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Huang HL, Suchenko A, Grandinetti G, Balasubramanian MK, Chinthalapudi K, Heissler SM. Cryo-EM structures of cardiac muscle α-actin mutants M305L and A331P give insights into the structural mechanisms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151460. [PMID: 39393252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2024] [Revised: 09/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/29/2024] [Indexed: 10/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac muscle α-actin is a key protein of the thin filament in the muscle sarcomere that, together with myosin thick filaments, produce force and contraction important for normal heart function. Missense mutations in cardiac muscle α-actin can cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a complex disorder of the heart characterized by hypercontractility at the molecular scale that leads to diverse clinical phenotypes. While the clinical aspects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms of missense mutations in cardiac muscle α-actin that cause the disease remain largely elusive. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structures of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-associated actin mutations M305L and A331P in the filamentous state. We show that the mutations have subtle impacts on the overall architecture of the actin filament with mutation-specific changes in the nucleotide binding cleft active site, interprotomer interfaces, and local changes around the mutation site. This suggests that structural changes induced by M305L and A331P have implications for the positioning of the thin filament protein tropomyosin and the interaction with myosin motors. Overall, this study supports a structural model whereby altered interactions between thick and thin filament proteins contribute to disease mechanisms in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Ling Huang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrejus Suchenko
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology and Warwick Medical School, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Giovanna Grandinetti
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mohan K Balasubramanian
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology and Warwick Medical School, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Krishna Chinthalapudi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Sarah M Heissler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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2
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Courtemanche N, Henty-Ridilla JL. Actin filament dynamics at barbed ends: New structures, new insights. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 90:102419. [PMID: 39178734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
The dynamic actin cytoskeleton contributes to many critical biological processes by providing the structural support underlying the morphology of most cells, facilitating intracellular transport, and generating forces required for cell motility and division. To execute many of these functions, actin monomers polymerize into polarized filaments that display different structural and biochemical properties at each end. Filament dynamics are regulated by diverse regulatory proteins which collaborate to dictate rates of elongation and disassembly, particularly at the fast-growing barbed (plus) end. This review highlights the biochemical mechanisms of six barbed end regulatory proteins: formin, profilin, capping protein, IQGAP1, cyclase-associated protein, and twinfilin. We discuss how individual proteins influence actin dynamics and how several intriguing complex assemblies influence the polymerization fate of actin filaments. Understanding these mechanisms offers insights into how actin is regulated in essential cell processes and dysregulated in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Courtemanche
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Jessica L Henty-Ridilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
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3
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Carl AG, Reynolds MJ, Gurel PS, Phua DY, Sun X, Mei L, Hamilton K, Takagi Y, Noble AJ, Sellers JR, Alushin GM. Myosin forces elicit an F-actin structural landscape that mediates mechanosensitive protein recognition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.15.608188. [PMID: 39185238 PMCID: PMC11343212 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.15.608188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Cells mechanically interface with their surroundings through cytoskeleton-linked adhesions, allowing them to sense physical cues that instruct development and drive diseases such as cancer. Contractile forces generated by myosin motor proteins mediate these mechanical signal transduction processes through unclear protein structural mechanisms. Here, we show that myosin forces elicit structural changes in actin filaments (F-actin) that modulate binding by the mechanosensitive adhesion protein α-catenin. Using correlative cryo-fluorescence microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, we identify F-actin featuring domains of nanoscale oscillating curvature at cytoskeleton-adhesion interfaces enriched in zyxin, a marker of actin-myosin generated traction forces. We next introduce a reconstitution system for visualizing F-actin in the presence of myosin forces with cryo-electron microscopy, which reveals morphologically similar superhelical F-actin spirals. In simulations, transient forces mimicking tugging and release of filaments by motors produce spirals, supporting a mechanistic link to myosin's ATPase mechanochemical cycle. Three-dimensional reconstruction of spirals uncovers extensive asymmetric remodeling of F-actin's helical lattice. This is recognized by α-catenin, which cooperatively binds along individual strands, preferentially engaging interfaces featuring extended inter-subunit distances while simultaneously suppressing rotational deviations to regularize the lattice. Collectively, we find that myosin forces can deform F-actin, generating a conformational landscape that is detected and reciprocally modulated by a mechanosensitive protein, providing a direct structural glimpse at active force transduction through the cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayala G. Carl
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Tri-Institutional Program in Chemical Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew J. Reynolds
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pinar S. Gurel
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donovan Y.Z. Phua
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Sun
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Tri-Institutional Program in Chemical Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Hamilton
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasuharu Takagi
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alex J. Noble
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - James R. Sellers
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gregory M. Alushin
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Xu XP, Cao W, Swift MF, Pandit NG, Huehn AE, Sindelar CV, De La Cruz EM, Hanein D, Volkmann N. High-resolution yeast actin structures indicate the molecular mechanism of actin filament stiffening by cations. Commun Chem 2024; 7:164. [PMID: 39079963 PMCID: PMC11289367 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01243-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ping Xu
- Scintillon Institute, 6868 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Wenxiang Cao
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Mark F Swift
- Scintillon Institute, 6868 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Nandan G Pandit
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Andrew E Huehn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Charles V Sindelar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Enrique M De La Cruz
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Dorit Hanein
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Department of Biological Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Niels Volkmann
- Department of Biological Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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5
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Yu CJ, Park YH, An MY, Ryu B, Jung HS. Insights into Actin Isoform-Specific Interactions with Myosin via Computational Analysis. Molecules 2024; 29:2992. [PMID: 38998944 PMCID: PMC11242942 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29132992] [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: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Actin, which plays a crucial role in cellular structure and function, interacts with various binding proteins, notably myosin. In mammals, actin is composed of six isoforms that exhibit high levels of sequence conservation and structural similarity overall. As a result, the selection of actin isoforms was considered unimportant in structural studies of their binding with myosin. However, recent high-resolution structural research discovered subtle structural differences in the N-terminus of actin isoforms, suggesting the possibility that each actin isoform may engage in specific interactions with myosin isoforms. In this study, we aimed to explore this possibility, particularly by understanding the influence of different actin isoforms on the interaction with myosin 7A. First, we compared the reported actomyosin structures utilizing the same type of actin isoforms as the high-resolution filamentous skeletal α-actin (3.5 Å) structure elucidated using cryo-EM. Through this comparison, we confirmed that the diversity of myosin isoforms leads to differences in interaction with the actin N-terminus, and that loop 2 of the myosin actin-binding sites directly interacts with the actin N-terminus. Subsequently, with the aid of multiple sequence alignment, we observed significant variations in the length of loop 2 across different myosin isoforms. We predicted that these length differences in loop 2 would likely result in structural variations that would affect the interaction with the actin N-terminus. For myosin 7A, loop 2 was found to be very short, and protein complex predictions using skeletal α-actin confirmed an interaction between loop 2 and the actin N-terminus. The prediction indicated that the positively charged residues present in loop 2 electrostatically interact with the acidic patch residues D24 and D25 of actin subdomain 1, whereas interaction with the actin N-terminus beyond this was not observed. Additionally, analyses of the actomyosin-7A prediction models generated using various actin isoforms consistently yielded the same results regardless of the type of actin isoform employed. The results of this study suggest that the subtle structural differences in the N-terminus of actin isoforms are unlikely to influence the binding structure with short loop 2 myosin 7A. Our findings are expected to provide a deeper understanding for future high-resolution structural binding studies of actin and myosin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Jong Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Gangwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Ho Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Gangwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Young An
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Gangwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumhan Ryu
- Research Solution Center, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Suk Jung
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Gangwon, Republic of Korea
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6
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Shah R, Panagiotou TC, Cole GB, Moraes TF, Lavoie BD, McCulloch CA, Wilde A. The DIAPH3 linker specifies a β-actin network that maintains RhoA and Myosin-II at the cytokinetic furrow. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5250. [PMID: 38897998 PMCID: PMC11187180 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49427-2] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the final step of the cell division cycle that leads to the formation of two new cells. Successful cytokinesis requires significant remodelling of the plasma membrane by spatially distinct β- and γ-actin networks. These networks are generated by the formin family of actin nucleators, DIAPH3 and DIAPH1 respectively. Here we show that β- and γ-actin perform specialized and non-redundant roles in cytokinesis and cannot substitute for one another. Expression of hybrid DIAPH1 and DIAPH3 proteins with altered actin isoform specificity relocalized cytokinetic actin isoform networks within the cell, causing cytokinetic failure. Consistent with this we show that β-actin networks, but not γ-actin networks, are required for the maintenance of non-muscle myosin II and RhoA at the cytokinetic furrow. These data suggest that independent and spatially distinct actin isoform networks form scaffolds of unique interactors that facilitate localized biochemical activities to ensure successful cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riya Shah
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Thomas C Panagiotou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Gregory B Cole
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Trevor F Moraes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Brigitte D Lavoie
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | | | - Andrew Wilde
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada.
