The B2 Alternatively Spliced Isoform of Nonmuscle Myosin II-B Lacks Actin-activated MgATPase Activity and In Vitro Motility

PubMed Central

Kim, Kye-Young; Kawamoto, Sachiyo; Bao, Jianjun; Sellers, James R.; Adelstein, Robert S.

2008-01-01

We report the initial biochemical characterization of an alternatively spliced isoform of nonmuscle heavy meromyosin (HMM) II-B2 and compare it with HMM II-B0, the non-spliced isoform. HMM II-B2 is the HMM derivative of an alternatively spliced isoform of endogenous nonmuscle myosin (NM) II-B, which has 21-amino acids inserted into loop 2, near the actin-binding region. NM II-B2 is expressed in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum as well as in other neuronal cells (Ma et al., Mol. Biol. Cell 15 (2006) 2138-2149). In contrast to any of the previously described isoforms of NM II (II-A, II-B0, II-B1, II-C0 and II-C1) or to smooth muscle myosin, the actin-activated MgATPase activity of HMM II-B2 is not significantly increased from a low, basal level by phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chain (MLC-20). Moreover, although HMM II-B2 can bind to actin in the absence of ATP and is released in its presence, it cannot propel actin in the sliding actin filament assay following MLC-20 phosphorylation. Unlike HMM II-B2, the actin-activated MgATPase activity of a chimeric HMM with the 21-amino acids II-B2 sequence inserted into the homologous location in the heavy chain of HMM II-C is increased following MLC-20 phosphorylation. This indicates that the effect of the II-B2 insert is myosin heavy chain specific. PMID:18060863

Sliding movement of single actin filaments on one-headed myosin filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, Yoshie; Noguchi, Akira; Kishino, Akiyoshi; Yanagida, Toshio

1987-04-01

The myosin molecule consists of two heads, each of which contains an enzymatic active site and an actin-binding site. The fundamental problem of whether the two heads function independently or cooperatively during muscle contraction has been studied by methods using an actomyosin thread1, superprecipitation2-4 and chemical modification of muscle fibres5. No clear conclusion has yet been reached. We have approached this question using an assay system in which sliding movements of fluorescently labelled single actin filaments along myosin filaments can be observed directly6,7. Here, we report direct measurement of the sliding of single actin filaments along one-headed myosin filaments in which the density of heads was varied over a wide range. Our results show that cooperative interaction between the two heads of myosin is not essential for inducing the sliding movement of actin filaments.

Myosin heavy chain 2A and α-Actin expression in human and murine skeletal muscles at feeding; particularly amino acids

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Protein dynamics during non-steady state conditions as feeding are complex. Such studies usually demand combinations of methods to give conclusive information, particularly on myofibrillar proteins with slow turnover. Therefore, time course transcript analyses were evaluated as possible means to monitor changes in myofibrillar biosynthesis in skeletal muscles in conditions with clinical nutrition; i.e. long term exposure of nutrients. Methods Muscle tissue from overnight intravenously fed surgical patients were used as a model combined with muscle tissue from starved and refed mice as well as cultured L6 muscle cells. Transcripts of acta 1 (α-actin), mhc2A (myosin) and slc38 a2/Snat 2 (amino acid transporter) were quantified (qPCR) as markers of muscle protein dynamics. Results Myosin heavy chain 2A transcripts decreased significantly in skeletal muscle tissue from overnight parenterally fed patients but did not change significantly in orally refed mice. Alpha-actin transcripts did not change significantly in muscle cells from fed patients, mice or cultured L6 cells during provision of AA. The AA transporter Snat 2 decreased in L6 cells refed by all AA and by various combinations of AA but did not change during feeding in muscle tissue from patients or mice. Conclusion Our results confirm that muscle cells are sensitive to alterations in extracellular concentrations of AA for induction of protein synthesis and anabolism. However, transcripts of myofibrillar proteins and amino acid transporters showed complex alterations in response to feeding with provision of amino acids. Therefore, muscle tissue transcript levels of actin and myosin do not reflect protein accretion in skeletal muscles at feeding. PMID:23190566

Mechanical output of myosin II motors is regulated by myosin filament size and actin network mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stam, Samantha; Alberts, Jonathan; Gardel, Margaret; Munro, Edwin

2013-03-01

The interactions of bipolar myosin II filaments with actin arrays are a predominate means of generating forces in numerous physiological processes including muscle contraction and cell migration. However, how the spatiotemporal regulation of these forces depends on motor mechanochemistry, bipolar filament size, and local actin mechanics is unknown. Here, we simulate myosin II motors with an agent-based model in which the motors have been benchmarked against experimental measurements. Force generation occurs in two distinct regimes characterized either by stable tension maintenance or by stochastic buildup and release; transitions between these regimes occur by changes to duty ratio and myosin filament size. The time required for building force to stall scales inversely with the stiffness of a network and the actin gliding speed of a motor. Finally, myosin motors are predicted to contract a network toward stiffer regions, which is consistent with experimental observations. Our representation of myosin motors can be used to understand how their mechanical and biochemical properties influence their observed behavior in a variety of in vitro and in vivo contexts.

