Cofilin increases the bending flexibility of actin filaments: implications for severing and cell mechanics

Chemo-mechanical model of cell polarization initiated by structural polarity

Cell polarization is crucial in most physiological functions. Living cells at the extracellular matrix (ECM) actively coordinate a polarized morphology to target the preferred signals. In particular, the initial heterogeneity of subcellular components, termed as structural polarity, has been discovered to mediate the early attachment and transmigration of cells in tumour metastasis. However, how heterogeneous cells initiate the early polarization remains incompletely discovered. Here, we establish a multiscale model of a cell to explore the chemo-mechanical mechanisms of cell polarization initiated by structural polarity. The two-dimensional vertex model of the cell is built with the main mechanical components of eukaryotic cells. The initial structural polarity of the modeled cell is introduced by seeding heterogeneous actin filaments at the cell cortex and quantified by the ratio of the filamentous forces at the vertices. Then, the structural polarity is integrated in the reaction-diffusion system of Rho GTPase (Cdc42) at the cell cortex to obtain the traction forces at the leading vertices. Finally, the modeled cell is actuated to spread under the traction forces and discovered to develop into a characteristic polarized morphology. The results indicate that the cell polarization is initiated and dynamically developed by structural polarity through the reaction-diffusion system of Cdc42. In addition, the bistability of Cdc42 activation at the cell cortex is defined and discovered to dominate the polarization status of the cell. Furthermore, biphasic (i.e., positive and negative) durotaxis of the cell is successfully modeled at an ECM with a stiffness gradient, and concluded to be codetermined by the chemo-mechanical coupling of the initial structural polarity and ECM stiffness gradient. The proposed multiscale model provides a quantitative way to probe cell polarization coupled with mechanical stimuli, biochemical reaction and cytoskeletal reorganization, and holds the potential to guide studies of cell polarization under multiple stimuli.

Deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin

The mechanism underlying the preferential and cooperative binding of cofilin and the expansion of clusters toward the pointed-end side of actin filaments remains poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a principal component analysis based on available filamentous actin (F-actin) and C-actin (cofilins were excluded from cofilactin) structures and compared to monomeric G-actin. The results strongly suggest that C-actin, rather than F-ADP-actin, represented the favourable structure for binding preference of cofilin. High-speed atomic force microscopy explored that the shortened bare half helix adjacent to the cofilin clusters on the pointed end side included fewer actin protomers than normal helices. The mean axial distance (MAD) between two adjacent actin protomers along the same long-pitch strand within shortened bare half helices was longer (5.0-6.3 nm) than the MAD within typical helices (4.3-5.6 nm). The inhibition of torsional motion during helical twisting, achieved through stronger attachment to the lipid membrane, led to more pronounced inhibition of cofilin binding and cluster formation than the presence of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in solution. F-ADP-actin exhibited more naturally supertwisted half helices than F-ADP.Pi-actin, explaining how Pi inhibits cofilin binding to F-actin with variable helical twists. We propose that protomers within the shorter bare helical twists, either influenced by thermal fluctuation or induced allosterically by cofilin clusters, exhibit characteristics of C-actin-like structures with an elongated MAD, leading to preferential and cooperative binding of cofilin.

High-resolution yeast actin structures indicate the molecular mechanism of actin filament stiffening by cations

Actin filament assembly and the regulation of its mechanical properties are fundamental processes essential for eukaryotic cell function. Residue E167 in vertebrate actins forms an inter-subunit salt bridge with residue K61 of the adjacent subunit. Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin filaments are more flexible than vertebrate filaments and have an alanine at this position (A167). Substitution of this alanine for a glutamic acid (A167E) confers Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin filaments with salt-dependent stiffness similar to vertebrate actins. We developed an optimized cryogenic electron microscopy workflow refining sample preparation and vitrification to obtain near-atomic resolution structures of wild-type and A167E mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin filaments. The difference between these structures allowed us to pinpoint the potential binding site of a filament-associated cation that controls the stiffness of the filaments in vertebrate and A167E Saccharomyces cerevisiae actins. Through an analysis of previously published high-resolution reconstructions of vertebrate actin filaments, along with a newly determined high-resolution vertebrate actin structure in the absence of potassium, we identified a unique peak near residue 167 consistent with the binding of a magnesium ion. Our findings show how magnesium can contribute to filament stiffening by directly bridging actin subunits and allosterically affecting the orientation of the DNase-I binding loop of actin, which plays a regulatory role in modulating actin filament stiffness and interactions with regulatory proteins.

Fascin-induced bundling protects actin filaments from disassembly by cofilin

Actin filament turnover plays a central role in shaping actin networks, yet the feedback mechanism between network architecture and filament assembly dynamics remains unclear. The activity of ADF/cofilin, the main protein family responsible for filament disassembly, has been mainly studied at the single filament level. This study unveils that fascin, by crosslinking filaments into bundles, strongly slows down filament disassembly by cofilin. We show that this is due to a markedly slower initiation of the first cofilin clusters, which occurs up to 100-fold slower on large bundles compared with single filaments. In contrast, severing at cofilin cluster boundaries is unaffected by fascin bundling. After the formation of an initial cofilin cluster on a filament within a bundle, we observed the local removal of fascin. Notably, the formation of cofilin clusters on adjacent filaments is highly enhanced, locally. We propose that this interfilament cooperativity arises from the local propagation of the cofilin-induced change in helicity from one filament to the other filaments of the bundle. Overall, taking into account all the above reactions, we reveal that fascin crosslinking slows down the disassembly of actin filaments by cofilin. These findings highlight the important role played by crosslinkers in tuning actin network turnover by modulating the activity of other regulatory proteins.

Cryo-EM structures reveal how phosphate release from Arp3 weakens actin filament branches formed by Arp2/3 complex

Arp2/3 complex nucleates branched actin filaments for cell and organelle movements. Here we report a 2.7 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the mature branch junction formed by S. pombe Arp2/3 complex that provides details about interactions with both mother and daughter filaments. We determine a second structure at 3.2 Å resolution with the phosphate analog BeFx bound with ADP to Arp3 and ATP bound to Arp2. In this ADP-BeFx transition state the outer domain of Arp3 is rotated 2° toward the mother filament compared with the ADP state and makes slightly broader contacts with actin in both the mother and daughter filaments. Thus, dissociation of Pi from the ADP-Pi transition state reduces the interactions of Arp2/3 complex with the actin filaments and may contribute to the lower mechanical stability of mature branch junctions with ADP bound to the Arps. Our structures also reveal that the mother filament in contact with Arp2/3 complex is slightly bent and twisted, consistent with the preference of Arp2/3 complex binding curved actin filaments. The small degree of twisting constrains models of actin filament mechanics.

Cofilin-mediated actin filament network flexibility facilitates 2D to 3D actomyosin shape change

The organization of actin filaments (F-actin) into crosslinked networks determines the transmission of mechanical stresses within the cytoskeleton and subsequent changes in cell and tissue shape. Principally mediated by proteins such as α-actinin, F-actin crosslinking increases both network connectivity and rigidity, thereby facilitating stress transmission at low crosslinking yet attenuating transmission at high crosslinker concentration. Here, we engineer a two-dimensional model of the actomyosin cytoskeleton, in which myosin-induced mechanical stresses are controlled by light. We alter the extent of F-actin crosslinking by the introduction of oligomerized cofilin. At pH 6.5, F-actin severing by cofilin is weak, but cofilin bundles and crosslinks filaments. Given its effect of lowering the F-actin bending stiffness, cofilin- crosslinked networks are significantly more flexible and softer in bending than networks crosslinked by α-actinin. Thus, upon local activation of myosin-induced contractile stress, the network bends out-of-plane in contrast to the in-plane compression as observed with networks crosslinked by α-actinin. Here, we demonstrate that local effects on filament mechanics by cofilin introduces novel large-scale network material properties that enable the sculpting of complex shapes in the cell cytoskeleton.