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7
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Chinthalapudi K, Heissler SM. Structure, regulation, and mechanisms of nonmuscle myosin-2. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:263. [PMID: 38878079 PMCID: PMC11335295 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05264-6] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Members of the myosin superfamily of molecular motors are large mechanochemical ATPases that are implicated in an ever-expanding array of cellular functions. This review focuses on mammalian nonmuscle myosin-2 (NM2) paralogs, ubiquitous members of the myosin-2 family of filament-forming motors. Through the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work, NM2 paralogs remodel and shape cells and tissues. This process is tightly controlled in time and space by numerous synergetic regulation mechanisms to meet cellular demands. We review how recent advances in structural biology together with elegant biophysical and cell biological approaches have contributed to our understanding of the shared and unique mechanisms of NM2 paralogs as they relate to their kinetics, regulation, assembly, and cellular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Chinthalapudi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Sarah M Heissler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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8
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Jia H, Chang Y, Song J. The pig as an optimal animal model for cardiovascular research. Lab Anim (NY) 2024; 53:136-147. [PMID: 38773343 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-024-01377-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is a worldwide health problem and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Preclinical cardiovascular research using animals is needed to explore potential targets and therapeutic options. Compared with rodents, pigs have many advantages, with their anatomy, physiology, metabolism and immune system being more similar to humans. Here we present an overview of the available pig models for cardiovascular diseases, discuss their advantages over other models and propose the concept of standardized models to improve translation to the clinical setting and control research costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Jia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Chang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangping Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, China.
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9
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Heissler SM, Chinthalapudi K. Structural and functional mechanisms of actin isoforms. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38779987 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Actin is a highly conserved and fundamental protein in eukaryotes and participates in a broad spectrum of cellular functions. Cells maintain a conserved ratio of actin isoforms, with muscle and non-muscle actins representing the main actin isoforms in muscle and non-muscle cells, respectively. Actin isoforms have specific and redundant functional roles and display different biochemistries, cellular localization, and interactions with myosins and actin-binding proteins. Understanding the specific roles of actin isoforms from the structural and functional perspective is crucial for elucidating the intricacies of cytoskeletal dynamics and regulation and their implications in health and disease. Here, we review how the structure contributes to the functional mechanisms of actin isoforms with a special emphasis on the questions of how post-translational modifications and disease-linked mutations affect actin isoforms biochemistry, function, and interaction with actin-binding proteins and myosin motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Heissler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Krishna Chinthalapudi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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10
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Rynkiewicz MJ, Childers MC, Karpicheva OE, Regnier M, Geeves MA, Lehman W. Myosin's powerstroke transitions define atomic scale movement of cardiac thin filament tropomyosin. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202413538. [PMID: 38607351 PMCID: PMC11010328 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202413538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Dynamic interactions between the myosin motor head on thick filaments and the actin molecular track on thin filaments drive the myosin-crossbridge cycle that powers muscle contraction. The process is initiated by Ca2+ and the opening of troponin-tropomyosin-blocked myosin-binding sites on actin. The ensuing recruitment of myosin heads and their transformation from pre-powerstroke to post-powerstroke conformation on actin produce the force required for contraction. Cryo-EM-based atomic models confirm that during this process, tropomyosin occupies three different average positions on actin. Tropomyosin pivoting on actin away from a TnI-imposed myosin-blocking position accounts for part of the Ca2+ activation observed. However, the structure of tropomyosin on thin filaments that follows pre-powerstroke myosin binding and its translocation during myosin's pre-powerstroke to post-powerstroke transition remains unresolved. Here, we approach this transition computationally in silico. We used the myosin helix-loop-helix motif as an anchor to dock models of pre-powerstroke cardiac myosin to the cleft between neighboring actin subunits along cardiac thin filaments. We then performed targeted molecular dynamics simulations of the transition between pre- and post-powerstroke conformations on actin in the presence of cardiac troponin-tropomyosin. These simulations show Arg 369 and Glu 370 on the tip of myosin Loop-4 encountering identically charged residues on tropomyosin. The charge repulsion between residues causes tropomyosin translocation across actin, thus accounting for the final regulatory step in the activation of the thin filament, and, in turn, facilitating myosin movement along the filament. We suggest that during muscle activity, myosin-induced tropomyosin movement is likely to result in unencumbered myosin head interactions on actin at low-energy cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Rynkiewicz
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Olga E. Karpicheva
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Regnier
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - William Lehman
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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11
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McGowan SE, Gilfanov N, Chandurkar MK, Stiber JA, Han SJ. Drebrin is Required for Myosin-facilitated Actin Cytoskeletal Remodeling during Pulmonary Alveolar Development. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2024; 70:308-321. [PMID: 38271699 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2023-0229oc] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Alveolar septation increases gas-exchange surface area and requires coordinated cytoskeletal rearrangement in lung fibroblasts (LFs) to balance the demands of contraction and cell migration. We hypothesized that DBN (drebrin), a modulator of the actin cytoskeleton in neuronal dendrites, regulates the remodeling of the LF cytoskeleton. Using mice bearing a transgelin-Cre-targeted deletion of Dbn in pulmonary fibroblasts and pericytes, we examined alterations in alveolar septal outgrowth, LF spreading and migration, and actomyosin function. The alveolar surface area and number of alveoli were reduced, whereas alveolar ducts were enlarged, in mice bearing the dbn deletion (DBNΔ) compared with their littermates bearing only one dbn-Flox allele (control). Cultured DBNΔ LFs were deficient in their responses to substrate rigidity and migrated more slowly. Drebrin was abundant in the actin cortex and lamella, and the actin fiber orientation was less uniform in lamella of DBNΔ LFs, which limited the development of traction forces and altered focal adhesion dynamics. Actin fiber orientation is regulated by contractile NM2 (nonmuscle myosin-2) motors, which help arrange actin stress fibers into thick ventral actin stress fibers. Using fluorescence anisotropy, we observed regional intracellular differences in myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation in control LFs that were altered by dbn deletion. Using perturbations to induce and then release stalling of NM2 on actin in LFs from both genotypes, we made predictions explaining how DBN interacts with actin and NM2. These studies provide new insight for diseases such as emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis, in which fibroblasts inappropriately respond to mechanical cues in their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E McGowan
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa
- Department of Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | | | - Mohanish K Chandurkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
| | - Jonathan A Stiber
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and
| | - Sangyoon J Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
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12
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Reed AE, Peraza J, van den Haak F, Hernandez ER, Gibbs RA, Chinn IK, Lupski JR, Marchi E, Reshef R, Alobeid B, Mace EM, Orange JS. β-Actin G342D as a Cause of NK Cell Deficiency Impairing Lytic Synapse Termination. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:962-973. [PMID: 38315012 PMCID: PMC11337350 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
NK cell deficiency (NKD) occurs when an individual's major clinical immunodeficiency derives from abnormal NK cells and is associated with several genetic etiologies. Three categories of β-actin-related diseases with over 60 ACTB (β-actin) variants have previously been identified, none with a distinct NK cell phenotype. An individual with mild developmental delay, macrothrombocytopenia, and susceptibility to infections, molluscum contagiosum virus, and EBV-associated lymphoma had functional NKD for over a decade. A de novo ACTB variant encoding G342D β-actin was identified and was consistent with the individual's developmental and platelet phenotype. This novel variant also was found to have direct impact in NK cells because its expression in the human NK cell line YTS (YTS-NKD) caused increased cell spreading in lytic immune synapses created on activating surfaces. YTS-NKD cells were able to degranulate and perform cytotoxicity, but they demonstrated defective serial killing because of prolonged conjugation to the killed target cell and thus were effectively unable to terminate lytic synapses. G342D β-actin results in a novel, to our knowledge, mechanism of functional NKD via increased synaptic spreading and defective lytic synapse termination with resulting impaired serial killing, leading to overall reductions in NK cell cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Reed
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jackeline Peraza
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Frederique van den Haak
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Evelyn R Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Ivan K Chinn
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Human Genome Sequencing Center, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Enrica Marchi
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, NCI Designated Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Ran Reshef
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Bachir Alobeid
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jordan S Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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13
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Greve JN, Schwäbe FV, Taft MH, Manstein DJ. Biochemical characterization of cardiac α-actin mutations A21V and D26N implicated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38459932 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects .2% of the world's population and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Mutations in cardiac α-actin are the cause in 1%-5% of all observed cases. Here, we describe the recombinant production, purification, and characterization of the HCM-linked cardiac α-actin variants p.A21V and p.D26N. Mass spectrometric analysis of the initially purified recombinant cardiac α-actin variants and wild-type protein revealed improper N-terminal processing in the Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-9) insect cell system, compromising the labeling of the protein with fluorescent probes for biochemical studies. Therefore, we produced N-terminal deletion mutants lacking the N-terminal cysteine (ΔC2). The ΔC2 wild-type construct behaved similar to porcine cardiac α-actin purified from native Sus scrofa heart tissue and all ΔC2 constructs showed improved fluorescent labeling. Further analysis of untruncated and ΔC2 constructs showed that while neither the A21V nor the D26N mutation affects nucleotide binding, they cause a similar slowing of the rate of filament formation as well as a reduction in the thermal stability of monomeric and filamentous cardiac α-actin. In vitro motility assays and transient-kinetic studies probing the interaction of the actin variants with cardiac β-myosin revealed perturbed actomyosin interactions and a reduced motile activity for the p.D26N variant. Addition of the small molecule effector EMD 57033, which targets cardiac β-myosin, rescued the approximately 40% drop in velocity observed with the p.D26N constructs and activated the motile activity of wild-type and p.D26N to the same level of 1100 nm s-1 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes N Greve