Rapid Glucose Depletion Immobilizes Active Myosin-V on Stabilized Actin Cables

PubMed Central

Xu, Li; Bretscher, Anthony

2014-01-01

Summary Polarization of eukaryotic cells requires organelles and protein complexes to be transported to their proper destinations along the cytoskeleton [1]. When nutrients are abundant, budding yeast grows rapidly transporting secretory vesicles for localized growth and actively segregating organelles [2, 3]. This is mediated by myosin-Vs transporting cargos along F-actin bundles known as actin cables [4]. Actin cables are dynamic structures regulated by assembly, stabilization and disassembly [5]. Polarized growth and actin filament dynamics consume energy. For most organisms, glucose is the preferred energy source and generally represses alternative carbon source usage [6]. Thus upon abrupt glucose depletion, yeast shuts down pathways consuming large amounts of energy, including the vacuolar-ATPase [7, 8], translation [9] and phosphoinositide metabolism [10]. Here we show that glucose withdrawal rapidly (<1 min) depletes ATP levels and the yeast myosin V, Myo2, responds by relocalizing to actin cables, making it the fastest response documented. Myo2 immobilized on cables releases its secretory cargo, defining a new rigor-like state of a myosin-V in vivo. Only actively transporting Myo2 can be converted to the rigor-like state. Glucose depletion has differential effects on the actin cytoskeleton resulting in disassembly of actin patches with concomitant inhibition of endocytosis, and strong stabilization of actin cables, thereby revealing a selective and previously unappreciated ATP requirement for actin cable disassembly. A similar response is seen in HeLa cells to ATP depletion. These findings reveal a new fast-acting energy conservation strategy halting growth by immobilizing myosin-V in a newly described state on selectively stabilized actin cables. PMID:25308080

Disrupting actin-myosin-actin connectivity in airway smooth muscle as a treatment for asthma?

PubMed

Lavoie, Tera L; Dowell, Maria L; Lakser, Oren J; Gerthoffer, William T; Fredberg, Jeffrey J; Seow, Chun Y; Mitchell, Richard W; Solway, Julian

2009-05-01

Breathing is known to functionally antagonize bronchoconstriction caused by airway muscle contraction. During breathing, tidal lung inflation generates force fluctuations that are transmitted to the contracted airway muscle. In vitro, experimental application of force fluctuations to contracted airway smooth muscle strips causes them to relengthen. Such force fluctuation-induced relengthening (FFIR) likely represents the mechanism by which breathing antagonizes bronchoconstriction. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that regulate FFIR of contracted airway muscle could suggest novel therapeutic interventions to increase FFIR, and so to enhance the beneficial effects of breathing in suppressing bronchoconstriction. Here we propose that the connectivity between actin filaments in contracting airway myocytes is a key determinant of FFIR, and suggest that disrupting actin-myosin-actin connectivity by interfering with actin polymerization or with myosin polymerization merits further evaluation as a potential novel approach for preventing prolonged bronchoconstriction in asthma.

Human myosin VIIa is a very slow processive motor protein on various cellular actin structures.

PubMed

Sato, Osamu; Komatsu, Satoshi; Sakai, Tsuyoshi; Tsukasaki, Yoshikazu; Tanaka, Ryosuke; Mizutani, Takeomi; Watanabe, Tomonobu M; Ikebe, Reiko; Ikebe, Mitsuo