Cytosolic actin isoforms form networks with different rheological properties that indicate specific biological function

The implications of the existence of different actins expressed in epithelial cells for network mechanics and dynamics is investigated by microrheology and confocal imaging. γ-actin predominately found in the apical cortex forms stiffer networks compared to β-actin, which is preferentially organized in stress fibers. We attribute this to selective interactions with Mg2+-ions interconnecting the filaments' N-termini. Bundling propensity of the isoforms is different in the presence of Mg2+-ions, while crosslinkers such as α-actinin, fascin, and heavy meromyosin alter the mechanical response independent of the isoform. In the presence of myosin, β-actin networks show a large number of small contraction foci, while γ-actin displays larger but fewer foci indicative of a stronger interaction with myosin motors. We infer that subtle changes in the amino acid sequence of actin isoforms lead to alterations of the mechanical properties on the network level with potential implications for specific biological functions.

Cooperative ligand binding to a double-stranded Ising lattice-Application to cofilin binding to actin filaments

Cooperative ligand binding to linear polymers is fundamental in many scientific disciplines, particularly biological and chemical physics and engineering. Such ligand binding interactions have been widely modeled using infinite one-dimensional (1D) Ising models even in cases where the linear polymers are more complex (e.g. actin filaments and other double-stranded linear polymers). Here, we use sequence-generating and transfer matrix methods to obtain an analytical method for cooperative equilibrium ligand binding to double-stranded Ising lattices. We use this exact solution to evaluate binding properties and features and analyze experimental binding data of cooperative binding of the regulatory protein, cofilin, to actin filaments. This analysis, with additional experimental information about the observed bound cofilin cluster sizes and filament structure, reveals that a bound cofilin promotes cooperative binding to its longitudinal nearest-neighbors but has very modest effects on lateral nearest-neighbors. The bound cofilin cluster sizes calculated from the best fit parameters from the double-stranded model are considerably larger than when calculated with the 1D model, consistent with experimental observations made by electron microscopy and fluorescence imaging. The exact solution obtained and the method for using the solution developed here can be widely used for analysis of variety of multistranded lattice systems.

A deep learning framework for quantitative analysis of actin microridges

Microridges are evolutionarily conserved actin-rich protrusions present on the apical surface of squamous epithelial cells. In zebrafish epidermal cells, microridges form self-evolving patterns due to the underlying actomyosin network dynamics. However, their morphological and dynamic characteristics have remained poorly understood owing to a lack of computational methods. We achieved ~95% pixel-level accuracy with a deep learning microridge segmentation strategy enabling quantitative insights into their bio-physical-mechanical characteristics. From the segmented images, we estimated an effective microridge persistence length of ~6.1 μm. We discovered the presence of mechanical fluctuations and found relatively greater stresses stored within patterns of yolk than flank, indicating distinct regulation of their actomyosin networks. Furthermore, spontaneous formations and positional fluctuations of actin clusters within microridges were associated with pattern rearrangements over short length/time-scales. Our framework allows large-scale spatiotemporal analysis of microridges during epithelial development and probing of their responses to chemical and genetic perturbations to unravel the underlying patterning mechanisms.

Bending actin filaments: twists of fate

In many cellular contexts, intracellular actomyosin networks must generate directional forces to carry out cellular tasks such as migration and endocytosis, which play important roles during normal developmental processes. A number of different actin binding proteins have been identified that form linear or branched actin, and that regulate these filaments through activities such as bundling, crosslinking, and depolymerization to create a wide variety of functional actin assemblies. The helical nature of actin filaments allows them to better accommodate tensile stresses by untwisting, as well as to bend to great curvatures without breaking. Interestingly, this latter property, the bending of actin filaments, is emerging as an exciting new feature for determining dynamic actin configurations and functions. Indeed, recent studies using in vitro assays have found that proteins including IQGAP, Cofilin, Septins, Anillin, α-Actinin, Fascin, and Myosins-alone or in combination-can influence the bending or curvature of actin filaments. This bending increases the number and types of dynamic assemblies that can be generated, as well as the spectrum of their functions. Intriguingly, in some cases, actin bending creates directionality within a cell, resulting in a chiral cell shape. This actin-dependent cell chirality is highly conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates and is essential for cell migration and breaking L-R symmetry of tissues/organs. Here, we review how different types of actin binding protein can bend actin filaments, induce curved filament geometries, and how they impact on cellular functions.

Coordinated efforts of different actin filament populations are needed for optimal cell wound repair

Cells are subjected to a barrage of daily insults that often lead to their cortices being ripped open and requiring immediate repair. An important component of the cell's repair response is the formation of an actomyosin ring at the wound periphery to mediate its closure. Here we show that inhibition of myosin or the linear actin nucleation factors Diaphanous and/or dishevelled associated activator of morphogenesis results in a disrupted contractile apparatus and delayed wound closure. We also show that the branched actin nucleators WASp and SCAR function nonredundantly as scaffolds to assemble and maintain this contractile actomyosin cable. Removing branched actin leads to the formation of smaller circular actin-myosin structures at the cell cortex and to slow wound closure. Removing linear and branched actin simultaneously results in failed wound closure. Surprisingly, removal of branched actin and myosin results in the formation of parallel linear F-actin filaments that undergo a chiral swirling movement to close the wound, uncovering a new mechanism of cell wound closure. Taken together, we demonstrate the roles of different actin substructures that are required for optimal actomyosin ring formation and the extraordinary resilience of the cell to undergo wound repair when it is unable to form different subsets of these substructures.

Twist response of actin filaments

Actin cytoskeleton force generation, sensing, and adaptation are dictated by the bending and twisting mechanics of filaments. Here, we use magnetic tweezers and microfluidics to twist and pull individual actin filaments and evaluate their response to applied loads. Twisted filaments bend and dissipate torsional strain by adopting a supercoiled plectoneme. Pulling prevents plectoneme formation, which causes twisted filaments to sever. Analysis over a range of twisting and pulling forces and direct visualization of filament and single subunit twisting fluctuations yield an actin filament torsional persistence length of ~10 µm, similar to the bending persistence length. Filament severing by cofilin is driven by local twist strain at boundaries between bare and decorated segments and is accelerated by low pN pulling forces. This work explains how contractile forces generated by myosin motors accelerate filament severing by cofilin and establishes a role for filament twisting in the regulation of actin filament stability and assembly dynamics.