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz-Hartmann-Centre for Medical Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Frederic V Schwäbe
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz-Hartmann-Centre for Medical Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Manuel H Taft
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz-Hartmann-Centre for Medical Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dietmar J Manstein
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz-Hartmann-Centre for Medical Research, Hannover, Germany
- Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- RESiST, Cluster of Excellence 2155, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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14
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Greve JN, Marquardt A, Heiringhoff R, Reindl T, Thiel C, Di Donato N, Taft MH, Manstein DJ. The non-muscle actinopathy-associated mutation E334Q in cytoskeletal γ-actin perturbs interaction of actin filaments with myosin and ADF/cofilin family proteins. eLife 2024; 12:RP93013. [PMID: 38446501 PMCID: PMC10942649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93013] [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] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Various heterozygous cytoskeletal γ-actin mutations have been shown to cause Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial syndrome, non-syndromic hearing loss, or isolated eye coloboma. Here, we report the biochemical characterization of human cytoskeletal γ-actin carrying mutation E334Q, a mutation that leads to a hitherto unspecified non-muscle actinopathy. Following expression, purification, and removal of linker and thymosin β4 tag sequences, the p.E334Q monomers show normal integration into linear and branched actin filaments. The mutation does not affect thermal stability, actin filament nucleation, elongation, and turnover. Model building and normal mode analysis predict significant differences in the interaction of p.E334Q filaments with myosin motors and members of the ADF/cofilin family of actin-binding proteins. Assays probing the interactions of p.E334Q filaments with human class 2 and class 5 myosin motor constructs show significant reductions in sliding velocity and actin affinity. E334Q differentially affects cofilin-mediated actin dynamics by increasing the rate of cofilin-mediated de novo nucleation of actin filaments and decreasing the efficiency of cofilin-mediated filament severing. Thus, it is likely that p.E334Q-mediated changes in myosin motor activity, as well as filament turnover, contribute to the observed disease phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes N Greve
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | - Anja Marquardt
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | - Robin Heiringhoff
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | - Theresia Reindl
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | - Claudia Thiel
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | | | - Manuel H Taft
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
| | - Dietmar J Manstein
- Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Fritz Hartmann Centre for MedicalHannoverGermany
- Division for Structural Biochemistry, Hannover Medical SchoolHannoverGermany
- RESiST, Cluster of Excellence 2155, Hannover Medical SchoolHannoverGermany
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15
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van Zwam MC, Dhar A, Bosman W, van Straaten W, Weijers S, Seta E, Joosten B, van Haren J, Palani S, van den Dries K. IntAct: A nondisruptive internal tagging strategy to study the organization and function of actin isoforms. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002551. [PMID: 38466773 PMCID: PMC10957077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammals have 6 highly conserved actin isoforms with nonredundant biological functions. The molecular basis of isoform specificity, however, remains elusive due to a lack of tools. Here, we describe the development of IntAct, an internal tagging strategy to study actin isoforms in fixed and living cells. We identified a residue pair in β-actin that permits tag integration and used knock-in cell lines to demonstrate that IntAct β-actin expression and filament incorporation is indistinguishable from wild type. Furthermore, IntAct β-actin remains associated with common actin-binding proteins (ABPs) and can be targeted in living cells. We demonstrate the usability of IntAct for actin isoform investigations by showing that actin isoform-specific distribution is maintained in human cells. Lastly, we observed a variant-dependent incorporation of tagged actin variants into yeast actin patches, cables, and cytokinetic rings demonstrating cross species applicability. Together, our data indicate that IntAct is a versatile tool to study actin isoform localization, dynamics, and molecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime C. van Zwam
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anubhav Dhar
- Department of Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Willem Bosman
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Wendy van Straaten
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Weijers
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Emiel Seta
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ben Joosten
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Saravanan Palani
- Department of Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Koen van den Dries
- Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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16
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Abstract
Force generation in striated muscle is primarily controlled by structural changes in the actin-containing thin filaments triggered by an increase in intracellular calcium concentration. However, recent studies have elucidated a new class of regulatory mechanisms, based on the myosin-containing thick filament, that control the strength and speed of contraction by modulating the availability of myosin motors for the interaction with actin. This review summarizes the mechanisms of thin and thick filament activation that regulate the contractility of skeletal and cardiac muscle. A novel dual-filament paradigm of muscle regulation is emerging, in which the dynamics of force generation depends on the coordinated activation of thin and thick filaments. We highlight the interfilament signaling pathways based on titin and myosin-binding protein-C that couple thin and thick filament regulatory mechanisms. This dual-filament regulation mediates the length-dependent activation of cardiac muscle that underlies the control of the cardiac output in each heartbeat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Brunello
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Luca Fusi
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; ,
- Centre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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17
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Küçükdogru R, Franz P, Worch R, Robaszkiewicz K, Siatkowska M, Tsiavaliaris G, Moraczewska J. Mechanochemical consequences of myopathy-linked mutations in Tpm2.2 on striated muscle contractility. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23400. [PMID: 38156416 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301604r] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Tropomyosin (Tpm) is an actin-binding protein central to muscle contraction regulation. The Tpm sequence consists of periodic repeats corresponding to seven actin-binding sites, further divided in two functionally distinct halves. To clarify the importance of the first and second halves of the actin-binding periods in regulating the interaction of myosin with actin, we introduced hypercontractile mutations D20H, E181K located in the N-terminal halves of periods 1 and 5 and hypocontractile mutations E41K, N202K located in the C-terminal halves of periods 1 and 5 of the skeletal muscle Tpm isoform Tpm2.2. Wild-type and mutant Tpms displayed similar actin-binding properties, however, as revealed by FRET experiments, the hypercontractile mutations affected the binding geometry and orientation of Tpm2.2 on actin, causing a stimulation of myosin motor performance. Contrary, the hypocontractile mutations led to an inhibition of both, actin activation of the myosin ATPase and motor activity, that was more pronounced than with wild-type Tpm2.2. Single ATP turnover kinetic experiments indicate that the introduced mutations have opposite effects on product release kinetics. While the hypercontractile Tpm2.2 mutants accelerated product release, the hypocontractile mutants decelerated product release from myosin, thus having either an activating or inhibitory influence on myosin motor performance, which agrees with the muscle disease phenotypes caused by these mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Recep Küçükdogru
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Peter Franz
- Cellular Biophysics, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Remigiusz Worch
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Robaszkiewicz
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Siatkowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Georgios Tsiavaliaris
- Cellular Biophysics, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Joanna Moraczewska
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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18
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Wang C, Ding J, Wei Q, Du S, Gong X, Chew TG. Mechanosensitive accumulation of non-muscle myosin IIB during mitosis requires its translocation activity. iScience 2023; 26:107773. [PMID: 37720093 PMCID: PMC10504539 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107773] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-muscle myosin II (NMII) is a force-generating mechanosensitive enzyme that responds to mechanical forces. NMIIs mechanoaccumulate at the cell cortex in response to mechanical forces. It is essential for cells to mechanically adapt to the physical environment, failure of which results in mitotic defects when dividing in confined environment. Much less is known about how NMII mechanoaccumulation is regulated during mitosis. We show that mitotic cells respond to compressive stress by promoting accumulation of active RhoA at the cell cortex as in interphase cells. RhoA mechanoresponse during mitosis activates and stabilizes NMIIB via ROCK signaling, leading to NMIIB mechanoaccumulation at the cell cortex. Using disease-related myosin II mutations, we found that NMIIB mechanoaccumulation requires its motor activity that translocates actin filaments, but not just its actin-binding function. Thus, the motor activity coordinates structural movement and nucleotide state changes to fine-tune actin-binding affinity optimal for NMIIs to generate and respond to forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
| | - Jingjing Ding
- Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
| | - Qiaodong Wei
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shoukang Du
- Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
| | - Xiaobo Gong
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ting Gang Chew
- Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China
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19
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Bai Y, Zhao F, Wu T, Chen F, Pang X. Actin polymerization and depolymerization in developing vertebrates. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1213668. [PMID: 37745245 PMCID: PMC10515290 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1213668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Development is a complex process that occurs throughout the life cycle. F-actin, a major component of the cytoskeleton, is essential for the morphogenesis of tissues and organs during development. F-actin is formed by the polymerization of G-actin, and the dynamic balance of polymerization and depolymerization ensures proper cellular function. Disruption of this balance results in various abnormalities and defects or even embryonic lethality. Here, we reviewed recent findings on the structure of G-actin and F-actin and the polymerization of G-actin to F-actin. We also focused on the functions of actin isoforms and the underlying mechanisms of actin polymerization/depolymerization in cellular and organic morphogenesis during development. This information will extend our understanding of the role of actin polymerization in the physiologic or pathologic processes during development and may open new avenues for developing therapeutics for embryonic developmental abnormalities or tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bai
