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Ceron RH, Báez-Cruz FA, Palmer NJ, Carman PJ, Boczkowska M, Heuckeroth RO, Ostap EM, Dominguez R. Molecular mechanisms linking missense ACTG2 mutations to visceral myopathy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn6615. [PMID: 38820162 PMCID: PMC11141634 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn6615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Visceral myopathy is a life-threatening disease characterized by muscle weakness in the bowel, bladder, and uterus. Mutations in smooth muscle γ-actin (ACTG2) are the most common cause of the disease, but the mechanisms by which the mutations alter muscle function are unknown. Here, we examined four prevalent ACTG2 mutations (R40C, R148C, R178C, and R257C) that cause different disease severity and are spread throughout the actin fold. R178C displayed premature degradation, R148C disrupted interactions with actin-binding proteins, R40C inhibited polymerization, and R257C destabilized filaments. Because these mutations are heterozygous, we also analyzed 50/50 mixtures with wild-type (WT) ACTG2. The WT/R40C mixture impaired filament nucleation by leiomodin 1, and WT/R257C produced filaments that were easily fragmented by smooth muscle myosin. Smooth muscle tropomyosin isoform Tpm1.4 partially rescued the defects of R40C and R257C. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of filaments formed by R40C and R257C revealed disrupted intersubunit contacts. The biochemical and structural properties of the mutants correlate with their genotype-specific disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel H. Ceron
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Faviolla A. Báez-Cruz
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Palmer
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter J. Carman
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Malgorzata Boczkowska
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert O. Heuckeroth
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - E. Michael Ostap
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Roberto Dominguez
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Ono S, Watabe E, Morisaki K, Ono K, Kuroyanagi H. Alternative splicing of a single exon causes a major impact on the affinity of Caenorhabditis elegans tropomyosin isoforms for actin filaments. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1208913. [PMID: 37745299 PMCID: PMC10512467 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1208913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropomyosin is generally known as an actin-binding protein that regulates actomyosin interaction and actin filament stability. In metazoans, multiple tropomyosin isoforms are expressed, and some of them are involved in generating subpopulations of actin cytoskeleton in an isoform-specific manner. However, functions of many tropomyosin isoforms remain unknown. Here, we report identification of a novel alternative exon in the Caenorhabditis elegans tropomyosin gene and characterization of the effects of alternative splicing on the properties of tropomyosin isoforms. Previous studies have reported six tropomyosin isoforms encoded by the C. elegans lev-11 tropomyosin gene. We identified a seventh isoform, LEV-11U, that contained a novel alternative exon, exon 7c (E7c). LEV-11U is a low-molecular-weight tropomyosin isoform that differs from LEV-11T only at the exon 7-encoded region. In silico analyses indicated that the E7c-encoded peptide sequence was unfavorable for coiled-coil formation and distinct from other tropomyosin isoforms in the pattern of electrostatic surface potentials. In vitro, LEV-11U bound poorly to actin filaments, whereas LEV-11T bound to actin filaments in a saturable manner. When these isoforms were transgenically expressed in the C. elegans striated muscle, LEV-11U was present in the diffuse cytoplasm with tendency to form aggregates, whereas LEV-11T co-localized with sarcomeric actin filaments. Worms with a mutation in E7c showed reduced motility and brood size, suggesting that this exon is important for the optimal health. These results indicate that alternative splicing of a single exon can produce biochemically diverged tropomyosin isoforms and suggest that a tropomyosin isoform with poor actin affinity has a novel biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichiro Ono
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Eichi Watabe
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keita Morisaki
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kanako Ono
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hidehito Kuroyanagi
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
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Tang Q, Pollard LW, Homa KE, Kovar DR, Trybus KM. Acetylation of fission yeast tropomyosin does not promote differential association with cognate formins. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2023; 80:77-92. [PMID: 36692369 PMCID: PMC10121778 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
It was proposed from cellular studies that S. pombe tropomyosin Cdc8 (Tpm) segregates into two populations due to the presence or absence of an amino-terminal acetylation that specifies which formin-mediated F-actin networks it binds, but with no supporting biochemistry. To address this mechanism in vitro, we developed methods for S. pombe actin expression in Sf9 cells. We then employed 3-color TIRF microscopy using all recombinant S. pombe proteins to probe in vitro multicomponent mechanisms involving actin, acetylated and unacetylated Tpm, formins, and myosins. Acetyl-Tpm exhibits tight binding to actin in contrast to weaker binding by unacetylated Tpm. In disagreement with the differential recruitment model, Tpm showed no preferential binding to filaments assembled by the FH1-FH2-domains of two S. pombe formins, nor did Tpm binding have any bias towards the growing formin-bound actin filament barbed end. Although our in vitro findings do not support a direct formin-tropomyosin interaction, it is possible that formins bias differential tropomyosin isoform recruitment through undiscovered mechanisms. Importantly, despite a 12% sequence divergence between skeletal and S. pombe actin, S. pombe myosins Myo2 and Myo51 exhibited similar motile behavior with these two actins, validating key prior findings with these myosins that used skeletal actin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Tang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington VT
| | - Luther W. Pollard
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington VT
| | - Kaitlin E. Homa
- Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - David R. Kovar
- Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kathleen M. Trybus
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington VT
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Selvaraj M, Kokate SB, Reggiano G, Kogan K, Kotila T, Kremneva E, DiMaio F, Lappalainen P, Huiskonen JT. Structural basis underlying specific biochemical activities of non-muscle tropomyosin isoforms. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111900. [PMID: 36586407 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton is critical for cell migration, morphogenesis, endocytosis, organelle dynamics, and cytokinesis. To support diverse cellular processes, actin filaments form a variety of structures with specific architectures and dynamic properties. Key proteins specifying actin filaments are tropomyosins. Non-muscle cells express several functionally non-redundant tropomyosin isoforms, which differentially control the interactions of other proteins, including myosins and ADF/cofilin, with actin filaments. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive. By determining the cryogenic electron microscopy structures of actin filaments decorated by two functionally distinct non-muscle tropomyosin isoforms, Tpm1.6 and Tpm3.2, we reveal that actin filament conformation remains unaffected upon binding. However, Tpm1.6 and Tpm3.2 follow different paths along the actin filament major groove, providing an explanation for their incapability to co-polymerize on actin filaments. We also elucidate the molecular basis underlying specific roles of Tpm1.6 and Tpm3.2 in myosin II activation and protecting actin filaments from ADF/cofilin-catalyzed severing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muniyandi Selvaraj