Bending forces and nucleotide state jointly regulate F-actin structure

ATP-hydrolysis-coupled actin polymerization is a fundamental mechanism of cellular force generation1-3. In turn, force4,5 and actin filament (F-actin) nucleotide state6 regulate actin dynamics by tuning F-actin's engagement of actin-binding proteins through mechanisms that are unclear. Here we show that the nucleotide state of actin modulates F-actin structural transitions evoked by bending forces. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of ADP-F-actin and ADP-Pi-F-actin with sufficient resolution to visualize bound solvent reveal intersubunit interfaces bridged by water molecules that could mediate filament lattice flexibility. Despite extensive ordered solvent differences in the nucleotide cleft, these structures feature nearly identical lattices and essentially indistinguishable protein backbone conformations that are unlikely to be discriminable by actin-binding proteins. We next introduce a machine-learning-enabled pipeline for reconstructing bent filaments, enabling us to visualize both continuous structural variability and side-chain-level detail. Bent F-actin structures reveal rearrangements at intersubunit interfaces characterized by substantial alterations of helical twist and deformations in individual protomers, transitions that are distinct in ADP-F-actin and ADP-Pi-F-actin. This suggests that phosphate rigidifies actin subunits to alter the bending structural landscape of F-actin. As bending forces evoke nucleotide-state dependent conformational transitions of sufficient magnitude to be detected by actin-binding proteins, we propose that actin nucleotide state can serve as a co-regulator of F-actin mechanical regulation.

Studying actin-induced cell shape changes using Giant Unilamellar Vesicles and reconstituted actin networks

Cell shape changes that are fuelled by the dynamics of the actomyosin cytoskeleton control cellular processes such as motility and division. However, the mechanisms of interplay between cell membranes and actomyosin are complicated to decipher in the complex environment of the cytoplasm. Using biomimetic systems offers an alternative approach to studying cell shape changes in assays with controlled biochemical composition. Biomimetic systems allow quantitative experiments that can help to build physical models describing the processes of cell shape changes. This article reviews works in which actin networks are reconstructed inside or outside cell-sized Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs), which are models of cell membranes. We show how various actin networks affect the shape and mechanics of GUVs and how some cell shape changes can be reproduced in vitro using these minimal systems.

A Uniform and Isotropic Cytoskeletal Tiling Fills Dendritic Spines

Dendritic spines are submicron, subcellular compartments whose shape is defined by actin filaments and associated proteins. Accurately mapping the cytoskeleton is a challenge, given the small size of its components. It remains unclear whether the actin-associated structures analyzed in dendritic spines of neurons in vitro apply to dendritic spines of intact, mature neurons in situ. Here, we combined advanced preparative methods with multitilt serial section electron microscopy (EM) tomography and computational analysis to reveal the full three-dimensional (3D) internal architecture of spines in the intact brains of male mice at nanometer resolution. We compared hippocampal (CA1) pyramidal cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells in terms of the length distribution and connectivity of filaments, their branching-angles and absolute orientations, and the elementary loops formed by the network. Despite differences in shape and size across spines and between spine heads and necks, the internal organization was remarkably similar in both neuron types and largely homogeneous throughout the spine volume. In the tortuous mesh of highly branched and interconnected filaments, branches exhibited no preferred orientation except in the immediate vicinity of the cell membrane. We found that new filaments preferentially split off from the convex side of a bending filament, consistent with the behavior of Arp2/3-mediated branching of actin under mechanical deformation. Based on the quantitative analysis, the spine cytoskeleton is likely subject to considerable mechanical force in situ.

Formation of actin-cofilin rods by depletion forces

Various stress conditions induce the formation of actin-cofilin rods in either the nucleus or the cytoplasm, although the mechanism of rod formation is unclear. In this study, we constituted actin-cofilin rods using purified actin, cofilin and actin interacting protein 1 (AIP1) in the presence of a physiological buffer containing a crowding agent, 0.8% methylcellulose (MC), which led to bundled actin filaments formed by depletion forces. Most of the F-actin bundles formed with methylcellulose were linear, whereas cofilin-bound F-actin bundles often had bent, looped, and often ring-like shapes. Increasing the amount of AIP1 shortened actin-cofilin bundles into rod-like bundles with tapering at both ends. As much shorter actin-cofilin filaments were formed in the presence of AIP1 before MC was added to the mixture, the rod-like bundle might be a mass of those short filaments. Furthermore, the small rods fused with each other to become larger rods, indicating that these rods were anisotropic liquid droplets. Several minutes after the addition of MC to the F-actin-cofilin-AIP1 mixture, we observed some long bundles in which the thick and thin parts appear alternately, reminiscent of a Plateau-Rayleigh instability observed in fluid columns. Simultaneously, we found images in which thin parts were interrupted, but the thick parts were arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. These structures were also observed in cytoplasmic actin-cofilin rods in cells overexpressing cofilin-GFP, suggesting that cytoplasmic actin-cofilin rods have the same structure formation process as the rods reconstituted in vitro.

Molecular and structural basis of actin filament severing by ADF/cofilin

ADF/cofilin’s cooperative binding to actin filament modifies the conformation and alignment of G-actin subunits locally, causing the filament to sever at “boundaries” formed among bare and ADF/cofilin-occupied regions. Analysis of the impact of the ADF/cofilin cluster boundary on the deformation behavior of actin filaments in a mechanically strained environment is critical for understanding the biophysics of their severing. The present investigation uses molecular dynamics simulations to generate atomic resolution models of bare, partially, and fully cofilin decorated actin filaments. Steered molecular dynamics simulations are utilized to determine the mechanical properties of three filament models when subjected to axial stretching, axial compression, and bending forces. We highlight differences in strain distribution, failure mechanisms in the three filament models, and biomechanical effects of cofilin cluster boundaries in overall filament rupture. Based on the influence of ADF/cofilin binding on intrastrand and interstrand G-actin interfaces, the cofilin-mediated actin filament severing model proposed here can help understand cofilin mediated actin dynamics.

A mechanism with severing near barbed ends andannealing explains structure and dynamics of dendriticactin networks

Single molecule imaging has shown that part of actin disassembles within a few seconds after incorporation into the dendritic filament network in lamellipodia, suggestive of frequent destabilization near barbed ends. To investigate the mechanisms behind network remodeling, we created a stochastic model with polymerization, depolymerization, branching, capping, uncapping, severing, oligomer diffusion, annealing, and debranching. We find that filament severing, enhanced near barbed ends, can explain the single molecule actin lifetime distribution, if oligomer fragments reanneal to free ends with rate constants comparable to in vitro measurements. The same mechanism leads to actin networks consistent with measured filament, end, and branch concentrations. These networks undergo structural remodeling, leading to longer filaments away from the leading edge, at the +/- 35𝑜 orientation pattern. Imaging of actin speckle lifetimes at sub-second resolution verifies frequent disassembly of newly-assembled actin. We thus propose a unified mechanism that fits a diverse set of basic lamellipodia phenomenology.

Cofilactin filaments regulate filopodial structure and dynamics in neuronal growth cones

Cofilin is best known for its ability to sever actin filaments and facilitate cytoskeletal recycling inside of cells, but at higher concentrations in vitro, cofilin stabilizes a more flexible, hyper-twisted state of actin known as “cofilactin”. While this filament state is well studied, a structural role for cofilactin in dynamic cellular processes has not been observed. With a combination of cryo-electron tomography and fluorescence imaging in neuronal growth cones, we observe that filopodial actin filaments switch between a fascin-linked and a cofilin-decorated state, and that cofilactin is associated with a variety of dynamic events within filopodia. The switch to cofilactin filaments occurs in a graded fashion and correlates with a decline in fascin cross-linking within the filopodia, which is associated with curvature in the bundle. Our tomographic data reveal that the hyper-twisting of actin from cofilin binding leads to a rearrangement of filament packing, which largely excludes fascin from the base of filopodia. Our results provide mechanistic insight into the fundamentals of cytoskeletal remodeling inside of confined cellular spaces, and how the interplay between fascin and cofilin regulates the dynamics of searching filopodia.