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingting Wu
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Fangchun Chen
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Pang
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
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20
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Hojjatian A, Taylor DW, Daneshparvar N, Fagnant PM, Trybus KM, Taylor KA. Double-headed binding of myosin II to F-actin shows the effect of strain on head structure. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:107995. [PMID: 37414375 PMCID: PMC10544818 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.107995] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Force production in muscle is achieved through the interaction of myosin and actin. Strong binding states in active muscle are associated with Mg·ADP bound to the active site; release of Mg·ADP allows rebinding of ATP and dissociation from actin. Thus, Mg·ADP binding is positioned for adaptation as a force sensor. Mechanical loads on the lever arm can affect the ability of myosin to release Mg·ADP but exactly how this is done is poorly defined. Here we use F-actin decorated with double-headed smooth muscle myosin fragments in the presence of Mg·ADP to visualize the effect of internally supplied tension on the paired lever arms using cryoEM. The interaction of the paired heads with two adjacent actin subunits is predicted to place one lever arm under positive and the other under negative strain. The converter domain is believed to be the most flexible domain within myosin head. Our results, instead, point to the segment of heavy chain between the essential and regulatory light chains as the location of the largest structural change. Moreover, our results suggest no large changes in the myosin coiled coil tail as the locus of strain relief when both heads bind F-actin. The method would be adaptable to double-headed members of the myosin family. We anticipate that the study of actin-myosin interaction using double-headed fragments enables visualization of domains that are typically noisy in decoration with single-headed fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alimohammad Hojjatian
- Inst. of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States
| | - Dianne W Taylor
- Inst. of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States
| | - Nadia Daneshparvar
- Inst. of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States
| | - Patricia M Fagnant
- Dept of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, United States
| | - Kathleen M Trybus
- Dept of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, United States
| | - Kenneth A Taylor
- Inst. of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States.
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21
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Steffensen KE, Dawson JF. Actin's C-terminus coordinates actin structural changes and functions. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2023; 80:313-329. [PMID: 37036084 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Actin is essential to eukaryotic cellular processes. Actin's C-terminus appears to play a direct role in modulating actin's structure and properties, facilitating the binding and function of actin-binding proteins (ABPs). The structural and functional characterization of filamentous actin's C-terminus has been impeded by its inherent flexibility, as well as actin's resistance to crystallization for x-ray diffraction and the historical resolution constraints associated with electron microscopy. Many biochemical studies have established that actin's C-terminus must retain its flexibility and structural integrity to modulate actin's structure and functions. For example, C-terminal structural changes are known to affect nucleotide binding and exchange, as well as propagate actin structural changes throughout extensive allosteric networks, facilitating the binding and function of ABPs. Advances in electron microscopy have resulted in high-resolution structures of filamentous actin, providing insights into subtle structural changes that are mediated by actin's C-terminus. Here, we review existing knowledge establishing the importance of actin's C-terminus within actin structural changes and functions and discuss how modern structural characterization techniques provide the tools to understand the role of actin's C-terminus in cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl E Steffensen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - John F Dawson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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22
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Ibar C, Chinthalapudi K, Heissler SM, Irvine KD. Competition between myosin II and β H-spectrin regulates cytoskeletal tension. eLife 2023; 12:RP84918. [PMID: 37367948 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Spectrins are membrane cytoskeletal proteins generally thought to function as heterotetramers comprising two α-spectrins and two β-spectrins. They influence cell shape and Hippo signaling, but the mechanism by which they influence Hippo signaling has remained unclear. We have investigated the role and regulation of the Drosophila β-heavy spectrin (βH-spectrin, encoded by the karst gene) in wing imaginal discs. Our results establish that βH-spectrin regulates Hippo signaling through the Jub biomechanical pathway due to its influence on cytoskeletal tension. While we find that α-spectrin also regulates Hippo signaling through Jub, unexpectedly, we find that βH-spectrin localizes and functions independently of α-spectrin. Instead, βH-spectrin co-localizes with and reciprocally regulates and is regulated by myosin. In vivo and in vitro experiments support a model in which βH-spectrin and myosin directly compete for binding to apical F-actin. This competition can explain the influence of βH-spectrin on cytoskeletal tension and myosin accumulation. It also provides new insight into how βH-spectrin participates in ratcheting mechanisms associated with cell shape change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Ibar
- Waksman Institute and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Krishna Chinthalapudi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, United States
| | - Sarah M Heissler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, United States
| | - Kenneth D Irvine
- Waksman Institute and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
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23
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Haarer BK, Pimm ML, de Jong EP, Amberg DC, Henty-Ridilla JL. Purification of human β- and γ-actin from budding yeast. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260540. [PMID: 37070275 PMCID: PMC10184827 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Biochemical studies of human actin and its binding partners rely heavily on abundant and easily purified α-actin from skeletal muscle. Therefore, muscle actin has been used to evaluate and determine the activities of most actin regulatory proteins but there is an underlying concern that these proteins perform differently from actin present in non-muscle cells. To provide easily accessible and relatively abundant sources of human β- or γ-actin (i.e. cytoplasmic actins), we developed Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that express each as their sole source of actin. Both β- or γ-actin purified in this system polymerize and interact with various binding partners, including profilin, mDia1 (formin), fascin and thymosin-β4 (Tβ4). Notably, Tβ4 and profilin bind to β- or γ-actin with higher affinity than to α-actin, emphasizing the value of testing actin ligands with specific actin isoforms. These reagents will make specific isoforms of actin more accessible for future studies on actin regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian K. Haarer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Morgan L. Pimm
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | | | - David C. Amberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Jessica L. Henty-Ridilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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24
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Li N, Chen S, Xu K, He MT, Dong MQ, Zhang QC, Gao N. Structural basis of membrane skeleton organization in red blood cells. Cell 2023; 186:1912-1929.e18. [PMID: 37044097 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The spectrin-based membrane skeleton is a ubiquitous membrane-associated two-dimensional cytoskeleton underneath the lipid membrane of metazoan cells. Mutations of skeleton proteins impair the mechanical strength and functions of the membrane, leading to several different types of human diseases. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of the native spectrin-actin junctional complex (from porcine erythrocytes), which is a specialized short F-actin acting as the central organizational unit of the membrane skeleton. While an α-/β-adducin hetero-tetramer binds to the barbed end of F-actin as a flexible cap, tropomodulin and SH3BGRL2 together create an absolute cap at the pointed end. The junctional complex is strengthened by ring-like structures of dematin in the middle actin layers and by patterned periodic interactions with tropomyosin over its entire length. This work serves as a structural framework for understanding the assembly and dynamics of membrane skeleton and offers insights into mechanisms of various ubiquitous F-actin-binding factors in other F-actin systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Siyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; Changping Laboratory Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kui Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Meng-Ting He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China; Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Meng-Qiu Dong
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China; Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiangfeng Cliff Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ning Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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25
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Doran MH, Rynkiewicz MJ, Rasicci D, Bodt SM, Barry ME, Bullitt E, Yengo CM, Moore JR, Lehman W. Conformational changes linked to ADP release from human cardiac myosin bound to actin-tropomyosin. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213267. [PMID: 36633586 PMCID: PMC9859928 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Following binding to the thin filament, β-cardiac myosin couples ATP-hydrolysis to conformational rearrangements in the myosin motor that drive myofilament sliding and cardiac ventricular contraction. However, key features of the cardiac-specific actin-myosin interaction remain uncertain, including the structural effect of ADP release from myosin, which is rate-limiting during force generation. In fact, ADP release slows under experimental load or in the intact heart due to the afterload, thereby adjusting cardiac muscle power output to meet physiological demands. To further elucidate the structural basis of this fundamental process, we used a combination of cryo-EM reconstruction methodologies to determine structures of the human cardiac actin-myosin-tropomyosin filament complex at better than 3.4 Å-resolution in the presence and in the absence of Mg2+·ADP. Focused refinements of the myosin motor head and its essential light chains in these reconstructions reveal that small changes in the nucleotide-binding site are coupled to significant rigid body movements of the myosin converter domain and a 16-degree lever arm swing. Our structures provide a mechanistic framework to understand the effect of ADP binding and release on human cardiac β-myosin, and offer insights into the force-sensing mechanism displayed by the cardiac myosin motor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Doran
- School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J. Rynkiewicz
- School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Rasicci
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Skylar M.L. Bodt
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Meaghan E. Barry
- Department of Biological Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - Esther Bullitt
- School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M. Yengo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Moore
- Department of Biological Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - William Lehman