2017-06-30

Human myosin VIIa (MYO7A) is an actin-linked motor protein associated with human Usher syndrome (USH) type 1B, which causes human congenital hearing and visual loss. Although it has been thought that the role of human myosin VIIa is critical for USH1 protein tethering with actin and transportation along actin bundles in inner-ear hair cells, myosin VIIa's motor function remains unclear. Here, we studied the motor function of the tail-truncated human myosin VIIa dimer (HM7AΔTail/LZ) at the single-molecule level. We found that the HM7AΔTail/LZ moves processively on single actin filaments with a step size of 35 nm. Dwell-time distribution analysis indicated an average waiting time of 3.4 s, yielding ∼0.3 s -1 for the mechanical turnover rate; hence, the velocity of HM7AΔTail/LZ was extremely slow, at 11 nm·s -1 We also examined HM7AΔTail/LZ movement on various actin structures in demembranated cells. HM7AΔTail/LZ showed unidirectional movement on actin structures at cell edges, such as lamellipodia and filopodia. However, HM7AΔTail/LZ frequently missed steps on actin tracks and exhibited bidirectional movement at stress fibers, which was not observed with tail-truncated myosin Va. These results suggest that the movement of the human myosin VIIa motor protein is more efficient on lamellipodial and filopodial actin tracks than on stress fibers, which are composed of actin filaments with different polarity, and that the actin structures influence the characteristics of cargo transportation by human myosin VIIa. In conclusion, myosin VIIa movement appears to be suitable for translocating USH1 proteins on stereocilia actin bundles in inner-ear hair cells. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Diffusion of myosin light chain kinase on actin: A mechanism to enhance myosin phosphorylation rates in smooth muscle.

PubMed

Hong, Feng; Brizendine, Richard K; Carter, Michael S; Alcala, Diego B; Brown, Avery E; Chattin, Amy M; Haldeman, Brian D; Walsh, Michael P; Facemyer, Kevin C; Baker, Josh E; Cremo, Christine R

2015-10-01

Smooth muscle myosin (SMM) light chain kinase (MLCK) phosphorylates SMM, thereby activating the ATPase activity required for muscle contraction. The abundance of active MLCK, which is tightly associated with the contractile apparatus, is low relative to that of SMM. SMM phosphorylation is rapid despite the low ratio of MLCK to SMM, raising the question of how one MLCK rapidly phosphorylates many SMM molecules. We used total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to monitor single molecules of streptavidin-coated quantum dot-labeled MLCK interacting with purified actin, actin bundles, and stress fibers of smooth muscle cells. Surprisingly, MLCK and the N-terminal 75 residues of MLCK (N75) moved on actin bundles and stress fibers of smooth muscle cell cytoskeletons by a random one-dimensional (1-D) diffusion mechanism. Although diffusion of proteins along microtubules and oligonucleotides has been observed previously, this is the first characterization to our knowledge of a protein diffusing in a sustained manner along actin. By measuring the frequency of motion, we found that MLCK motion is permitted only if acto-myosin and MLCK-myosin interactions are weak. From these data, diffusion coefficients, and other kinetic and geometric considerations relating to the contractile apparatus, we suggest that 1-D diffusion of MLCK along actin (a) ensures that diffusion is not rate limiting for phosphorylation, (b) allows MLCK to locate to areas in which myosin is not yet phosphorylated, and (c) allows MLCK to avoid getting "stuck" on myosins that have already been phosphorylated. Diffusion of MLCK along actin filaments may be an important mechanism for enhancing the rate of SMM phosphorylation in smooth muscle. © 2015 Hong et al.

Internal dynamics of F-actin and myosin subfragment-1 studied by quasielastic neutron scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsuo, Tatsuhito; Arata, Toshiaki; Oda, Toshiro

2015-04-10

Various biological functions related to cell motility are driven by the interaction between the partner proteins, actin and myosin. To obtain insights into how this interaction occurs, the internal dynamics of F-actin and myosin subfragment-1 (S1) were characterized by the quasielastic neutron scattering measurements on the solution samples of F-actin and S1. Contributions of the internal motions of the proteins to the scattering spectra were separated from those of the global macromolecular diffusion. Analysis of the spectra arising from the internal dynamics showed that the correlation times of the atomic motions were about two times shorter for F-actin than formore » S1, suggesting that F-actin fluctuates more rapidly than S1. It was also shown that the fraction of the immobile atoms is larger for S1 than for F-actin. These results suggest that F-actin actively facilitates the binding of myosin by utilizing the more frequent conformational fluctuations than those of S1. - Highlights: • We studied the internal dynamics of F-actin and myosin S1 by neutron scattering. • The correlation times of the atomic motions were smaller for F-actin than for S1. • The fraction of the immobile atoms was also smaller for F-actin than for S1. • Our results suggest that mobility of atoms in F-actin is higher than that in S1. • We propose that high flexibility of F-actin facilitates the binding of myosin.« less

Myosin Va Bound to Phagosomes Binds to F-Actin and Delays Microtubule-dependent Motility

PubMed Central

Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Shonn, Marion A.; Redlich, Bärbel; Blocker, Ariel; Burkhardt, Janis K.; Yu, Hanry; Hammer, John A.; Weiss, Dieter G.; Steffen, Walter; Griffiths, Gareth; Kuznetsov, Sergei A.