In this manuscript the authors show that Filopodia switch between bundles of fascin-crosslinked actin and cofilin-decorated filaments, which exclude fascin binding due to altered structure and packing, as well as affect filopodial searching dynamics.

Visualising the cytoskeletal machinery in neuronal growth cones using cryo-electron tomography

Neurons extend axons to form the complex circuitry of the mature brain. This depends on the coordinated response and continuous remodelling of the microtubule and F-actin networks in the axonal growth cone. Growth cone architecture remains poorly understood at nanoscales. We therefore investigated mouse hippocampal neuron growth cones using cryo-electron tomography to directly visualise their three-dimensional subcellular architecture with molecular detail. Our data showed that the hexagonal arrays of actin bundles that form filopodia penetrate and terminate deep within the growth cone interior. We directly observed the modulation of these and other growth cone actin bundles by alteration of individual F-actin helical structures. Microtubules with blunt, slightly flared or gently curved ends predominated in the growth cone, frequently contained lumenal particles and exhibited lattice defects. Investigation of the effect of absence of doublecortin, a neurodevelopmental cytoskeleton regulator, on growth cone cytoskeleton showed no major anomalies in overall growth cone organisation or in F-actin subpopulations. However, our data suggested that microtubules sustained more structural defects, highlighting the importance of microtubule integrity during growth cone migration.

Summary: Cryo-electron tomographic reconstruction of neuronal growth cone subdomains reveals distinctive F-actin and microtubule cytoskeleton architectures and modulation at molecular detail.

The Role of LIM Kinases during Development: A Lens to Get a Glimpse of Their Implication in Pathologies

The organization of cell populations within animal tissues is essential for the morphogenesis of organs during development. Cells recognize three-dimensional positions with respect to the whole organism and regulate their cell shape, motility, migration, polarization, growth, differentiation, gene expression and cell death according to extracellular signals. Remodeling of the actin filaments is essential to achieve these cell morphological changes. Cofilin is an important binding protein for these filaments; it increases their elasticity in terms of flexion and torsion and also severs them. The activity of cofilin is spatiotemporally inhibited via phosphorylation by the LIM domain kinases 1 and 2 (LIMK1 and LIMK2). Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the phospho-regulation of cofilin has evolved as a mechanism controlling the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton during complex multicellular processes, such as those that occur during embryogenesis. In this context, the main objective of this review is to provide an update of the respective role of each of the LIM kinases during embryonic development.

Cooperative bundling by fascin generates actin structures with architectures that depend on filament length

The assembly of actin-based structures with precisely defined architectures supports essential cellular functions, including motility, intracellular transport, and division. The geometric arrangements of the filaments within actin structures are stabilized via the association of crosslinking proteins, which bind two filaments simultaneously. Because actin polymerization and crosslinking occur concurrently within the dynamic environment of the cell, these processes likely play interdependent roles in shaping the architectures of actin-based structures. To dissect the contribution of polymerization to the construction of higher-order actin structures, we investigated how filament elongation affects the formation of simple, polarized actin bundles by the crosslinking protein fascin. Using populations of actin filaments to represent distinct stages of elongation, we found that the rate of bundle assembly increases with filament length. Fascin assembles short filaments into discrete bundles, whereas bundles of long filaments merge with one another to form interconnected networks. Although filament elongation promotes bundle coalescence, many connections formed between elongating bundles are short-lived and are followed by filament breakage. Our data suggest that initiation of crosslinking early in elongation aligns growing filaments, creating a template for continued bundle assembly as elongation proceeds. This initial alignment promotes the assembly of bundles that are resistant to large changes in curvature that are required for coalescence into interconnected networks. As a result, bundles of short filaments remain straighter and more topologically discrete as elongation proceeds than bundles assembled from long filaments. Thus, uncoordinated filament elongation and crosslinking can alter the architecture of bundled actin networks, highlighting the importance of maintaining precise control over filament length during the assembly of specialized actin structures.

Discrete mechanical model of lamellipodial actin network implements molecular clutch mechanism and generates arcs and microspikes

Mechanical forces, actin filament turnover, and adhesion to the extracellular environment regulate lamellipodial protrusions. Computational and mathematical models at the continuum level have been used to investigate the molecular clutch mechanism, calculating the stress profile through the lamellipodium and around focal adhesions. However, the forces and deformations of individual actin filaments have not been considered while interactions between actin networks and actin bundles is not easily accounted with such methods. We develop a filament-level model of a lamellipodial actin network undergoing retrograde flow using 3D Brownian dynamics. Retrograde flow is promoted in simulations by pushing forces from the leading edge (due to actin polymerization), pulling forces (due to molecular motors), and opposed by viscous drag in cytoplasm and focal adhesions. Simulated networks have densities similar to measurements in prior electron micrographs. Connectivity between individual actin segments is maintained by permanent and dynamic crosslinkers. Remodeling of the network occurs via the addition of single actin filaments near the leading edge and via filament bond severing. We investigated how several parameters affect the stress distribution, network deformation and retrograde flow speed. The model captures the decrease in retrograde flow upon increase of focal adhesion strength. The stress profile changes from compression to extension across the leading edge, with regions of filament bending around focal adhesions. The model reproduces the observed reduction in retrograde flow speed upon exposure to cytochalasin D, which halts actin polymerization. Changes in crosslinker concentration and dynamics, as well as in the orientation pattern of newly added filaments demonstrate the model's ability to generate bundles of filaments perpendicular (actin arcs) or parallel (microspikes) to the protruding direction.

Status of Rho kinase inhibitors in glaucoma therapeutics-an overview

Medical management remains the cornerstone of glaucoma management despite advances in the surgical or laser procedures. After a leap of almost two decades of the advent of prostaglandin analogues, recently a new class of drug, Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors, has come to limelight because of their varied therapeutic potential in different clinical conditions of eye, especially glaucoma. Their efficacy of lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) by virtue of an entirely different mechanism of decreasing outflow resistance has ignited a series of clinical trials evaluating their potential as monotherapy or as adjunct to existing antiglaucoma medications, and three of them ripasudil, netarsudil and roclatan have even been approved for clinical use in the recent past. There are evidences suggesting their beneficial effects in glaucoma patients even via non-IOP-dependent mechanisms like neuroprotection by improving blood flow to the optic nerve and increasing ganglion cell survival. They can even act as antifibrotic agents and reduce bleb scarring after glaucoma surgery. Hence, their effective role in glaucomatous optic neuropathy is multifaceted primary being improved drainage through the conventional pathway. On the other hand, certain local adverse effects like conjunctival hyperaemia have been reported in substantial proportion of patients, while some others like blepharitis, subconjunctival haemorrhages and cornea verticillata constitute less common side effects. The purpose of this review is to summarize the discovery, evolution and recent update of clinical trials on Rho kinase inhibitors as antiglaucoma medicine and to delineate their role in existing management protocol.