- School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Lopez AJ, Andreadaki M, Vahokoski J, Deligianni E, Calder LJ, Camerini S, Freitag A, Bergmann U, Rosenthal PB, Sidén-Kiamos I, Kursula I. Structure and function of Plasmodium actin II in the parasite mosquito stages. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011174. [PMID: 36877739 PMCID: PMC10019781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Actins are filament-forming, highly-conserved proteins in eukaryotes. They are involved in essential processes in the cytoplasm and also have nuclear functions. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) have two actin isoforms that differ from each other and from canonical actins in structure and filament-forming properties. Actin I has an essential role in motility and is fairly well characterized. The structure and function of actin II are not as well understood, but mutational analyses have revealed two essential functions in male gametogenesis and in the oocyst. Here, we present expression analysis, high-resolution filament structures, and biochemical characterization of Plasmodium actin II. We confirm expression in male gametocytes and zygotes and show that actin II is associated with the nucleus in both stages in filament-like structures. Unlike actin I, actin II readily forms long filaments in vitro, and near-atomic structures in the presence or absence of jasplakinolide reveal very similar structures. Small but significant differences compared to other actins in the openness and twist, the active site, the D-loop, and the plug region contribute to filament stability. The function of actin II was investigated through mutational analysis, suggesting that long and stable filaments are necessary for male gametogenesis, while a second function in the oocyst stage also requires fine-tuned regulation by methylation of histidine 73. Actin II polymerizes via the classical nucleation-elongation mechanism and has a critical concentration of ~0.1 μM at the steady-state, like actin I and canonical actins. Similarly to actin I, dimers are a stable form of actin II at equilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J. Lopez
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maria Andreadaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Juha Vahokoski
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elena Deligianni
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Lesley J. Calder
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anika Freitag
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ulrich Bergmann
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Peter B. Rosenthal
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Inga Sidén-Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- * E-mail: (ISK); (IK)
| | - Inari Kursula
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- * E-mail: (ISK); (IK)
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27
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Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of actin cytoskeleton regulation in cell migration using cryo-EM. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:87-99. [PMID: 36695514 PMCID: PMC9987995 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in cell migration and cellular morphodynamics in most eukaryotes. The ability of the actin cytoskeleton to assemble and disassemble in a spatiotemporally controlled manner allows it to form higher-order structures, which can generate forces required for a cell to explore and navigate through its environment. It is regulated not only via a complex synergistic and competitive interplay between actin-binding proteins (ABP), but also by filament biochemistry and filament geometry. The lack of structural insights into how geometry and ABPs regulate the actin cytoskeleton limits our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that define actin cytoskeleton remodeling and, in turn, impact emerging cell migration characteristics. With the advent of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and advanced computational methods, it is now possible to define these molecular mechanisms involving actin and its interactors at both atomic and ultra-structural levels in vitro and in cellulo. In this review, we will provide an overview of the available cryo-EM methods, applicable to further our understanding of the actin cytoskeleton, specifically in the context of cell migration. We will discuss how these methods have been employed to elucidate ABP- and geometry-defined regulatory mechanisms in initiating, maintaining, and disassembling cellular actin networks in migratory protrusions.
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28
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Doran MH, Rynkiewicz MJ, Pavadai E, Bodt SM, Rasicci D, Moore JR, Yengo CM, Bullitt E, Lehman W. Myosin loop-4 is critical for optimal tropomyosin repositioning on actin during muscle activation and relaxation. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213274. [PMID: 36459134 PMCID: PMC9723511 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
During force-generating steps of the muscle crossbridge cycle, the tip of the myosin motor, specifically loop-4, contacts the tropomyosin cable of actin filaments. In the current study, we determined the corresponding effect of myosin loop-4 on the regulatory positioning of tropomyosin on actin. To accomplish this, we compared high-resolution cryo-EM structures of myosin S1-decorated thin filaments containing either wild-type or a loop-4 mutant construct, where the seven-residue portion of myosin loop-4 that contacts tropomyosin was replaced by glycine residues, thus removing polar side chains from residues 366-372. Cryo-EM analysis of fully decorated actin-tropomyosin filaments with wild-type and mutant S1, yielded 3.4-3.6 Å resolution reconstructions, with even higher definition at the actin-myosin interface. Loop-4 densities both in wild-type and mutant S1 were clearly identified, and side chains were resolved in the wild-type structure. Aside from loop-4, actin and myosin structural domains were indistinguishable from each other when filaments were decorated with either mutant or wild-type S1. In marked contrast, the position of tropomyosin on actin in the two reconstructions differed by 3 to 4 Å. In maps of filaments containing the mutant, tropomyosin was located closer to the myosin-head and thus moved in the direction of the C-state conformation adopted by myosin-free thin filaments. Complementary interaction energy measurements showed that tropomyosin in the mutant thin filaments sits on actin in a local energy minimum, whereas tropomyosin is positioned by wild-type S1 in an energetically unfavorable location. We propose that the high potential energy associated with tropomyosin positioning in wild-type filaments favors an effective transition to B- and C-states following release of myosin from the thin filaments during relaxation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Doran
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Michael J. Rynkiewicz
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Elumalai Pavadai
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Skylar M.L. Bodt
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - David Rasicci
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - Jeffrey R. Moore
- Department of Biological Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
| | - Christopher M. Yengo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - Esther Bullitt
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
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29
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Sun B, Kekenes-Huskey PM. Myofilament-associated proteins with intrinsic disorder (MAPIDs) and their resolution by computational modeling. Q Rev Biophys 2023; 56:e2. [PMID: 36628457 PMCID: PMC11070111 DOI: 10.1017/s003358352300001x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The cardiac sarcomere is a cellular structure in the heart that enables muscle cells to contract. Dozens of proteins belong to the cardiac sarcomere, which work in tandem to generate force and adapt to demands on cardiac output. Intriguingly, the majority of these proteins have significant intrinsic disorder that contributes to their functions, yet the biophysics of these intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) have been characterized in limited detail. In this review, we first enumerate these myofilament-associated proteins with intrinsic disorder (MAPIDs) and recent biophysical studies to characterize their IDRs. We secondly summarize the biophysics governing IDR properties and the state-of-the-art in computational tools toward MAPID identification and characterization of their conformation ensembles. We conclude with an overview of future computational approaches toward broadening the understanding of intrinsic disorder in the cardiac sarcomere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Research Center for Pharmacoinformatics (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China), Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Medicine Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
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30
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Eisenstein F, Yanagisawa H, Kashihara H, Kikkawa M, Tsukita S, Danev R. Parallel cryo electron tomography on in situ lamellae. Nat Methods 2023; 20:131-138. [PMID: 36456783 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01690-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
In situ cryo electron tomography of cryo focused ion beam milled samples has emerged in recent years as a powerful technique for structural studies of macromolecular complexes in their native cellular environment. However, the possibilities for recording tomographic tilt series in a high-throughput manner are limited, in part by the lamella-shaped samples. Here we utilize a geometrical sample model and optical image shift to record tens of tilt series in parallel, thereby saving time and gaining access to sample areas conventionally used for tracking specimen movement. The parallel cryo electron tomography (PACE-tomo) method achieves a throughput faster than 5 min per tilt series and allows for the collection of sample areas that were previously unreachable, thus maximizing the amount of data from each lamella. Performance testing with ribosomes in vitro and in situ on state-of-the-art and general-purpose microscopes demonstrated the high throughput and quality of PACE-tomo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hiroka Kashihara
- Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Sachiko Tsukita
- Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Radostin Danev
- Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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31
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Risi CM, Villanueva E, Belknap B, Sadler RL, Harris SP, White HD, Galkin VE. Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein-C M-Domain Interactions with the Thin Filament. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167879. [PMID: 36370805 PMCID: PMC9771592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) modulates cardiac contraction via direct interactions with cardiac thick (myosin) and thin (actin) filaments (cTFs). While its C-terminal domains (e.g. C8-C10) anchor cMyBP-C to the backbone of the thick filament, its N-terminal domains (NTDs) (e.g. C0, C1, M, and C2) bind to both myosin and actin to accomplish its dual roles of inhibiting thick filaments and activating cTFs. While the positions of C0, C1 and C2 on cTF have been reported, the binding site of the M-domain on the surface of the cTF is unknown. Here, we used cryo-EM to reveal that the M-domain interacts with actin via helix 3 of its ordered tri-helix bundle region, while the unstructured part of the M-domain does not maintain extensive interactions with actin. We combined the recently obtained structure of the cTF with the positions of all the four NTDs on its surface to propose a complete model of the NTD binding to the cTF. The model predicts that the interactions of the NTDs with the cTF depend on the activation state of the cTF. At the peak of systole, when bound to the extensively activated cTF, NTDs would inhibit actomyosin interactions. In contrast, at falling Ca2+ levels, NTDs would not compete with the myosin heads for binding to the cTF, but would rather promote formation of active cross-bridges at the adjacent regulatory units located at the opposite cTF strand. Our structural data provides a testable model of the cTF regulation by the cMyBP-C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Risi
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Edwin Villanueva
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Betty Belknap
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Rachel L Sadler
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Samantha P Harris
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Howard D White
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Vitold E Galkin
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA.
