. In our previous work, a rotational clutch-filament model for a radial fiber was built to reveal the critical role of α-actinin in the cellular chiral swirling. Here we assume two mobility modes of α-actinin along actin filaments. In Mode A, where α-actinin concomitantly moves together with a growing filament, our model analysis suggests that cells cannot swirl clockwise; in Mode B, where α-actinin is fixed along the axial direction of the radial fiber instead, our model analysis suggests that both counter-clockwise and clockwise chiral swirling occur, in consistency with experiments. Thus, our studies suggest that how α-actinin moves along growing filaments within a radial fiber would strongly affect cellular swirling. In addition, the previous rotational clutch-model has been improved by considering the elastic response of a radial fiber to a torque and distributed biomechanical properties of varied cell phenotype.

Dynamic control of cell-cell adhesion and membrane-associated actin during food-induced mouth opening in Beroe

1993 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-364
Author(s):  
S.L. Tamm ◽  
S. Tamm
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Dynamic Control ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Rhodamine Phalloidin ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Muscular Action

We used rhodamine-phalloidin and ultrastructural methods to follow dynamic changes in adhesive cell junctions and associated actin filaments during reversible epithelial adhesion in the mouth of the ctenophore Beroe. A cruising Beroe keeps its mouth closed by interdigitated actin-coated appositions between paired strips of cells lining the lips. The mouth opens rapidly (in 0.2-0.3 s) by muscular action to engulf prey (other ctenophores), then re-seals after ingestion. We found that the interlocking surface architecture of the adhesive cells, including the actin-coated junctions, rapidly disappears after food-induced opening of the mouth. In contrast, forcible separation of the lips in the absence of food rips the junctions, still intact, from the surfaces of the cells. The prey-stimulated loss of adhesive cell junctions and associated actin cytoskeleton is one of the most rapid changes in actin-based junctions yet observed. This system provides unique experimental advantages for investigating the dynamic control of reversible cell adhesions and membrane-associated actin filaments.

Evidence for a molecular complex consisting of Fyb/SLAP, SLP-76, Nck, VASP and WASP that links the actin cytoskeleton to Fcγ receptor signalling during phagocytosis

2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (23) ◽  
pp. 4307-4318
Author(s):  
Marc G. Coppolino ◽  
Matthias Krause ◽  
Petra Hagendorff ◽  
David A. Monner ◽  
William Trimble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Molecular Complex ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Sh2 Domain ◽  
Fcγ Receptors ◽  
Receptor Signalling ◽  
Src Homology 2 ◽  
Src Homology ◽  
Particle Ingestion ◽  
Syndrome Protein

Phagocytosis by macrophages and neutrophils involves the spatial and temporal reorganisation of the actin-based cytoskeleton at sites of particle ingestion. Local polymerisation of actin filaments supports the protrusion of pseudopodia that eventually engulf the particle. Here we have investigated in detail the cytoskeletal events initiated upon engagement of Fc receptors in macrophages. Ena/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) proteins were recruited to phagosomes forming around opsonised particles in both primary and immortalised macrophages. Not only did the localisation of Ena/VASP proteins coincide, spatially and temporally, with the phagocytosis-induced reorganisation of actin filaments, but their recruitment to the phagocytic cup was required for the remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton, extension of pseudopodia and efficient particle internalisation. We also report that SLP-76, Vav and profilin were recruited to forming phagosomes. Upon induction of phagocytosis, a large molecular complex, consisting in part of Ena/VASP proteins, the Fyn-binding/SLP-76-associated protein (Fyb/SLAP), Src-homology-2 (SH2)-domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa (SLP-76), Nck, and the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), was formed. Our findings suggest that activation of Fcγ receptors triggers two signalling events during phagocytosis: one through Fyb/SLAP that leads to recruitment of VASP and profilin; and another through Nck that promotes the recruitment of WASP. These converge to regulate actin polymerisation, controlling the assembly of actin structures that are essential for the process of phagocytosis.