Calponin-homology domain mediated bending of membrane-associated actin filaments

Actin filaments are central to numerous biological processes in all domains of life. Driven by the interplay with molecular motors, actin binding and actin modulating proteins, the actin cytoskeleton exhibits a variety of geometries. This includes structures with a curved geometry such as axon-stabilizing actin rings, actin cages around mitochondria and the cytokinetic actomyosin ring, which are generally assumed to be formed by short linear filaments held together by actin cross-linkers. However, whether individual actin filaments in these structures could be curved and how they may assume a curved geometry remains unknown. Here, we show that 'curly', a region from the IQGAP family of proteins from three different organisms, comprising the actin-binding calponin-homology domain and a C-terminal unstructured domain, stabilizes individual actin filaments in a curved geometry when anchored to lipid membranes. Although F-actin is semi-flexible with a persistence length of ~10 μm, binding of mobile curly within lipid membranes generates actin filament arcs and full rings of high curvature with radii below 1 μm. Higher rates of fully formed actin rings are observed in the presence of the actin-binding coiled-coil protein tropomyosin and when actin is directly polymerized on lipid membranes decorated with curly. Strikingly, curly induced actin filament rings contract upon the addition of muscle myosin II filaments and expression of curly in mammalian cells leads to highly curved actin structures in the cytoskeleton. Taken together, our work identifies a new mechanism to generate highly curved actin filaments, which opens a range of possibilities to control actin filament geometries, that can be used, for example, in designing synthetic cytoskeletal structures.

Compressive and Tensile Deformations Alter ATP Hydrolysis and Phosphate Release Rates in Actin Filaments

Actin filament networks in eukaryotic cells are constantly remodeled through nucleotide state controlled interactions with actin binding proteins, leading to macroscopic structures such as bundled filaments, branched filaments, and so on. The nucleotide (ATP) hydrolysis, phosphate release, and polymerization/depolymerization reactions that lead to the formation of these structures are correlated with the conformational fluctuations of the actin subunits at the molecular scale. The resulting structures generate and experience varying levels of force and impart cells with several functionalities such as their ability to move, divide, transport cargo, etc. Models that explicitly connect the structure to reactions are essential to elucidate a fundamental level of understanding of these processes. In this regard, a bottom-up Ultra-Coarse-Grained (UCG) model of actin filaments that can simulate ATP hydrolysis, inorganic phosphate release (Pi), and depolymerization reactions is presented in this work. In this model, actin subunits are represented using coarse-grained particles that evolve in time and undergo reactions depending on the conformations sampled. The reactions are represented through state transitions, with each state represented by a unique effective coarse-grained potential. Effects of compressive and tensile strains on the rates of reactions are then analyzed. Compressive strains tend to unflatten the actin subunits, reduce the rate of ATP hydrolysis, and increase the Pi release rate. On the other hand, tensile strain flattens subunits, increases the rate of ATP hydrolysis, and decrease the Pi release rate. Incorporating these predictions into a Markov State Model highlighted that strains alter the steady-state distribution of subunits with ADPPi and ADP nucleotide, thus identifying possible additional factors underlying the cooperative binding of regulatory proteins to actin filaments.

Clusters of a Few Bound Cofilins Sever Actin Filaments

Cofilin is an essential actin filament severing protein that accelerates the assembly dynamics and turnover of actin networks by increasing the number of filament ends where subunits add and dissociate. It binds filament subunits stoichiometrically and cooperatively, forming clusters of contiguously-bound cofilin at sub-saturating occupancies. Filaments partially occupied with cofilin sever at boundaries between bare and cofilin-decorated segments. Imaging studies concluded that bound clusters must reach a critical size (C_c) of 13-100 cofilins to sever filaments. In contrast, structural and modeling studies suggest that a few or even a single cofilin can sever filaments, possibly with different severing rate constants. How clusters grow through the cooperative incorporation of additional cofilin molecules, specifically if they elongate asymmetrically or uniformly from both ends and if they are modulated by filament shape and external force, also lacks consensus. Here, using hydrodynamic flow to visualize individual actin filaments with TIRF microscopy, we found that neither flow-induced filament bending, tension, nor surface attachment conditions substantially affected the kinetics of cofilin binding to actin filaments. Clusters of bound cofilin preferentially extended toward filament pointed ends and displayed severing competency at small sizes (C_c < 3), with no detectable severing dependence on cluster size. These data support models in which small clusters of cofilin introduce local, but asymmetric, structural changes in actin filaments that promote filament severing with a rate constant that depends weakly on the size of the cluster.

Structural basis of fast- and slow-severing actin-cofilactin boundaries

Members of the ADF/cofilin family of regulatory proteins bind actin filaments cooperatively, locally change actin subunit conformation and orientation, and sever filaments at "boundaries" between bare and cofilin-occupied segments. A cluster of bound cofilin introduces two distinct classes of boundaries due to the intrinsic polarity of actin filaments, one at the "pointed" end side and the other at the "barbed" end-side of the cluster; severing occurs more readily at the pointed end side of the cluster ("fast-severing" boundary) than the barbed end side ("slow-severing" boundary). A recent electron-cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) model of the slow-severing boundary revealed structural "defects" at the interface that potentially contribute to severing. However, the structure of the fast-severing boundary remains uncertain. Here, we use extensive molecular dynamics simulations to produce atomic resolution models of both severing boundaries. Our equilibrated simulation model of the slow-severing boundary is consistent with the cryo-EM structural model. Simulations indicate that actin subunits at both boundaries adopt structures intermediate between those of bare and cofilin-bound actin subunits. These "intermediate" states have compromised intersubunit contacts, but those at the slow-severing boundary are stabilized by cofilin bridging interactions, accounting for its lower fragmentation probability. Simulations where cofilin proteins are removed from cofilactin filaments favor a mechanism in which a cluster of two contiguously bound cofilins is needed to fully stabilize the cofilactin conformation, promote cooperative binding interactions, and accelerate filament severing. Together, these studies provide a molecular-scale foundation for developing coarse-grained and theoretical descriptions of cofilin-mediated actin filament severing.

Drops and fibers - how biomolecular condensates and cytoskeletal filaments influence each other

The cellular cytoskeleton self-organizes by specific monomer-monomer interactions resulting in the polymerization of filaments. While we have long thought about the role of polymerization in cytoskeleton formation, we have only begun to consider the role of condensation in cytoskeletal organization. In this review, we highlight how the interplay between polymerization and condensation leads to the formation of the cytoskeleton.

Nonmuscle myosin-2 contractility-dependent actin turnover limits the length of epithelial microvilli

Brush border microvilli enable functions that are critical for epithelial homeostasis, including solute uptake and host defense. However, the mechanisms that regulate the assembly and morphology of these protrusions are poorly understood. The parallel actin bundles that support microvilli have their pointed-end rootlets anchored in a filamentous meshwork referred to as the "terminal web." Although classic electron microscopy studies revealed complex ultrastructure, the composition and function of the terminal web remain unclear. Here we identify nonmuscle myosin-2C (NM2C) as a component of the terminal web. NM2C is found in a dense, isotropic layer of puncta across the subapical domain, which transects the rootlets of microvillar actin bundles. Puncta are separated by ∼210 nm, the expected size of filaments formed by NM2C. In intestinal organoid cultures, the terminal web NM2C network is highly dynamic and exhibits continuous remodeling. Using pharmacological and genetic perturbations in cultured intestinal epithelial cells, we found that NM2C controls the length of growing microvilli by regulating actin turnover in a manner that requires a fully active motor domain. Our findings answer a decades-old question on the function of terminal web myosin and hold broad implications for understanding apical morphogenesis in diverse epithelial systems.

Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response

The actin cytoskeleton in living cells generates forces in conjunction with myosin motor proteins to directly and indirectly drive essential cellular processes. The semiflexible filaments of the cytoskeleton can respond nonlinearly to the collective action of motors. We here investigate mechanics and force generation in a model actin cytoskeleton, reconstituted in vitro, by observing the response and fluctuations of embedded micron-scale probe particles. Myosin mini-filaments can be modeled as force dipoles and give rise to deformations in the surrounding network of cross-linked actin. Anomalously correlated probe fluctuations indicate the presence of rapid local compression or draining of the network that emerges in addition to the ordinary linear shear elastic (incompressible) response to force dipoles. The anomalous propagation of compression can be attributed to the nonlinear response of actin filaments to the microscopic forces, and is quantitatively consistent with motor-generated large-scale stiffening of the gels.

Force and phosphate release from Arp2/3 complex promote dissociation of actin filament branches

Networks of branched actin filaments formed by Arp2/3 complex generate and experience mechanical forces during essential cellular functions, including cell motility and endocytosis. External forces regulate the assembly and architecture of branched actin networks both in vitro and in cells. Considerably less is known about how mechanical forces influence the disassembly of actin filament networks, specifically, the dissociation of branches. We used microfluidics to apply force to branches formed from purified muscle actin and fission yeast Arp2/3 complex and observed debranching events in real time with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Low forces in the range of 0 pN to 2 pN on branches accelerated their dissociation from mother filaments more than two orders of magnitude, from hours to <1 min. Neither force on the mother filament nor thermal fluctuations in mother filament shape influenced debranching. Arp2/3 complex at branch junctions adopts two distinct mechanical states with different sensitivities to force, which we name "young/strong" and "old/weak." The "young/strong" state 1 has adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP)-P _i bound to Arp2/3 complex. Phosphate release converts Arp2/3 complex into the "old/weak" state 2 with bound ADP, which is 20 times more sensitive to force than state 1. Branches with ADP-Arp2/3 complex are more sensitive to debranching by fission yeast GMF (glia maturation factor) than branches with ADP-P _i -Arp2/3 complex. These findings suggest that aging of branch junctions by phosphate release from Arp2/3 complex and mechanical forces contribute to disassembling "old" actin filament branches in cells.

Cofilin-Mediated Actin Stress Response Is Maladaptive in Heat-Stressed Embryos

Environmental stress threatens the fidelity of embryonic morphogenesis. Heat, for example, is a teratogen. Yet how heat affects morphogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we identify a heat-inducible actin stress response (ASR) in Drosophila embryos that is mediated by the activation of the actin regulator Cofilin. Similar to ASR in adult mammalian cells, heat stress in fly embryos triggers the assembly of intra-nuclear actin rods. Rods measure up to a few microns in length, and their assembly depends on elevated free nuclear actin concentration and Cofilin. Outside the nucleus, heat stress causes Cofilin-dependent destabilization of filamentous actin (F-actin) in actomyosin networks required for morphogenesis. F-actin destabilization increases the chance of morphogenesis mistakes. Blocking the ASR by reducing Cofilin dosage improves the viability of heat-stressed embryos. However, improved viability correlates with restoring F-actin stability, not rescuing morphogenesis. Thus, ASR endangers embryos, perhaps by shifting actin from cytoplasmic filaments to an elevated nuclear pool.

Figard et al. show that heat stress induces an actin stress response (ASR) in early Drosophila embryos. This ASR is mediated by a heat-induced increase in Cofilin activity. Increased Cofilin activity destabilizes F-actin structures required for morphogenesis. In addition, the Cofilin-mediated ASR reduces embryo viability.

Actin modulates shape and mechanics of tubular membranes

The actin cytoskeleton shapes cells and also organizes internal membranous compartments. In particular, it interacts with membranes for intracellular transport of material in mammalian cells, yeast, or plant cells. Tubular membrane intermediates, pulled along microtubule tracks, are formed during this process and destabilize into vesicles. While the role of actin in tubule destabilization through scission is suggested, literature also provides examples of actin-mediated stabilization of membranous structures. To directly address this apparent contradiction, we mimic the geometry of tubular intermediates with preformed membrane tubes. The growth of an actin sleeve at the tube surface is monitored spatiotemporally. Depending on network cohesiveness, actin is able to entirely stabilize or locally maintain membrane tubes under pulling. On a single tube, thicker portions correlate with the presence of actin. These structures relax over several minutes and may provide enough time and curvature geometries for other proteins to act on tube stability.

Gαq-mediated calcium dynamics and membrane tension modulate neurite plasticity

The formation and disruption of synaptic connections during development are a fundamental step in neural circuit formation. Subneuronal structures such as neurites are known to be sensitive to the level of spontaneous neuronal activity, but the specifics of how neurotransmitter-induced calcium activity regulates neurite homeostasis are not yet fully understood. In response to stimulation by neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, calcium responses in cells are mediated by the Gαq/phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ)/phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) signaling pathway. Here, we show that prolonged Gαq stimulation results in the retraction of neurites in PC12 cells and the rupture of neuronal synapses by modulating membrane tension. To understand the underlying cause, we dissected the behavior of individual components of the Gαq/PLCβ/PI(4,5)P2 pathway during retraction and correlated these with the retraction of the membrane and cytoskeletal elements impacted by calcium signaling. We developed a mathematical model that combines biochemical signaling with membrane tension and cytoskeletal mechanics to show how signaling events are coupled to retraction velocity, membrane tension, and actin dynamics. The coupling between calcium and neurite retraction is shown to be operative in the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system. This study uncovers a novel mechanochemical connection between Gαq/PLCβ /PI(4,5)P2 that couples calcium responses with neural plasticity.

Directional allosteric regulation of protein filament length

Cofilin and ADF are cytoskeleton remodeling proteins that cooperatively bind and fragment actin filaments. Bound cofilin molecules do not directly interact with each other, indicating that cooperative binding of cofilin is mediated by the actin filament lattice. Cofilactin is therefore a model system for studying allosteric regulation of self-assembly. How cofilin binding changes structural and mechanical properties of actin filaments is well established. Less is known about the interaction energies and the thermodynamics of filament fragmentation, which describes the collective manner in which the cofilin concentration controls mean actin filament length. Here, we provide a general thermodynamic framework for allosteric regulation of self-assembly, and we use the theory to predict the interaction energies of experimental actin filament length distributions over a broad range of cofilin binding densities and for multiple cofilactin variants. We find that bound cofilin induces changes in nearby actin-actin interactions, and that these allosteric effects are propagated along the filament to affect up to four neighboring cofilin-binding sites (i.e., beyond nearest-neighbor allostery). The model also predicts that cofilin differentially stabilizes and destabilizes longitudinal versus lateral actin-actin interactions, and that the magnitude, range, asymmetry, and even the sign of these interaction energies can be altered using different actin and cofilin mutational variants. These results demonstrate that the theoretical framework presented here can provide quantitative thermodynamic information governing cooperative protein binding and filament length regulation, thus revealing nanometer length-scale interactions from micron length-scale "wet-lab" measurements.

Thermal fracture kinetics of heterogeneous semiflexible polymers

The fracture and severing of polymer chains plays a critical role in the failure of fibrous materials and the regulated turnover of intracellular filaments. Using continuum wormlike chain models, we investigate the fracture of semiflexible polymers via thermal bending fluctuations, focusing on the role of filament flexibility and dynamics. Our results highlight a previously unappreciated consequence of mechanical heterogeneity in the filament, which enhances the rate of thermal fragmentation particularly in cases where constraints hinder the movement of the chain ends. Although generally applicable to semiflexible chains with regions of different bending stiffness, the model is motivated by a specific biophysical system: the enhanced severing of actin filaments at the boundary between stiff bare regions and mechanically softened regions that are coated with cofilin regulatory proteins. The results presented here point to a potential mechanism for disassembly of polymeric materials in general and cytoskeletal actin networks in particular by the introduction of locally softened chain regions, as occurs with cofilin binding.