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32
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Oosterheert W, Klink BU, Belyy A, Pospich S, Raunser S. Structural basis of actin filament assembly and aging. Nature 2022; 611:374-379. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05241-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe dynamic turnover of actin filaments (F-actin) controls cellular motility in eukaryotes and is coupled to changes in the F-actin nucleotide state1–3. It remains unclear how F-actin hydrolyses ATP and subsequently undergoes subtle conformational rearrangements that ultimately lead to filament depolymerization by actin-binding proteins. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of F-actin in all nucleotide states, polymerized in the presence of Mg2+ or Ca2+ at approximately 2.2 Å resolution. The structures show that actin polymerization induces the relocation of water molecules in the nucleotide-binding pocket, activating one of them for the nucleophilic attack of ATP. Unexpectedly, the back door for the subsequent release of inorganic phosphate (Pi) is closed in all structures, indicating that Pi release occurs transiently. The small changes in the nucleotide-binding pocket after ATP hydrolysis and Pi release are sensed by a key amino acid, amplified and transmitted to the filament periphery. Furthermore, differences in the positions of water molecules in the nucleotide-binding pocket explain why Ca2+-actin shows slower polymerization rates than Mg2+-actin. Our work elucidates the solvent-driven rearrangements that govern actin filament assembly and aging and lays the foundation for the rational design of drugs and small molecules for imaging and therapeutic applications.
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33
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Yee M, Walther T, Frischknecht F, Douglas RG. Divergent Plasmodium actin residues are essential for filament localization, mosquito salivary gland invasion and malaria transmission. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010779. [PMID: 35998188 PMCID: PMC9439217 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin is one of the most conserved and ubiquitous proteins in eukaryotes. Its sequence has been highly conserved for its monomers to self-assemble into filaments that mediate essential cell functions such as trafficking, cell shape and motility. The malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium, expresses a highly sequence divergent actin that is critical for its rapid motility at different stages within its mammalian and mosquito hosts. Each of Plasmodium actin’s four subdomains have divergent regions compared to canonical vertebrate actins. We previously identified subdomains 2 and 3 as providing critical contributions for parasite actin function as these regions could not be replaced by subdomains of vertebrate actins. Here we probed the contributions of individual divergent amino acid residues in these subdomains on parasite motility and progression. Non-lethal changes in these subdomains did not affect parasite development in the mammalian host but strongly affected progression through the mosquito with striking differences in transmission to and through the insect. Live visualization of actin filaments showed that divergent amino acid residues in subdomains 2 and 4 enhanced localization associated with filaments, while those in subdomain 3 negatively affected actin filaments. This suggests that finely tuned actin dynamics are essential for efficient organ entry in the mosquito vector affecting malaria transmission. This work provides residue level insight on the fundamental requirements of actin in highly motile cells. Actin is one of the most abundant and conserved proteins known. Actin monomers can join together to form long filaments. The malaria-causing parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes and needs actin to move very rapidly. An actin from the parasite is different to other actins: its amino acid sequence has relatively high amounts of changes compared to animal species and the actin tends to form only short filaments. We previously identified two large parts of the protein that were critical for the parasite since these large parts could not be exchanged with the equivalent regions of other species. In this study, we focused in on these regions by making more discrete mutations. Most mutations of the actin sequence were tolerated by the parasite in the blood stages. However, these mutants has striking defects in progressing through mosquitoes, especially in invading its salivary glands. We used a new filament labeler to visualize how these mutations affect the actin filaments and found surprisingly different effects. Taken together, small changes to the sequence can have large consequences for the parasite, which ultimately affects its ability to transmit to a new host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Yee
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Walther
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, DZIF, partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (FF); (RGD)
| | - Ross G. Douglas
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Centre and Molecular Infection Biology, Biomedical Research Centre Seltersberg, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- * E-mail: (FF); (RGD)
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34
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McMillan SN, Scarff CA. Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of myosin at work and at rest. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 75:102391. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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35
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Gong R, Jiang F, Moreland ZG, Reynolds MJ, de los Reyes SE, Gurel P, Shams A, Heidings JB, Bowl MR, Bird JE, Alushin GM. Structural basis for tunable control of actin dynamics by myosin-15 in mechanosensory stereocilia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl4733. [PMID: 35857845 PMCID: PMC9299544 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl4733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The motor protein myosin-15 is necessary for the development and maintenance of mechanosensory stereocilia, and mutations in myosin-15 cause hereditary deafness. In addition to transporting actin regulatory machinery to stereocilia tips, myosin-15 directly nucleates actin filament ("F-actin") assembly, which is disrupted by a progressive hearing loss mutation (p.D1647G, "jordan"). Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of myosin-15 bound to F-actin, providing a framework for interpreting the impacts of deafness mutations on motor activity and actin nucleation. Rigor myosin-15 evokes conformational changes in F-actin yet maintains flexibility in actin's D-loop, which mediates inter-subunit contacts, while the jordan mutant locks the D-loop in a single conformation. Adenosine diphosphate-bound myosin-15 also locks the D-loop, which correspondingly blunts actin-polymerization stimulation. We propose myosin-15 enhances polymerization by bridging actin protomers, regulating nucleation efficiency by modulating actin's structural plasticity in a myosin nucleotide state-dependent manner. This tunable regulation of actin polymerization could be harnessed to precisely control stereocilium height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Gong
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fangfang Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zane G. Moreland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Matthew J. Reynolds
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Pinar Gurel
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arik Shams
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James B. Heidings
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael R. Bowl
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
- UCL Ear Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan E. Bird
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gregory M. Alushin
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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36
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Schneider J, Jasnin M. Capturing actin assemblies in cells using in situ cryo-electron tomography. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151224. [PMID: 35500467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin contributes to an exceptionally wide range of cellular processes through the assembly and disassembly of highly dynamic and ordered structures. Visualizing these structures in cells can help us understand how the molecular players of the actin machinery work together to produce force-generating systems. In recent years, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has become the method of choice for structural analysis of the cell interior at the molecular scale. Here we review advances in cryo-ET workflows that have enabled this transformation, especially the automation of sample preparation procedures, data collection, and processing. We discuss new structural analyses of dynamic actin assemblies in cryo-preserved cells, which have provided mechanistic insights into actin assembly and function at the nanoscale. Finally, we highlight the latest visual proteomics studies of actin filaments and their interactors reaching sub-nanometer resolutions in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marion Jasnin
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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37
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Szikora S, Görög P, Mihály J. The Mechanisms of Thin Filament Assembly and Length Regulation in Muscles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5306. [PMID: 35628117 PMCID: PMC9140763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The actin containing tropomyosin and troponin decorated thin filaments form one of the crucial components of the contractile apparatus in muscles. The thin filaments are organized into densely packed lattices interdigitated with myosin-based thick filaments. The crossbridge interactions between these myofilaments drive muscle contraction, and the degree of myofilament overlap is a key factor of contractile force determination. As such, the optimal length of the thin filaments is critical for efficient activity, therefore, this parameter is precisely controlled according to the workload of a given muscle. Thin filament length is thought to be regulated by two major, but only partially understood mechanisms: it is set by (i) factors that mediate the assembly of filaments from monomers and catalyze their elongation, and (ii) by factors that specify their length and uniformity. Mutations affecting these factors can alter the length of thin filaments, and in human cases, many of them are linked to debilitating diseases such as nemaline myopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilárd Szikora
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Péter Görög
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - József Mihály
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
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38