2001-01-01

We established a light microscopy-based assay that reconstitutes the binding of phagosomes purified from mouse macrophages to preassembled F-actin in vitro. Both endogenous myosin Va from mouse macrophages and exogenous myosin Va from chicken brain stimulated the phagosome–F-actin interaction. Myosin Va association with phagosomes correlated with their ability to bind F-actin in an ATP-regulated manner and antibodies to myosin Va specifically blocked the ATP-sensitive phagosome binding to F-actin. The uptake and retrograde transport of phagosomes from the periphery to the center of cells in bone marrow macrophages was observed in both normal mice and mice homozygous for the dilute-lethal spontaneous mutation (myosin Va null). However, in dilute-lethal macrophages the accumulation of phagosomes in the perinuclear region occurred twofold faster than in normal macrophages. Motion analysis revealed saltatory phagosome movement with temporarily reversed direction in normal macrophages, whereas almost no reversals in direction were observed in dilute-lethal macrophages. These observations demonstrate that myosin Va mediates phagosome binding to F-actin, resulting in a delay in microtubule-dependent retrograde phagosome movement toward the cell center. We propose an “antagonistic/cooperative mechanism” to explain the saltatory phagosome movement toward the cell center in normal macrophages. PMID:11553713

Reverse actin sliding triggers strong myosin binding that moves tropomyosin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bekyarova, T.I.; Reedy, M.C.; Baumann, B.A.J.

2008-09-03

Actin/myosin interactions in vertebrate striated muscles are believed to be regulated by the 'steric blocking' mechanism whereby the binding of calcium to the troponin complex allows tropomyosin (TM) to change position on actin, acting as a molecular switch that blocks or allows myosin heads to interact with actin. Movement of TM during activation is initiated by interaction of Ca{sup 2+} with troponin, then completed by further displacement by strong binding cross-bridges. We report x-ray evidence that TM in insect flight muscle (IFM) moves in a manner consistent with the steric blocking mechanism. We find that both isometric contraction, at highmore » [Ca{sup 2+}], and stretch activation, at lower [Ca{sup 2+}], develop similarly high x-ray intensities on the IFM fourth actin layer line because of TM movement, coinciding with x-ray signals of strong-binding cross-bridge attachment to helically favored 'actin target zones.' Vanadate (Vi), a phosphate analog that inhibits active cross-bridge cycling, abolishes all active force in IFM, allowing high [Ca{sup 2+}] to elicit initial TM movement without cross-bridge attachment or other changes from relaxed structure. However, when stretched in high [Ca{sup 2+}], Vi-'paralyzed' fibers produce force substantially above passive response at pCa {approx} 9, concurrent with full conversion from resting to active x-ray pattern, including x-ray signals of cross-bridge strong-binding and TM movement. This argues that myosin heads can be recruited as strong-binding 'brakes' by backward-sliding, calcium-activated thin filaments, and are as effective in moving TM as actively force-producing cross-bridges. Such recruitment of myosin as brakes may be the major mechanism resisting extension during lengthening contractions.« less

Myosin isoform determines the conformational dynamics and cooperativity of actin filaments in the strongly bound actomyosin complex

PubMed Central

Prochniewicz, Ewa; Chin, Harvey F.; Henn, Arnon; Hannemann, Diane E.; Olivares, Adrian O.; Thomas, David D.; De La Cruz, Enrique M.

2010-01-01

SUMMARY We have used transient phosphorescence anisotropy (TPA) to detect the microsecond rotational dynamics of erythrosin iodoacetamide (ErIA)-labeled actin strongly bound to single-headed fragments of muscle myosin (muscle S1) and non-muscle myosin V (MV). The conformational dynamics of actin filaments in solution are markedly influenced by the isoform of bound myosin. Both myosins increase the final anisotropy of actin at sub-stoichiometric binding densities, indicating long-range, non-nearest neighbor cooperative restriction of filament rotational dynamics amplitude, but the cooperative unit is larger with MV than muscle S1. Both myosin isoforms also cooperatively affect the actin filament rotational correlation time, but with opposite effects; muscle S1 decreases rates of intrafilament torsional motion, while binding of MV increases the rates of motion. The cooperative effects on the rates of intrafilament motions correlate with the kinetics of myosin binding to actin filaments such that MV binds more rapidly, and muscle myosin more slowly, to partially decorated filaments than to bare filaments. The two isoforms also differ in their effects on the phosphorescence lifetime of the actin-bound ErIA; while muscle S1 increases the lifetime, suggesting decreased aqueous exposure of the probe, MV does not induce a significant change. We conclude that the dynamics and structure of actin in the strongly bound actomyosin complex is determined by the isoform of the bound myosin, in a manner likely to accommodate the diverse functional roles of actomyosin in muscle and non-muscle cells. PMID:19962990

Electron Tomography of Cryofixed, Isometrically Contracting Insect Flight Muscle Reveals Novel Actin-Myosin Interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Shenping; Liu, Jun; Reedy, Mary C.