Principles of self-organization and load adaptation by the actin cytoskeleton during clathrin-mediated endocytosis

Force generation by actin assembly shapes cellular membranes. An experimentally constrained multiscale model shows that a minimal branched actin network is sufficient to internalize endocytic pits against membrane tension. Around 200 activated Arp2/3 complexes are required for robust internalization. A newly developed molecule-counting method determined that ~200 Arp2/3 complexes assemble at sites of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in human cells. Simulations predict that actin self-organizes into a radial branched array with growing ends oriented toward the base of the pit. Long actin filaments bend between attachment sites in the coat and the base of the pit. Elastic energy stored in bent filaments, whose presence was confirmed by cryo-electron tomography, contributes to endocytic internalization. Elevated membrane tension directs more growing filaments toward the base of the pit, increasing actin nucleation and bending for increased force production. Thus, spatially constrained actin filament assembly utilizes an adaptive mechanism enabling endocytosis under varying physical constraints.

The outer membrane of a cell is a tight but elastic barrier that controls what enters or leaves the cell. Large molecules typically cannot cross this membrane unaided. Instead, to enter the cell, they must be packaged into a pocket of the membrane that is then pulled inside. This process, called endocytosis, shuttles material into a cell hundreds of times a minute.

Endocytosis relies on molecular machines that assemble and disassemble at the membrane as required. One component, a protein called actin, self-assembles near the membrane into long filaments with many repeated subunits. These filaments grow against the membrane, pulling it inwards. But it was not clear how actin filaments organize in such a way that allows them to pull on the membrane with enough force – and without a template to follow.

Akamatsu et al. set about identifying how actin operates during endocytosis by using computer simulations that were informed by measurements made in living cells. The simulations included information about the location of actin and other essential molecules, along with the details of how these molecules work individually and together. Akamatsu et al. also developed a method to count the numbers of molecules of a key protein at individual sites of endocytosis. High-resolution imaging was then used to create 3D pictures of actin and endocytosis in action in human cells grown in the laboratory.

The analysis showed the way actin filaments arrange themselves depends on the starting positions of a few key molecules that connect to actin. Imaging confirmed that, like a pole-vaulting pole, the flexible actin filaments bend to store energy and then release it to pull the membrane inwards during endocytosis. Finally, the simulations predicted that the collection of filaments adapts its shape and size in response to the resistance of the elastic membrane. This makes the system opportunistic and adaptable to the unpredictable environment within cells.

Structures of cofilin-induced structural changes reveal local and asymmetric perturbations of actin filaments

Members of the cofilin/ADF family of proteins sever actin filaments, increasing the number of filament ends available for polymerization or depolymerization. Cofilin binds actin filaments with positive cooperativity, forming clusters of contiguously bound cofilin along the filament lattice. Filament severing occurs preferentially at boundaries between bare and cofilin-decorated (cofilactin) segments and is biased at 1 side of a cluster. A molecular understanding of cooperative binding and filament severing has been impeded by a lack of structural data describing boundaries. Here, we apply methods for analyzing filament cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data at the single subunit level to directly investigate the structure of boundaries within partially decorated cofilactin filaments. Subnanometer resolution maps of isolated, bound cofilin molecules and an actin-cofilactin boundary indicate that cofilin-induced actin conformational changes are local and limited to subunits directly contacting bound cofilin. An isolated, bound cofilin compromises longitudinal filament contacts of 1 protofilament, consistent with a single cofilin having filament-severing activity. An individual, bound phosphomimetic (S3D) cofilin with weak severing activity adopts a unique binding mode that does not perturb actin structure. Cofilin clusters disrupt both protofilaments, consistent with a higher severing activity at boundaries compared to single cofilin. Comparison of these structures indicates that this disruption is substantially greater at pointed end sides of cofilactin clusters than at the barbed end. These structures, with the distribution of bound cofilin clusters, suggest that maximum binding cooperativity is achieved when 2 cofilins occupy adjacent sites. These results reveal the structural origins of cooperative cofilin binding and actin filament severing.

The many implications of actin filament helicity

One of the best known features of actin filaments is their helical structure. A number of essential properties emerge from this molecular arrangement of actin subunits. Here, we give an overview of the mechanical and biochemical implications of filament helicity, at different scales. In particular, a number of recent studies have highlighted the role of filament helicity in the adaptation to and the generation of mechanical torsion, and in the modulation of the filament's interaction with very different actin-binding proteins (such as myosins, cross-linkers, formins, and cofilin). Helicity can thus be seen as a key factor for the regulation of actin assembly, and as a link between biochemical regulators and their mechanical context. In addition, actin filament helicity appears to play an essential role in the establishment of chirality at larger scales, up to the organismal scale. Altogether, helicity appears to be an essential feature contributing to the regulation of actin assembly dynamics, and to actin's ability to organize cells at a larger scale.

Forced Unfolding of Proteins Directs Biochemical Cascades

Many proteins in cells and in the extracellular matrix assemble into force-bearing networks, and some proteins clearly transduce mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals. Although structural mechanisms remain poorly understood, the designs of such proteins enable mechanical forces to either inhibit or facilitate interactions of protein domains with other proteins, including small molecules and enzymes, including proteases and kinases. Here, we review some of the structural proteins and processes that exhibit distinct modes of force-dependent signal conversion.

The advantages of microfluidics to study actin biochemistry and biomechanics

The regulated assembly of actin filaments is essential in nearly all cell types. Studying actin assembly dynamics can pose many technical challenges. A number of these challenges can be overcome by using microfluidics to observe and manipulate single actin filaments under an optical microscope. In particular, microfluidics can be tremendously useful for applying different mechanical stresses to actin filaments and determining how the physical context of the filaments affects their regulation by biochemical factors. In this review, we summarize the main features of microfluidics for the study of actin assembly dynamics, and we highlight some recent developments that have emerged from the combination of microfluidics and other techniques. We use two case studies to illustrate our points: the rapid assembly of actin filaments by formins and the disassembly of filaments by actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin. Both of these protein families play important roles in cells. They regulate actin assembly through complex molecular mechanisms that are sensitive to the filaments’ mechanical context, with multiple activities that need to be quantified separately. Microfluidics-based experiments have been extremely useful for gaining insight into the regulatory actions of these two protein families.

Plastic Deformation and Fragmentation of Strained Actin Filaments

The assembly of actin filaments and filament networks generate forces that drive cell and vesicle movement. These structures and the comprising actin filaments must be mechanically stable to sustain these forces and maintain their structural integrity. Filaments in these dynamic structures must also be disassembled to recycle and replenish the pool of actin monomers available for polymerization. Actin-severing proteins such as cofilin and contractile myosin motor proteins fragment these nominally stable structures. We developed a mesoscopic-length-scale actin filament model to investigate force-induced filament fragmentation. We show that fragmentation in our model occurs at curvatures similar to previous measurements of fragmentation within (cofil)actin and actin-cofilactin boundaries. Boundaries between bare and cofilin-decorated segments are brittle and fragment at small bending and twisting deformations. Extending filaments disperses strain uniformly over subunit interfaces, and filaments fragment with no detectable partial rupture or plastic deformation. In contrast, bending or twisting filaments imposes nonuniform interface strain and leads to partial interface rupture, accelerating filament fragmentation. As a result, the rupture force under compressive loads is an order of magnitude lower than under tensile loads. Partial interface rupture may be a primary mechanism of accelerating actin filament fragmentation by other actin-destabilizing proteins.