Involvement of actin cytoskeleton in modulation of apical K channel activity in rat collecting duct

1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (4) ◽  
pp. F592-F598 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Wang ◽  
A. Cassola ◽  
G. Giebisch
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Cytochalasin B ◽  
Collecting Duct ◽  
K Channel ◽  
Cortical Collecting Duct ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Channel Inhibition ◽  
Inside Out

We have employed the patch-clamp technique to investigate the role of the actin cytoskeleton in the modulation of the low-conductance K+ channel in the apical membrane of the rat cortical collecting duct (CCD). This K+ channel is inactivated by application of cytochalasin B or D, both compounds known to disrupt actin filaments. The effect of both cytochalasins, B and D, was fully reversible in cell-attached patches, but channel activity could not be fully restored in excised membrane patches. The effect of cytochalasins on channel activity was specific and resulted from depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton, since application of 10 microM chaetoglobosin C, a cytochalasin analogue that does not depolymerize the actin filaments, had no effect on channel activity in inside-out patches. Addition of either actin monomers or of the polymerizing actin filaments in inside-out patches to the cytosolic medium had no effect on channel activity. This suggests that cytochalasin B- or D-induced inactivation of apical K+ channels is not caused by obstruction of the channel pore by actin. We also observed that channel inhibition by cytochalasin B or D could be blocked by pretreatment with 5 microM phalloidin, a compound that stabilizes actin filaments. We conclude that apical K+ channel activity depends critically on the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton.

scholarly journals Regulated Actin Cytoskeleton Assembly at Filopodium Tips Controls Their Extension and Retraction

1999 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 1097-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneil Mallavarapu ◽  
Tim Mitchison
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell Line ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Retrograde Flow ◽  
Assembly Rate

The extension and retraction of filopodia in response to extracellular cues is thought to be an important initial step that determines the direction of growth cone advance. We sought to understand how the dynamic behavior of the actin cytoskeleton is regulated to produce extension or retraction. By observing the movement of fiduciary marks on actin filaments in growth cones of a neuroblastoma cell line, we found that filopodium extension and retraction are governed by a balance between the rate of actin cytoskeleton assembly at the tip and retrograde flow. Both assembly and flow rate can vary with time in a single filopodium and between filopodia in a single growth cone. Regulation of assembly rate is the dominant factor in controlling filopodia behavior in our system.

Nuclear ion channel activity is regulated by actin filaments

1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (5) ◽  
pp. C1532-C1543 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Prat ◽  
H. F. Cantiello
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Ion Channel ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Bathing Solution ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Nuclear Ion Channels ◽  
Inside Out

Actin filaments are novel second messengers involved in ion channel regulation. Because cytoskeletal components interact with the nuclear envelope, the actin cytoskeleton may also control nuclear membrane function. In this report, the patch-clamp technique was applied to isolated nuclei from amphibian A6 epithelial cells to assess the role of actin filaments on nuclear ion channel activity under nucleus-attached or -excised conditions. The most prevalent spontaneous nuclear ion channel species, 76% (n = 46), was cation selective and had a maximal single-channel conductance of approximately 420 pS. Nuclear ion channels also displayed multiple subconductance states, including channel activity of 26 pS that was frequently observed. Nuclear ion channel activity on otherwise quiescent patches was induced by either addition of the actin cytoskeleton disrupter cytochalasin D (CD; 5 micrograms/ml, 60%, 3 of 5 patches) or actin (10-1,000 micrograms/ml) to the bathing solution of nucleus-attached patches (59%, 13 of 22 patches). Actin also induced ion channel activity in quiescent excised inside-out patches from the nuclear envelope (80%, 4 of 5 patches). In contrast, addition of bovine serum albumin (10-1,000 micrograms/ml) to the bathing solution of nucleus-attached patches was without effect on nuclear ion channel activity (5 of 5 patches). The monoclonal antibody MAb414, specific for nuclear pore complex proteins, completely prevented either spontaneous or cytosolic actin-induced nuclear ion channels under nucleus-attached conditions (4 of 4 patches) but not intranuclear actin-induced nuclear ion channels under excised inside-out conditions (3 of 3 patches). In nucleus-attached patches, channel activity was readily activated by addition of the G-actin-binding protein deoxyribonuclease I to nucleus-attached patches (56%, 5 of 9 patches) or further addition of the actin-cross-linker filamin in the presence of actin (57%, 4 of 7 patches). The data indicate that dynamic changes in actin filament organization may represent a novel mechanism to control nuclear function.

