scholarly journals Cross-linking of actin filaments by myosin II is a major contributor to cortical integrity and cell motility in restrictive environments

2003 ◽  
Vol 116 (18) ◽  
pp. 3761-3770 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Laevsky
Keyword(s):  
Cell Motility ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Major Contributor

The effect of cytoskeletal protein mutations on cell motility and morphogenesis

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 594-595
Author(s):  
David A. Knecht
Keyword(s):  
Cell Motility ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Cytoskeletal Protein ◽  
Homologous Gene ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Protein Mutations

The cortical cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells is composed of actin filaments and a variety of associated proteins. The polymerization, depolymerization, cross-linking and bundling of these filaments, are presumed to be intimately involved in such processes as cell motility, cell adhesion and cell shape. In developing systems, all of these processes are involved in the morphogenetic mechanisms that shape tissues, organs and organisms.We are investigating the complex interactions among cytoskeletal proteins using the simple eukaryotic amoebae, Dictyostelium discoideum. Our approach is to determine the function of the components of the cytoskeleton by creating mutants lacking particular proteins, or containing specific alterations in these proteins. Mutants lacking myosin heavy chain have been created using antisense RNA and homologous gene targetting. These cells have alterations in their shape and movement, and are incapable of accomplishing normal morphogenesis. Another cytoskeletal protein is ABP-120, which is capable of cross-linking actin filaments into orthogonal arrays, leading to the formation of an actin gel in vitro. ABP-120 is found in newly formed pseudopods extended during the chemotactic respose to extracellular cAMP. Mutants lacking this protein have been created by disruption of the chromosomal gene with a transformation vector. These cells are not as dramatically affected as the myosin mutants, but have clear alterations in their motility and in the pathway of responses in the cytoskeleton that correlate with the expected function of this protein. Mutations in several other cytoskeletal genes are currently being constructed.

scholarly journals The distribution of myosin II in Dictyostelium discoideum slug cells.

1991 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 1267-1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Eliott ◽  
P H Vardy ◽  
K L Williams
Keyword(s):  
Cell Motility ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Immunofluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Homogeneous Distribution ◽  
Multicellular Development ◽  
Insight Into

While the role of myosin II in muscle contraction has been well characterized, less is known about the role of myosin II in non-muscle cells. Recent molecular genetic experiments on Dictyostelium discoideum show that myosin II is necessary for cytokinesis and multicellular development. Here we use immunofluorescence microscopy with monoclonal and polyclonal antimyosin antibodies to visualize myosin II in cells of the multicellular D. discoideum slug. A subpopulation of peripheral and anterior cells label brightly with antimyosin II antibodies, and many of these cells display a polarized intracellular distribution of myosin II. Other cells in the slug label less brightly and their cytoplasm displays a more homogeneous distribution of myosin II. These results provide insight into cell motility within a three-dimensional tissue and they are discussed in relation to the possible roles of myosin II in multicellular development.

scholarly journals Specification of Actin Filament Function and Molecular Composition by Tropomyosin Isoforms

2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1002-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole S. Bryce ◽  
Galina Schevzov ◽  
Vicki Ferguson ◽  
Justin M. Percival ◽  
Jim J.-C. Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Size ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Actin Filament ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Molecular Composition ◽  
Cellular Migration ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Human Homologue ◽  
Tropomyosin Isoforms

The specific functions of greater than 40 vertebrate nonmuscle tropomyosins (Tms) are poorly understood. In this article we have tested the ability of two Tm isoforms, TmBr3 and the human homologue of Tm5 (hTM5NM1), to regulate actin filament function. We found that these Tms can differentially alter actin filament organization, cell size, and shape. hTm5NM1was able to recruit myosin II into stress fibers, which resulted in decreased lamellipodia and cellular migration. In contrast, TmBr3 transfection induced lamellipodial formation, increased cellular migration, and reduced stress fibers. Based on coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization studies, TmBr3 appeared to be associated with actin-depolymerizing factor/cofilin (ADF)-bound actin filaments. Additionally, the Tms can specifically regulate the incorporation of other Tms into actin filaments, suggesting that selective dimerization may also be involved in the control of actin filament organization. We conclude that Tm isoforms can be used to specify the functional properties and molecular composition of actin filaments and that spatial segregation of isoforms may lead to localized specialization of actin filament function.

Leukosialin (CD43, sialophorin) redistribution in uropods of polarized neutrophils is induced by CD43 cross-linking by antibodies, by colchicine or by chemotactic peptides

1997 ◽  
Vol 110 (13) ◽  
pp. 1465-1475
Author(s):  
S. Seveau ◽  
S. Lopez ◽  
P. Lesavre ◽  
J. Guichard ◽  
E.M. Cramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Motility ◽  
Small Proportion ◽  
Cytochalasin B ◽  
Cell Polarization ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Chemotactic Peptides ◽  
Butanedione Monoxime ◽  
Major Surface ◽  
Triton X