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shrikant B Kokate
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gabriella Reggiano
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Konstantin Kogan
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Kotila
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elena Kremneva
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Pekka Lappalainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Juha T Huiskonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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A solution to the long-standing problem of actin expression and purification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2209150119. [PMID: 36197995 PMCID: PMC9565351 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209150119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin is the most abundant protein in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells and interacts with hundreds of proteins to perform essential functions, including cell motility and cytokinesis. Numerous diseases are caused by mutations in actin, but studying the biochemistry of actin mutants is difficult without a reliable method to obtain recombinant actin. Moreover, biochemical studies have typically used tissue-purified α-actin, whereas humans express six isoforms that are nearly identical but perform specialized functions and are difficult to obtain in isolation from natural sources. Here, we describe a solution to the problem of actin expression and purification. We obtain high yields of actin isoforms in human Expi293F cells. Experiments along the multistep purification protocol demonstrate the removal of endogenous actin and the functional integrity of recombinant actin isoforms. Proteomics analysis of endogenous vs. recombinant actin isoforms confirms the presence of native posttranslational modifications, including N-terminal acetylation achieved after affinity-tag removal using the actin-specific enzyme Naa80. The method described facilitates studies of actin under fully native conditions to determine differences among isoforms and the effects of disease-causing mutations that occur in all six isoforms.
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Reindl T, Giese S, Greve JN, Reinke PY, Chizhov I, Latham SL, Mulvihill DP, Taft MH, Manstein DJ. Distinct actin–tropomyosin cofilament populations drive the functional diversification of cytoskeletal myosin motor complexes. iScience 2022; 25:104484. [PMID: 35720262 PMCID: PMC9204724 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of N-terminal acetylation of the high molecular weight tropomyosin isoforms Tpm1.6 and Tpm2.1 and the low molecular weight isoforms Tpm1.12, Tpm3.1, and Tpm4.2 on the actin affinity and the thermal stability of actin-tropomyosin cofilaments are described. Furthermore, we show how the exchange of cytoskeletal tropomyosin isoforms and their N-terminal acetylation affects the kinetic and chemomechanical properties of cytoskeletal actin-tropomyosin-myosin complexes. Our results reveal the extent to which the different actin-tropomyosin-myosin complexes differ in their kinetic and functional properties. The maximum sliding velocity of the actin filament as well as the optimal motor density for continuous unidirectional movement, parameters that were previously considered to be unique and invariant properties of each myosin isoform, are shown to be influenced by the exchange of the tropomyosin isoform and the N-terminal acetylation of tropomyosin. Tpm diversity is largely determined by sequences contributing to the overlap region Global sequence differences are of greater importance than variable exon 6 usage Tpm isoforms confer distinctly altered properties to cytoskeletal myosin motors Cytoskeletal myosins are differentially affected by N-terminal acetylation of Tpm
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Carman PJ, Dominguez R. Novel Protein Production Method Combining Native Expression in Human Cells with an Intein-based Affinity Purification and Self-cleavable Tag. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4363. [PMID: 35434194 PMCID: PMC8983157 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The human proteins used in most biochemical studies are commonly obtained using bacterial expression. Owing to its relative simplicity and low cost, this approach has been extremely successful, but is inadequate for many proteins that require the mammalian folding machinery and posttranslational modifications (PTMs) for function. Moreover, the expressed proteins are typically purified using N- and/or C-terminal affinity tags, which are often left on proteins or leave non-native extra amino acids when removed proteolytically. Many proteins cannot tolerate such extra amino acids for function. Here we describe a protein production method that resolves both these issues. Our method combines expression in human Expi293F cells, which grow in suspension to high density and can process native PTMs, with a chitin-binding domain (CBD)-intein affinity purification and self-cleavable tag, which can be precisely removed after purification. In this protocol, we describe how to clone a target gene into our specifically designed human cell expression vector (pJCX4), and how to efficiently transfect the Expi293F cells and purify the expressed proteins using a chitin affinity resin. Graphic abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Carman
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Roberto Dominguez
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,
*For correspondence:
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Baker K, Geeves MA, Mulvihill DP. Acetylation stabilises calmodulin-regulated calcium signalling. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:762-771. [PMID: 35100446 PMCID: PMC9303947 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Calmodulin is a conserved calcium signalling protein that regulates a wide range of cellular functions. Amino‐terminal acetylation is a ubiquitous post‐translational modification that affects the majority of human proteins, to stabilise structure, as well as regulate function and proteolytic degradation. Here, we present data on the impact of amino‐terminal acetylation upon structure and calcium signalling function of fission yeast calmodulin. We show that NatA‐dependent acetylation stabilises the helical structure of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe calmodulin, impacting its ability to associate with myosin at endocytic foci. We go on to show that this conserved modification impacts both the calcium‐binding capacity of yeast and human calmodulins. These findings have significant implications for research undertaken into this highly conserved essential protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Baker
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Michael A Geeves
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Daniel P Mulvihill
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK
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