2010-10-22

Isometric muscle contraction, where force is generated without muscle shortening, is a molecular traffic jam in which the number of actin-attached motors is maximized and all states of motor action are trapped with consequently high heterogeneity. This heterogeneity is a major limitation to deciphering myosin conformational changes in situ. We used multivariate data analysis to group repeat segments in electron tomograms of isometrically contracting insect flight muscle, mechanically monitored, rapidly frozen, freeze substituted, and thin sectioned. Improved resolution reveals the helical arrangement of F-actin subunits in the thin filament enabling an atomic model to be built into the thin filamentmore » density independent of the myosin. Actin-myosin attachments can now be assigned as weak or strong by their motor domain orientation relative to actin. Myosin attachments were quantified everywhere along the thin filament including troponin. Strong binding myosin attachments are found on only four F-actin subunits, the 'target zone', situated exactly midway between successive troponin complexes. They show an axial lever arm range of 77{sup o}/12.9 nm. The lever arm azimuthal range of strong binding attachments has a highly skewed, 127{sup o} range compared with X-ray crystallographic structures. Two types of weak actin attachments are described. One type, found exclusively in the target zone, appears to represent pre-working-stroke intermediates. The other, which contacts tropomyosin rather than actin, is positioned M-ward of the target zone, i.e. the position toward which thin filaments slide during shortening. We present a model for the weak to strong transition in the myosin ATPase cycle that incorporates azimuthal movements of the motor domain on actin. Stress/strain in the S2 domain may explain azimuthal lever arm changes in the strong binding attachments. The results support previous conclusions that the weak attachments preceding force generation are very

ER sheet persistence is coupled to myosin 1c-regulated dynamic actin filament arrays.

PubMed

Joensuu, Merja; Belevich, Ilya; Rämö, Olli; Nevzorov, Ilya; Vihinen, Helena; Puhka, Maija; Witkos, Tomasz M; Lowe, Martin; Vartiainen, Maria K; Jokitalo, Eija

2014-04-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) comprises a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) network with diverse structural and functional domains. Proper ER operation requires an intricate balance within and between dynamics, morphology, and functions, but how these processes are coupled in cells has been unclear. Using live-cell imaging and 3D electron microscopy, we identify a specific subset of actin filaments localizing to polygons defined by ER sheets and tubules and describe a role for these actin arrays in ER sheet persistence and, thereby, in maintenance of the characteristic network architecture by showing that actin depolymerization leads to increased sheet fluctuation and transformations and results in small and less abundant sheet remnants and a defective ER network distribution. Furthermore, we identify myosin 1c localizing to the ER-associated actin filament arrays and reveal a novel role for myosin 1c in regulating these actin structures, as myosin 1c manipulations lead to loss of the actin filaments and to similar ER phenotype as observed after actin depolymerization. We propose that ER-associated actin filaments have a role in ER sheet persistence regulation and thus support the maintenance of sheets as a stationary subdomain of the dynamic ER network.

Structural mechanism of the ATP-induced dissociation of rigor myosin from actin

PubMed Central

Kühner, Sebastian; Fischer, Stefan

2011-01-01

Myosin is a true nanomachine, which produces mechanical force from ATP hydrolysis by cyclically interacting with actin filaments in a four-step cycle. The principle underlying each step is that structural changes in separate regions of the protein must be mechanically coupled. The step in which myosin dissociates from tightly bound actin (the rigor state) is triggered by the 30 Å distant binding of ATP. Large conformational differences between the crystal structures make it difficult to perceive the coupling mechanism. Energetically accessible transition pathways computed at atomic detail reveal a simple coupling mechanism for the reciprocal binding of ATP and actin. PMID:21518908

Simultaneous recordings of force and sliding movement between a myosin-coated glass microneedle and actin cables in vitro.