We investigated a possible association of leukosialin (CD43), the major surface sialoglycoprotein of leukocytes, with neutrophil cytoskeleton. We first analysed the solubility of CD43 in Triton X-100 and observed that CD43 of resting neutrophils was mostly soluble. The small proportion of CD43 molecules, which ‘spontaneously’ precipitated in Triton, appeared associated with F-actin, as demonstrated by the fact that this insolubility did not occur when cells were incubated with cytochalasin B or when F-actin was depolymerized with DNase I in the Triton precipitate. Cell stimulation with anti-CD43 mAb (MEM59) enhanced this CD43-cytoskeleton association. By immunofluorescence as well as by electron microscopy, we observed a redistribution of CD43 on the neutrophil membrane, initially in patches followed by caps, during anti-CD43 cross-linking at 37 degrees C. This capping did not occur at 4 degrees C and was inhibited by cytochalasin B and by a myosin disrupting drug butanedione monoxime, thus providing evidence that the actomyosin contracile sytem is involved in the capping and further suggesting an association of CD43 with the cytoskeleton. Some of the capped cells exhibited a front-tail polarization with CD43 caps located in the uropod at the rear of the cell. Surprisingly, colchicine and the chemotactic factor fNLPNTL which induce neutrophil polarization associated with cell motility, also resulted in a clustering of CD43 in the uropod, independently of a cross-linking of the molecule by mAbs. An intracellular redistribution of F-actin, mainly at the leading front and of myosin in the tail, was observed during CD43 clustering induced by colchicine and in cells polarized by anti-CD43 mAbs cross-linking. We conclude that neutrophil CD43 interacts with the cytoskeleton, either directly or indirectly, to redistribute in the cell uropod under antibodies stimulation or during cell polarization by colchicine, thus highly suggesting that CD43 may be involved in cell polarization.

Modulation of alpha-actinin levels affects cell motility and confers tumorigenicity on 3T3 cells

1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (7) ◽  
pp. 1773-1782 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Gluck ◽  
A. Ben-Ze'ev
Keyword(s):  
Cell Motility ◽  
Colloidal Gold ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Behavior ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
3T3 Cells ◽  
Quiescent Cells ◽  
Beta 1 Integrin ◽  
Cdna Construct

alpha-Actinin is an abundant actin crosslinking protein, also localized at adherens type junctions. In adhesion plaques, alpha-actinin can link the actin filaments to integrin via vinculin and talin, or directly by binding to the cytoplasmic domain of beta 1-integrin. The expression of alpha-actinin is rapidly elevated in growth-activated quiescent cells, and is reduced in SV40-transformed 3T3 cells and various differentiating cell types (reviewed by Gluck, U., Kwiatkowski, D. J. and Ben-Ze'ev, A. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 383–387, 1993). To study the effect of changes in alpha-actinin levels on cell behavior, alpha-actinin expression was elevated in 3T3 cells by transfection with a full-length human nonmuscle alpha-actinin cDNA. To suppress alpha-actinin levels, 3T3 cells were transfected with an antisense alpha-actinin cDNA construct. Cells overexpressing alpha-actinin by 40–60% displayed a significant reduction in cell motility, as demonstrated by their slower locomotion into an artificial wound, and by forming shorter phagokinetic tracks on colloidal gold-coated substrata. 3T3 cells in which the expression of alpha-actinin was reduced to 25–60% of control levels, after antisense alpha-actinin transfection, had an increased cell motility. Moreover, such alpha-actinin-deficient 3T3 cells formed tumors upon injection into nude mice. The results demonstrate that modulations in alpha-actinin expression can affect, in a major way, the motile and tumorigenic properties of cells, and support the view that decreased alpha-actinin expression could be a common regulatory pathway to malignant transformation of 3T3 cells.

scholarly journals Myosin Motors and Not Actin Comets Are Mediators of the Actin-based Golgi-to-Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Transport

2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Durán ◽  
Ferran Valderrama ◽  
Susana Castel ◽  
Juana Magdalena ◽  
Mónica Tomás ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Golgi Complex ◽  
Light Chain ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Protein Transport ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Nonmuscle Myosin ◽  
Nonmuscle Myosin Ii ◽  
Myosin Motors

We have previously reported that actin filaments are involved in protein transport from the Golgi complex to the endoplasmic reticulum. Herein, we examined whether myosin motors or actin comets mediate this transport. To address this issue we have used, on one hand, a combination of specific inhibitors such as 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) and 1-[5-isoquinoline sulfonyl]-2-methyl piperazine (ML7), which inhibit myosin and the phosphorylation of myosin II by the myosin light chain kinase, respectively; and a mutant of the nonmuscle myosin II regulatory light chain, which cannot be phosphorylated (MRLC2AA). On the other hand, actin comet tails were induced by the overexpression of phosphatidylinositol phosphate 5-kinase. Cells treated with BDM/ML7 or those that express the MRLC2AA mutant revealed a significant reduction in the brefeldin A (BFA)-induced fusion of Golgi enzymes with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This delay was not caused by an alteration in the formation of the BFA-induced tubules from the Golgi complex. In addition, the Shiga toxin fragment B transport from the Golgi complex to the ER was also altered. This impairment in the retrograde protein transport was not due to depletion of intracellular calcium stores or to the activation of Rho kinase. Neither the reassembly of the Golgi complex after BFA removal nor VSV-G transport from ER to the Golgi was altered in cells treated with BDM/ML7 or expressing MRLC2AA. Finally, transport carriers containing Shiga toxin did not move into the cytosol at the tips of comet tails of polymerizing actin. Collectively, the results indicate that 1) myosin motors move to transport carriers from the Golgi complex to the ER along actin filaments; 2) nonmuscle myosin II mediates in this process; and 3) actin comets are not involved in retrograde transport.

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