Regulation of axon growth by myosin II-dependent mechanocatalysis of cofilin activity

Synergism between myosin II contractility and cofilin activity modulates serotonin-dependent axon growth. Normally, cofilin-dependent decreases in actin density are compensated by increases in point contact density and traction force; however, myosin hyperactivation leads to catastrophic decreases in actin network density and neurite retraction.

Serotonin (5-HT) is known to increase the rate of growth cone advance via cofilin-dependent increases in retrograde actin network flow and nonmuscle myosin II activity. We report that myosin II activity is regulated by PKC during 5-HT responses and that PKC activity is necessary for increases in traction force normally associated with these growth responses. 5-HT simultaneously induces cofilin-dependent decreases in actin network density and PKC-dependent increases in point contact density. These reciprocal effects facilitate increases in traction force production in domains exhibiting decreased actin network density. Interestingly, when PKC activity was up-regulated, 5-HT treatments resulted in myosin II hyperactivation accompanied by catastrophic cofilin-dependent decreases in actin filament density, sudden decreases in traction force, and neurite retraction. These results reveal a synergistic relationship between cofilin and myosin II that is spatiotemporally regulated in the growth cone via mechanocatalytic effects to modulate neurite growth.

Katanin catalyzes microtubule depolymerization independently of tubulin C-terminal tails

Microtubule network remodeling is an essential process for cell development, maintenance, cell division, and motility. Microtubule‐severing enzymes are key players in the remodeling of the microtubule network; however, there are still open questions about their fundamental biochemical and biophysical mechanisms. Here, we explored the ability of the microtubule‐severing enzyme katanin to depolymerize stabilized microtubules. Interestingly, we found that the tubulin C‐terminal tail (CTT), which is required for severing, is not required for katanin‐catalyzed depolymerization. We also found that the depolymerization of microtubules lacking the CTT does not require ATP or katanin's ATPase activity, although the ATP turnover enhanced depolymerization. We also observed that the depolymerization rate depended on the katanin concentration and was best described by a hyperbolic function. Finally, we demonstrate that katanin can bind to filaments that lack the CTT, contrary to previous reports. The results of our work indicate that microtubule depolymerization likely involves a mechanism in which binding, but not enzymatic activity, is required for tubulin dimer removal from the filament ends.

The Cytoskeleton-A Complex Interacting Meshwork

The cytoskeleton of animal cells is one of the most complicated and functionally versatile structures, involved in processes such as endocytosis, cell division, intra-cellular transport, motility, force transmission, reaction to external forces, adhesion and preservation, and adaptation of cell shape. These functions are mediated by three classical cytoskeletal filament types, as follows: Actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. The named filaments form a network that is highly structured and dynamic, responding to external and internal cues with a quick reorganization that is orchestrated on the time scale of minutes and has to be tightly regulated. Especially in brain tumors, the cytoskeleton plays an important role in spreading and migration of tumor cells. As the cytoskeletal organization and regulation is complex and many-faceted, this review aims to summarize the findings about cytoskeletal filament types, including substructures formed by them, such as lamellipodia, stress fibers, and interactions between intermediate filaments, microtubules and actin. Additionally, crucial regulatory aspects of the cytoskeletal filaments and the formed substructures are discussed and integrated into the concepts of cell motility. Even though little is known about the impact of cytoskeletal alterations on the progress of glioma, a final point discussed will be the impact of established cytoskeletal alterations in the cellular behavior and invasion of glioma.

Torsional stress generated by ADF/cofilin on cross-linked actin filaments boosts their severing

Actin filaments assemble into ordered networks able to exert forces and shape cells. In response, filaments are exposed to mechanical stress which can potentially modulate their interactions with regulatory proteins. We developed in vitro tools to manipulate single filaments and study the impact of mechanics on the activity of actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin, the central player in actin disassembly. While tension has almost no effect, curvature enhances severing by ADF/cofilin. We also discovered a mechanism that boosts the severing of anchored filaments: When binding to these filaments, ADF/cofilin locally increases their natural helicity, generating a torque that accelerates filament fragmentation up to 100-fold. As a consequence, interconnected filament networks are severed far more efficiently than independent filaments.

Proteins of the actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin family are the central regulators of actin filament disassembly. A key function of ADF/cofilin is to sever actin filaments. However, how it does so in a physiological context, where filaments are interconnected and under mechanical stress, remains unclear. Here, we monitor and quantify the action of ADF/cofilin in different mechanical situations by using single-molecule, single-filament, and filament network techniques, coupled to microfluidics. We find that local curvature favors severing, while tension surprisingly has no effect on cofilin binding and weakly enhances severing. Remarkably, we observe that filament segments that are held between two anchoring points, thereby constraining their twist, experience a mechanical torque upon cofilin binding. We find that this ADF/cofilin-induced torque does not hinder ADF/cofilin binding, but dramatically enhances severing. A simple model, which faithfully recapitulates our experimental observations, indicates that the ADF/cofilin-induced torque increases the severing rate constant 100-fold. A consequence of this mechanism, which we verify experimentally, is that cross-linked filament networks are severed by cofilin far more efficiently than nonconnected filaments. We propose that this mechanochemical mechanism is critical to boost ADF/cofilin’s ability to sever highly connected filament networks in cells.

Evaluation of Single Hydrogel Nanofiber Mechanics Using Persistence Length Analysis

Polyelectrolyte hydrogel fibers can mimic the extracellular matrix and be used for tissue scaffolding. Mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte nanofibers are crucial in manipulating cell behavior, which metal ions have been found to enable tuning. While metal ions play an important role in manipulating the mechanical properties of the fibers, evaluating the mechanical properties of a single hydrated hydrogel fiber remains a challenging task and a more detailed understanding of how ions modulate the mechanical properties of individual polyelectrolyte polymers is still lacking. In this study, dark-field microscopy and persistence length analysis help directly evaluate fiber mechanics using electrospun fibers of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), chitosan (CS), and ferric ions as a model system. By comparing the persistence length and estimated Young's modulus of different nanofibers, we demonstrate that persistence length analysis is a viable approach to evaluate mechanical properties of hydrated fibers. Ferric ions were found to create shorter and stiffer nanofibers, with Young's modulus estimated at a few kilopascals. Ferric ions, at low concentration, reduce the Young's modulus of PAA and PAA/CS fibers through the interaction between ferric ions and carboxylate groups. Such interaction was further supported by nanoscale infrared spectroscopy studies of PAA and PAA/CS fibers with different concentrations of ferric ions.

Quantitative Variations with pH of Actin Depolymerizing Factor/Cofilin's Multiple Actions on Actin Filaments

Actin 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, at four different pH values ranging from 6.6 to 7.8, using single-filament microfluidics techniques. We show that decreasing the pH decreases 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 (“cofilactin” filaments) depolymerize from both ends. We show here that, at physiological pH (7.0–7.4), 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 pH range. We thus show that, at physiological pH, the main contribution of ADF/cofilin to filament depolymerization is at the barbed end.