PubMed

Chaen, S; Oiwa, K; Shimmen, T; Iwamoto, H; Sugi, H

1989-03-01

To elucidate the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction resulting from the ATP-dependent actin-myosin interaction, we constructed an assay system with which both the force and the movement produced by the actin-myosin interaction in vitro can be simultaneously recorded and analyzed. The assay system consisted of the giant internodal cells of an alga, Nitellopsis obtusa, which contain well-organized arrays of actin filaments (actin cables) running along the cell long axis, and a glass microneedle (tip diameter, approximately 7 microns; elastic coefficient, approximately 40 pN/microns), which was coated with skeletal muscle myosin at the tip and extended from a micromanipulator at right angles with the actin cables. When the myosin-coated tip of the microneedle was brought into contact with the exposed surface of the actin cables, it exhibited ATP-dependent movement along the actin cables over a distance of 20-150 microns in 20-200 s (20-23 degrees C) and eventually stopped due to a balance between forces generated by the actin-myosin interaction (800-6000 pN) and by the bent microneedle. Since the load on the force-generating myosin molecules increased with the bending displacement of the microneedle (auxotonic condition), the relation between the load and the sliding velocity of the myosin heads past the actin cables was determined from the time course of the microneedle movement recorded with a video system. The shape of the force-velocity curve thus obtained was convex upwards, similar to that of the force-velocity curve of intact frog muscle fibers obtained under the auxotonic condition.

Simultaneous recordings of force and sliding movement between a myosin-coated glass microneedle and actin cables in vitro.

PubMed Central

Chaen, S; Oiwa, K; Shimmen, T; Iwamoto, H; Sugi, H

1989-01-01

To elucidate the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction resulting from the ATP-dependent actin-myosin interaction, we constructed an assay system with which both the force and the movement produced by the actin-myosin interaction in vitro can be simultaneously recorded and analyzed. The assay system consisted of the giant internodal cells of an alga, Nitellopsis obtusa, which contain well-organized arrays of actin filaments (actin cables) running along the cell long axis, and a glass microneedle (tip diameter, approximately 7 microns; elastic coefficient, approximately 40 pN/microns), which was coated with skeletal muscle myosin at the tip and extended from a micromanipulator at right angles with the actin cables. When the myosin-coated tip of the microneedle was brought into contact with the exposed surface of the actin cables, it exhibited ATP-dependent movement along the actin cables over a distance of 20-150 microns in 20-200 s (20-23 degrees C) and eventually stopped due to a balance between forces generated by the actin-myosin interaction (800-6000 pN) and by the bent microneedle. Since the load on the force-generating myosin molecules increased with the bending displacement of the microneedle (auxotonic condition), the relation between the load and the sliding velocity of the myosin heads past the actin cables was determined from the time course of the microneedle movement recorded with a video system. The shape of the force-velocity curve thus obtained was convex upwards, similar to that of the force-velocity curve of intact frog muscle fibers obtained under the auxotonic condition. Images PMID:2922395

Identification of the gene for fly non-muscle myosin heavy chain: Drosophila myosin heavy chains are encoded by a gene family.

PubMed Central

Kiehart, D P; Lutz, M S; Chan, D; Ketchum, A S; Laymon, R A; Nguyen, B; Goldstein, L S

1989-01-01

In contrast to vertebrate species Drosophila has a single myosin heavy chain gene that apparently encodes all sarcomeric heavy chain polypeptides. Flies also contain a cytoplasmic myosin heavy chain polypeptide that by immunological and peptide mapping criteria is clearly different from the major thoracic muscle isoform. Here, we identify the gene that encodes this cytoplasmic isoform and demonstrate that it is distinct from the muscle myosin heavy chain gene. Thus, fly myosin heavy chains are the products of a gene family. Our data suggest that the contractile function required to power myosin based movement in non-muscle cells requires myosin diversity beyond that available in a single heavy chain gene. In addition, we show, that accumulation of cytoplasmic myosin transcripts is regulated in a developmental stage specific fashion, consistent with a key role for this protein in the movements of early embryogenesis. Images PMID:2498088

The Kinetics Underlying the Velocity of Smooth Muscle Myosin Filament Sliding on Actin Filaments in Vitro*

PubMed Central

Haldeman, Brian D.; Brizendine, Richard K.; Facemyer, Kevin C.; Baker, Josh E.; Cremo, Christine R.

2014-01-01

Actin-myosin interactions are well studied using soluble myosin fragments, but little is known about effects of myosin filament structure on mechanochemistry. We stabilized unphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin (SMM) and phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin (pSMM) filaments against ATP-induced depolymerization using a cross-linker and attached fluorescent rhodamine (XL-Rh-SMM). Electron micrographs showed that these side polar filaments are very similar to unmodified filaments. They are ∼0.63 μm long and contain ∼176 molecules. Rate constants for ATP-induced dissociation and ADP release from acto-myosin for filaments and S1 heads were similar. Actin-activated ATPases of SMM and XL-Rh-SMM were similarly regulated. XL-Rh-pSMM filaments moved processively on F-actin that was bound to a PEG brush surface. ATP dependence of filament velocities was similar to that for solution ATPases at high [actin], suggesting that both processes are limited by the same kinetic step (weak to strong transition) and therefore are attachment-limited. This differs from actin sliding over myosin monomers, which is primarily detachment-limited. Fitting filament data to an attachment-limited model showed that approximately half of the heads are available to move the filament, consistent with a side polar structure. We suggest the low stiffness subfragment 2 (S2) domain remains unhindered during filament motion in our assay. Actin-bound negatively displaced heads will impart minimal drag force because of S2 buckling. Given the ADP release rate, the velocity, and the length of S2, these heads will detach from actin before slack is taken up into a backwardly displaced high stiffness position. This mechanism explains the lack of detachment-limited kinetics at physiological [ATP]. These findings address how nonlinear elasticity in assemblies of motors leads to efficient collective force generation. PMID:24907276