Understanding Biological Structures Through Exploring the Mechanical Response of Cell-Like Systems

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Philip R. LeDuc
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Living Cell ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Polymer Physics ◽  
Wide Range

The actin cytoskeleton provides mechanical support for the cell and influences activities such as cancer metastasis and chemotaxis. While their mechanical responses have been studied in vivo and in vitro, understanding the link between these two forms remains challenging. To explore this gap and further understand cell structure, we reconstructed the cell cytoskeleton in a membrane-like spherical liposome to mimic the cellular environment; this enables an artificial “cell like” system. Through this approach, we are pursuing a path to compare in vitro mechanics from a polymer physics perspective of individual actin filaments with the in vivo mechanics of a living cell [1]. A living cell contains many organelles, which are in a highly packed environment and require significant organization to function. The actin cytoskeleton provides both structural and organizational regulation that is essential for cellular response. Here, we first encapsulated G-actin into giant unilamellar vesicles through an electroformation technique and then polymerized them into actin filaments (F-actin) within individual vesicles. To probe their conformation, we visualized these vesicles with fluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscopy. We then used a tapping mode atomic force microscopy to determine the mechanical properties of these cell-like systems. These results provide insight into a wide range of fields and studies including polymer physics, cell biology, and biotechnology.

scholarly journals Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis ACTN4 mutants binding to actin: regulation by phosphomimetic mutations

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanshuang Shao ◽  
Bentley Wingert ◽  
Astrid Weins ◽  
Martin R. Pollak ◽  
Carlos Camacho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Segmental Glomerulosclerosis ◽  
Actin Binding Domain

Abstract Natural mutations such as lysine 255 to glutamic acid (K to E), threonine 259 to isoleucine (T to I) and serine 262 to proline (S to P) that occur within the actin binding domain of alpha-actinin-4 (ACTN4) cause an autosomal dominant form of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in affected humans. This appears due to elevated actin binding propensity in podocytes resulting in a ‘frozen’ cytoskeleton. What is challenging is how this cellular behavior would be compatible with other cell functions that rely on cytoskeleton plasticity. Our previous finding revealed that wild type ACTN4 can be phosphorylated at tyrosine 4 and 31 upon stimulation by epidermal growth factor (EGF) to reduce the binding to actin cytoskeleton. We queried whether the elevated actin binding activity of FSGS mutants can be downregulated by EGF-mediated phosphorylation, to discern a mechanism by which the actin-cytoskeleton can be released in FSGS. In this manuscript, we first constructed variants with Y4/31E to mimic the phosphorylation at tyrosines 4 and 31 based on earlier modeling simulations that predicted that this would bury the actin binding domains and lead to a decrease in actin binding activity. We found that Y4/31E significantly reduced the actin binding activity of K255E, T259I and S262P, dramatically preventing them from aggregating in, and inhibiting motility of, podocytes, fibroblasts and melanoma cells. A putative kinase target site at Y265 in the actin binding domain was also generated as a phosphomimetic ACTN4 Y265E that demonstrated even greater binding to actin filaments than K255E and the other FSGS mutants. That the tyrosine kinase regulation of FSGS mutation binding to actin filaments can occur in cells was shown by phosphorylation on Y4 and Y31 of the K225E after extended exposure of cells to EGF, with a decrease in ACTN4 aggregates in fibroblasts. These findings will provide evidence for targeting the N-termini of FSGS ACTN4 mutants to downregulate their actin binding activities for ameliorating the glomerulosclerotic phenotype of patients.

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 Ubiquitination and Long Non-coding RNAs Regulate Actin Cytoskeleton Regulators in Cancer Progression

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuda Ma ◽  
Yamei Dang ◽  
Xiaowen Shao ◽  
Xuechun Chen ◽  
Fei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Lim Domain ◽  
E3 Ligases ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Family Protein

Actin filaments are a major component of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells and play an important role in cancer metastasis. Dynamics and reorganization of actin filaments are regulated by numerous regulators, including Rho GTPases, PAKs (p21-activated kinases), ROCKs (Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinases), LIMKs (LIM domain kinases), and SSH1 (slingshot family protein phosphate 1). Ubiquitination, as a ubiquitous post-transcriptional modification, deceases protein levels of actin cytoskeleton regulatory factors and thereby modulates the actin cytoskeleton. There is increasing evidence showing cytoskeleton regulation by long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer metastasis. However, which E3 ligases are activated for the ubiquitination of actin-cytoskeleton regulators involved in tumor metastasis remains to be fully elucidated. Moreover, it is not clear how lncRNAs influence the expression of actin cytoskeleton regulators. Here, we summarize physiological and pathological mechanisms of lncRNAs and ubiquitination control mediators of actin cytoskeleton regulators which that are involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Finally, we briefly discuss crosstalk between ubiquitination and lncRNA control mediators of actin-cytoskeleton regulators in cancer.

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