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Kohl P, Greiner J, Rog-Zielinska EA. Electron microscopy of cardiac 3D nanodynamics: form, function, future. Nat Rev Cardiol 2022; 19:607-619. [PMID: 35396547 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-022-00677-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The 3D nanostructure of the heart, its dynamic deformation during cycles of contraction and relaxation, and the effects of this deformation on cell function remain largely uncharted territory. Over the past decade, the first inroads have been made towards 3D reconstruction of heart cells, with a native resolution of around 1 nm3, and of individual molecules relevant to heart function at a near-atomic scale. These advances have provided access to a new generation of data and have driven the development of increasingly smart, artificial intelligence-based, deep-learning image-analysis algorithms. By high-pressure freezing of cardiomyocytes with millisecond accuracy after initiation of an action potential, pseudodynamic snapshots of contraction-induced deformation of intracellular organelles can now be captured. In combination with functional studies, such as fluorescence imaging, exciting insights into cardiac autoregulatory processes at nano-to-micro scales are starting to emerge. In this Review, we discuss the progress in this fascinating new field to highlight the fundamental scientific insight that has emerged, based on technological breakthroughs in biological sample preparation, 3D imaging and data analysis; to illustrate the potential clinical relevance of understanding 3D cardiac nanodynamics; and to predict further progress that we can reasonably expect to see over the next 10 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kohl
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies (CIBSS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Greiner
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Eva A Rog-Zielinska
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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39
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Vahokoski J, Calder LJ, Lopez AJ, Molloy JE, Kursula I, Rosenthal PB. High-resolution structures of malaria parasite actomyosin and actin filaments. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010408. [PMID: 35377914 PMCID: PMC9037914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is responsible for half a million deaths annually and poses a huge economic burden on the developing world. The mosquito-borne parasites (Plasmodium spp.) that cause the disease depend upon an unconventional actomyosin motor for both gliding motility and host cell invasion. The motor system, often referred to as the glideosome complex, remains to be understood in molecular terms and is an attractive target for new drugs that might block the infection pathway. Here, we present the high-resolution structure of the actomyosin motor complex from Plasmodium falciparum. The complex includes the malaria parasite actin filament (PfAct1) complexed with the class XIV myosin motor (PfMyoA) and its two associated light-chains. The high-resolution core structure reveals the PfAct1:PfMyoA interface in atomic detail, while at lower-resolution, we visualize the PfMyoA light-chain binding region, including the essential light chain (PfELC) and the myosin tail interacting protein (PfMTIP). Finally, we report a bare PfAct1 filament structure at improved resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Vahokoski
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lesley J. Calder
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea J. Lopez
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Justin E. Molloy
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Inari Kursula
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Biocenter Oulu and Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Peter B. Rosenthal
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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40
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Mechanisms of the modulation of actin-myosin interactions by A1-type myosin light chains. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130132. [PMID: 35307509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interaction of N-terminal extension of the myosin A1 essential light chain (A1 ELC) with actin is receiving increasing attention as a target in utilizing synthetic A1 ELC N-terminal-derived peptides in cardiac dysfunction therapy. METHODS To elucidate the mechanism by which these peptides regulate actin-myosin interaction, here we have investigated their effects on the myosin subfragment 1 (S1)-induced polymerization of G-actin. RESULTS The MLCFpep and MLCSpep peptides spanning the 3-12 of A1 ELC sequences from fast and slow skeletal muscle, respectively, increased the rate of actin polymerization not only by S1(A2) but also the rate of S1(A1)-induced actin polymerization, suggesting that they did not interfere with the direct binding of A1 ELC with actin. The efficiency of actin polymerization in the presence of the N-terminal ELC peptides depended on their sequence. Substitution of aspartic acid for neutral asparagine at position 5 of MLCFpep dramatically enhanced its ability to stimulate S1-induced polymerization and enabled it to initiate polymerization of G-actin in the absence of S1. CONCLUSIONS These and other results presented in this work suggest that the modulation of myosin motor activity by N-terminal ELC peptides is exerted through a change in actin filament conformation rather than through blocking the A1 ELC-actin interaction. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The results imply the possibility of enhancing therapeutic effects of these peptides by modifications of their sequence.
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41
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Boiero Sanders M, Toret CP, Guillotin A, Antkowiak A, Vannier T, Robinson RC, Michelot A. Specialization of actin isoforms derived from the loss of key interactions with regulatory factors. EMBO J 2022; 41:e107982. [PMID: 35178724 PMCID: PMC8886540 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021107982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A paradox of eukaryotic cells is that while some species assemble a complex actin cytoskeleton from a single ortholog, other species utilize a greater diversity of actin isoforms. The physiological consequences of using different actin isoforms, and the molecular mechanisms by which highly conserved actin isoforms are segregated into distinct networks, are poorly known. Here, we sought to understand how a simple biological system, composed of a unique actin and a limited set of actin‐binding proteins, reacts to a switch to heterologous actin expression. Using yeast as a model system and biomimetic assays, we show that such perturbation causes drastic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Our results indicate that defective interaction of a heterologous actin for important regulators of actin assembly limits certain actin assembly pathways while reinforcing others. Expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, rescues cytoskeletal organization and confers resistance to external perturbation. Hence, while species using a unique actin have homeostatic actin networks, actin assembly pathways in species using several actin isoforms may act more independently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher P Toret
- CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Audrey Guillotin
- CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Antkowiak
- CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Thomas Vannier
- CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Robert C Robinson
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (RIIS), Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering (BSE), Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong, Thailand
| | - Alphée Michelot
- CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
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42
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Wang Z, Grange M, Pospich S, Wagner T, Kho AL, Gautel M, Raunser S. Structures from intact myofibrils reveal mechanism of thin filament regulation through nebulin. Science 2022; 375:eabn1934. [PMID: 35175800 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn1934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In skeletal muscle, nebulin stabilizes and regulates the length of thin filaments, but the underlying mechanism remains nebulous. In this work, we used cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to reveal structures of native nebulin bound to thin filaments within intact sarcomeres. This in situ reconstruction provided high-resolution details of the interaction between nebulin and actin, demonstrating the stabilizing role of nebulin. Myosin bound to the thin filaments exhibited different conformations of the neck domain, highlighting its inherent structural variability in muscle. Unexpectedly, nebulin did not interact with myosin or tropomyosin, but it did interact with a troponin T linker through two potential binding motifs on nebulin, explaining its regulatory role. Our structures support the role of nebulin as a thin filament "molecular ruler" and provide a molecular basis for studying nemaline myopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhexin Wang
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael Grange
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sabrina Pospich
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Thorsten Wagner
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ay Lin Kho
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Kings College London BHF Centre of Research Excellence, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Mathias Gautel
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Kings College London BHF Centre of Research Excellence, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
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43
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Molecular Dynamics Study of Citrullinated Proteins Associated with the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Proteomes 2022; 10:proteomes10010008. [PMID: 35225987 PMCID: PMC8884019 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological activity regulation by protein post-translational modification (PTM) is critical for cell function, development, differentiation, and survival. Dysregulation of PTM proteins is present in various pathological conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects joints, and there are three main types of protein PTMs associated with the development of this disease, namely, glycosylation, citrullination, and carbamylation. Glycosylation is important for the processing and presentation of antigen fragments on the cell surface and can modulate immunoglobulin activity. The citrullination of autoantigens is closely associated with RA, as evidenced by the presence of antibodies specific to citrullinated proteins in the serum of patients. Carbamylation and dysregulation have recently been associated with RA development in humans.In this study, we performed an overview analysis of proteins with post-translational modifications associated with the development of RA adverted in peer-reviewed scientific papers for the past 20 years. As a result of the search, a list of target proteins and corresponding amino acid sequences with PTM in RA was formed. Structural characteristics of the listed modified proteins were extracted from the Protein Data Bank. Then, molecular dynamics experiments of intact protein structures and corresponding structures with PTMs were performed regarding structures in the list announced in the ProtDB service. This study aimed to conduct a molecular dynamics study of intact proteins and proteins, including post-translational modification and protein citrullination, likely associated with RA development. We observed another exhibition of the fundamental physics concept, symmetry, at the submolecular level, unveiled as the autonomous repetitions of outside the protein structural motif performance globule corresponding to those in the whole protein molecule.