ER sheet persistence is coupled to myosin 1c–regulated dynamic actin filament arrays

PubMed Central

Joensuu, Merja; Belevich, Ilya; Rämö, Olli; Nevzorov, Ilya; Vihinen, Helena; Puhka, Maija; Witkos, Tomasz M.; Lowe, Martin; Vartiainen, Maria K.; Jokitalo, Eija

2014-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) comprises a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) network with diverse structural and functional domains. Proper ER operation requires an intricate balance within and between dynamics, morphology, and functions, but how these processes are coupled in cells has been unclear. Using live-cell imaging and 3D electron microscopy, we identify a specific subset of actin filaments localizing to polygons defined by ER sheets and tubules and describe a role for these actin arrays in ER sheet persistence and, thereby, in maintenance of the characteristic network architecture by showing that actin depolymerization leads to increased sheet fluctuation and transformations and results in small and less abundant sheet remnants and a defective ER network distribution. Furthermore, we identify myosin 1c localizing to the ER-associated actin filament arrays and reveal a novel role for myosin 1c in regulating these actin structures, as myosin 1c manipulations lead to loss of the actin filaments and to similar ER phenotype as observed after actin depolymerization. We propose that ER-associated actin filaments have a role in ER sheet persistence regulation and thus support the maintenance of sheets as a stationary subdomain of the dynamic ER network. PMID:24523293

Extraction Protocols for Individual Zebrafish's Ventricle Myosin and Skeletal Muscle Actin for In vitro Motility Assays

PubMed Central

Scheid, Lisa-Mareike; Weber, Cornelia; Bopp, Nasrin; Mosqueira, Matias; Fink, Rainer H. A.

2017-01-01

The in vitro motility assay (IVMA) is a technique that enables the measurement of the interaction between actin and myosin providing a relatively simple model to understand the mechanical muscle function. For actin-myosin IVMA, myosin is immobilized in a measurement chamber, where it converts chemical energy provided by ATP hydrolysis into mechanical energy. The result is the movement of fluorescently labeled actin filaments that can be recorded microscopically and analyzed quantitatively. Resulting sliding speeds and patterns help to characterize the underlying actin-myosin interaction that can be affected by different factors such as mutations or active compounds. Additionally, modulatory actions of the regulatory proteins tropomyosin and troponin in the presence of calcium on actin-myosin interaction can be studied with the IVMA. Zebrafish is considered a suitable model organism for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle research. In this context, straightforward protocols for the isolation and use of zebrafish muscle proteins in the IVMA would provide a useful tool in molecular studies. Currently, there are no protocols available for the mentioned purpose. Therefore, we developed fast and easy protocols for characterization of zebrafish proteins in the IVMA. Our protocols enable the interested researcher to (i) isolate actin from zebrafish skeletal muscle and (ii) extract functionally intact myosin from cardiac and skeletal muscle of individual adult zebrafish. Zebrafish tail muscle actin is isolated after acetone powder preparation, polymerized, and labeled with Rhodamine-Phalloidin. Myosin from ventricles of adult zebrafish is extracted directly into IVMA flow-cells. The same extraction protocol is applicable for comparably small tissue pieces as from zebrafish tail, mouse and frog muscle. After addition of the fluorescently labeled F-actin from zebrafish—or other origin—and ATP, sliding movement can be visualized using a fluorescence microscope and an

Fission yeast tropomyosin specifies directed transport of myosin-V along actin cables

PubMed Central

Clayton, Joseph E.; Pollard, Luther W.; Sckolnick, Maria; Bookwalter, Carol S.; Hodges, Alex R.; Trybus, Kathleen M.; Lord, Matthew