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44
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Sun S, Karki C, Gao BZ, Li L. Molecular mechanisms of cardiac actomyosin transforming from rigor state to post-rigor state. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:035101. [PMID: 35065578 PMCID: PMC9305598 DOI: 10.1063/5.0078166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death contributed to half of all deaths from cardiovascular diseases. The mechanism of the kinetic cycle of cardiac myosin is crucial for heart protection and drug development. The state change in the myosin kinetic cycle from the rigor state to the post-rigor state is fundamental to explain binding and dissociation. Here, we used β-cardiac myosin in the rigor and post-rigor states to model the actomyosin complexes. Molecular dynamics simulations, electrostatic analysis, and energetic analysis of actomyosin complexes were performed in this work. The results showed that there are fewer interactions and lower electrostatic binding strength in the post-rigor state than in the rigor state. In the post-rigor state, there were higher free binding energy, fewer salt bridges, and fewer hydrogen bonds. The results showed a lower binding affinity in the post-rigor state than in the rigor state. The decrease in the binding affinity provided important conditions for dissociation of the myosin from the actin filament. Although previous studies focused mostly on the binding process, this study provides evidence of dissociation, which is even more important in the myosin kinetic cycle. This research on the mechanism of myosin kinetic cycles provides a novel direction for future genetic disease studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjie Sun
- Computational Science Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968, USA
| | - Chitra Karki
- Computational Science Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968, USA
| | - Bruce Z. Gao
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA
| | - Lin Li
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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45
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Pepper I, Galkin VE. Actomyosin Complex. Subcell Biochem 2022; 99:421-470. [PMID: 36151385 PMCID: PMC9710302 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-00793-4_14] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Formation of cross-bridges between actin and myosin occurs ubiquitously in eukaryotic cells and mediates muscle contraction, intracellular cargo transport, and cytoskeletal remodeling. Myosin motors repeatedly bind to and dissociate from actin filaments in a cycle that transduces the chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis into mechanical force generation. While the general layout of surface elements within the actin-binding interface is conserved among myosin classes, sequence divergence within these motifs alters the specific contacts involved in the actomyosin interaction as well as the kinetics of mechanochemical cycle phases. Additionally, diverse lever arm structures influence the motility and force production of myosin molecules during their actin interactions. The structural differences generated by myosin's molecular evolution have fine-tuned the kinetics of its isoforms and adapted them for their individual cellular roles. In this chapter, we will characterize the structural and biochemical basis of the actin-myosin interaction and explain its relationship with myosin's cellular roles, with emphasis on the structural variation among myosin isoforms that enables their functional specialization. We will also discuss the impact of accessory proteins, such as the troponin-tropomyosin complex and myosin-binding protein C, on the formation and regulation of actomyosin cross-bridges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Pepper
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Vitold E Galkin
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA.
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46
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Duong HTT, Suzuki H, Katagiri S, Shibata M, Arai M, Yura K. Computational study of the impact of nucleotide variations on highly conserved proteins: In the case of actin. Biophys Physicobiol 2022; 19:e190025. [PMID: 36160324 PMCID: PMC9465404 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v19.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequencing of individual human genomes enables studying relationship among nucleotide variations, amino acid substitutions, effect on protein structures and diseases. Many studies have found general tendencies, for instance, that pathogenic variations tend to be found in the buried regions of the protein structures, that benign variations tend to be found on the surface of the proteins, and that variations on evolutionary conserved residues tend to be pathogenic. These tendencies were deduced from globular proteins with standard evolutionary changes in amino acid sequences. In this study, we investigated the variation distribution on actin, one of the highly conserved proteins. Many nucleotide variations and three-dimensional structures of actin have been registered in databases. By combining those data, we found that variations buried inside the protein were rather benign and variations on the surface of the protein were pathogenic. This idiosyncratic distribution of the variation impact is likely ascribed to the extensive use of the surface of the protein for protein-protein interactions in actin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha T. T. Duong
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
| | - Hirofumi Suzuki
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University
| | - Saki Katagiri
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
| | - Mayu Shibata
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
| | - Misae Arai
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
| | - Kei Yura
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University
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47
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Mechanobiology of muscle and myofibril morphogenesis. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203760. [PMID: 34863916 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Muscles generate forces for animal locomotion. The contractile apparatus of muscles is the sarcomere, a highly regular array of large actin and myosin filaments linked by gigantic titin springs. During muscle development many sarcomeres assemble in series into long periodic myofibrils that mechanically connect the attached skeleton elements. Thus, ATP-driven myosin forces can power movement of the skeleton. Here we review muscle and myofibril morphogenesis, with a particular focus on their mechanobiology. We describe recent progress on the molecular structure of sarcomeres and their mechanical connections to the skeleton. We discuss current models predicting how tension coordinates the assembly of key sarcomeric components to periodic myofibrils that then further mature during development. This requires transcriptional feedback mechanisms that may help to coordinate myofibril assembly and maturation states with the transcriptional program. To fuel the varying energy demands of muscles we also discuss the close mechanical interactions of myofibrils with mitochondria and nuclei to optimally support powerful or enduring muscle fibers.
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48
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Doran MH, Lehman W. The Central Role of the F-Actin Surface in Myosin Force Generation. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1221. [PMID: 34943138 PMCID: PMC8698748 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Actin is one of the most abundant and versatile proteins in eukaryotic cells. As discussed in many contributions to this Special Issue, its transition from a monomeric G-actin to a filamentous F-actin form plays a critical role in a variety of cellular processes, including control of cell shape and cell motility. Once polymerized from G-actin, F-actin forms the central core of muscle-thin filaments and acts as molecular tracks for myosin-based motor activity. The ATP-dependent cross-bridge cycle of myosin attachment and detachment drives the sliding of myosin thick filaments past thin filaments in muscle and the translocation of cargo in somatic cells. The variation in actin function is dependent on the variation in muscle and non-muscle myosin isoform behavior as well as interactions with a plethora of additional actin-binding proteins. Extensive work has been devoted to defining the kinetics of actin-based force generation powered by the ATPase activity of myosin. In addition, over the past decade, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed the atomic-evel details of the binding of myosin isoforms on the F-actin surface. Most accounts of the structural interactions between myosin and actin are described from the perspective of the myosin molecule. Here, we discuss myosin-binding to actin as viewed from the actin surface. We then describe conserved structural features of actin required for the binding of all or most myosin isoforms while also noting specific interactions unique to myosin isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Doran
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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49
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Pospich S, Sweeney HL, Houdusse A, Raunser S. High-resolution structures of the actomyosin-V complex in three nucleotide states provide insights into the force generation mechanism. eLife 2021; 10:e73724. [PMID: 34812732 PMCID: PMC8735999 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular motor myosin undergoes a series of major structural transitions during its force-producing motor cycle. The underlying mechanism and its coupling to ATP hydrolysis and actin binding are only partially understood, mostly due to sparse structural data on actin-bound states of myosin. Here, we report 26 high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the actomyosin-V complex in the strong-ADP, rigor, and a previously unseen post-rigor transition state that binds the ATP analog AppNHp. The structures reveal a high flexibility of myosin in each state and provide valuable insights into the structural transitions of myosin-V upon ADP release and binding of AppNHp, as well as the actomyosin interface. In addition, they show how myosin is able to specifically alter the structure of F-actin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Pospich
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDortmundGermany
| | - H Lee Sweeney
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and the Myology Institute, University of FloridaGainesvilleUnited States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueParisFrance
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDortmundGermany
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50
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Klebl DP, White HD, Sobott F, Muench SP. On-grid and in-flow mixing for time-resolved cryo-EM. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2021; 77:1233-1240. [PMID: 34605427 PMCID: PMC8489233 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321008810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (TrEM) allows the study of proteins under non-equilibrium conditions on the millisecond timescale, permitting the analysis of large-scale conformational changes or assembly and disassembly processes. However, the technique is developing and there have been few comparisons with other biochemical kinetic studies. Using current methods, the shortest time delay is on the millisecond timescale (∼5-10 ms), given by the delay between sample application and vitrification, and generating longer time points requires additional approaches such as using a longer delay line between the mixing element and nozzle, or an incubation step on the grid. To compare approaches, the reaction of ATP with the skeletal actomyosin S1 complex was followed on grids prepared with a 7-700 ms delay between mixing and vitrification. Classification of the cryo-EM data allows kinetic information to be derived which agrees with previous biochemical measurements, showing fast dissociation, low occupancy during steady-state hydrolysis and rebinding once ATP has been hydrolysed. However, this rebinding effect is much less pronounced when on-grid mixing is used and may be influenced by interactions with the air-water interface. Moreover, in-flow mixing results in a broader distribution of reaction times due to the range of velocities in a laminar flow profile (temporal spread), especially for longer time delays. This work shows the potential of TrEM, but also highlights challenges and opportunities for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P. Klebl
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Howard D. White
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Frank Sobott
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen P. Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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