2014-01-01

A hallmark of class-V myosins is their processivity—the ability to take multiple steps along actin filaments without dissociating. Our previous work suggested, however, that the fission yeast myosin-V (Myo52p) is a nonprocessive motor whose activity is enhanced by tropomyosin (Cdc8p). Here we investigate the molecular mechanism and physiological relevance of tropomyosin-mediated regulation of Myo52p transport, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches. Single molecules of Myo52p, visualized by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, moved processively only when Cdc8p was present on actin filaments. Small ensembles of Myo52p bound to a quantum dot, mimicking the number of motors bound to physiological cargo, also required Cdc8p for continuous motion. Although a truncated form of Myo52p that lacked a cargo-binding domain failed to support function in vivo, it still underwent actin-dependent movement to polarized growth sites. This result suggests that truncated Myo52p lacking cargo, or single molecules of wild-type Myo52p with small cargoes, can undergo processive movement along actin-Cdc8p cables in vivo. Our findings outline a mechanism by which tropomyosin facilitates sorting of transport to specific actin tracks within the cell by switching on myosin processivity. PMID:24196839

Myosin-induced volume increase of the hyper-mobile water surrounding actin filaments.

PubMed

Suzuki, Makoto; Kabir, Syed Rashel; Siddique, Md Shahjahan Parvez; Nazia, Umme Salma; Miyazaki, Takashi; Kodama, Takao

2004-09-10

Microwave dielectric spectroscopy can measure the rotational mobility of water molecules that hydrate proteins and the hydration-shell volume. Using this technique, we have recently shown that apart from typical hydrating water molecules with lowered mobility there are other water molecules around the actin filaments (F-actin) which have a much higher mobility than that of bulk water [Biophys. J. 85 (2003) 3154]. We report here that the volume of this water component (hyper-mobile water) markedly increases without significant change of the volume of the ordinary hydration shell when the myosin motor-domain (S1, myosin subfragment-1) binds to F-actin. No hyper-mobile component was found in the hydration shell of S1 itself. The present results strongly suggest that the solvent space around S1 bound to F-actin is diffusionally asymmetric, which supports our model of force generation by actomyosin proposed previously [op. cit.].

Effect of a myosin regulatory light chain mutation K104E on actin-myosin interactions.

PubMed

Duggal, D; Nagwekar, J; Rich, R; Huang, W; Midde, K; Fudala, R; Das, H; Gryczynski, I; Szczesna-Cordary, D; Borejdo, J

2015-05-15

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals. Molecular mechanisms underlying this disorder are largely unknown; this study aims at revealing how disruptions in actin-myosin interactions can play a role in this disorder. Cross-bridge (XB) kinetics and the degree of order were examined in contracting myofibrils from the ex vivo left ventricles of transgenic (Tg) mice expressing FHC regulatory light chain (RLC) mutation K104E. Because the degree of order and the kinetics are best studied when an individual XB makes a significant contribution to the overall signal, the number of observed XBs in an ex vivo ventricle was minimized to ∼20. Autofluorescence and photobleaching were minimized by labeling the myosin lever arm with a relatively long-lived red-emitting dye containing a chromophore system encapsulated in a cyclic macromolecule. Mutated XBs were significantly better ordered during steady-state contraction and during rigor, but the mutation had no effect on the degree of order in relaxed myofibrils. The K104E mutation increased the rate of XB binding to thin filaments and the rate of execution of the power stroke. The stopped-flow experiments revealed a significantly faster observed dissociation rate in Tg-K104E vs. Tg-wild-type (WT) myosin and a smaller second-order ATP-binding rate for the K104E compared with WT myosin. Collectively, our data indicate that the mutation-induced changes in the interaction of myosin with actin during the contraction-relaxation cycle may contribute to altered contractility and the development of FHC. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Regulation of organ straightening and plant posture by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton.

PubMed

Okamoto, Keishi; Ueda, Haruko; Shimada, Tomoo; Tamura, Kentaro; Kato, Takehide; Tasaka, Masao; Morita, Miyo Terao; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko

2015-03-23

Plants are able to bend nearly every organ in response to environmental stimuli such as gravity and light(1,2). After this first phase, the responses to stimuli are restrained by an independent mechanism, or even reversed, so that the organ will stop bending and attain its desired posture. This phenomenon of organ straightening has been called autotropism(3) and autostraightening(4) and modelled as proprioception(5). However, the machinery that drives organ straightening and where it occurs are mostly unknown. Here, we show that the straightening of inflorescence stems is regulated by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton in specialized immature fibre cells that are parallel to the stem and encircle it in a thin band. Arabidopsis mutants defective in myosin XI (specifically XIf and XIk) or ACTIN8 exhibit hyperbending of stems in response to gravity, an effect independent of the physical properties of the shoots. The actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton enables organs to attain their new position more rapidly than would an oscillating series of diminishing overshoots in environmental stimuli. We propose that the long actin filaments in elongating fibre cells act as a bending tensile sensor to perceive the organ's posture and trigger the straightening system.

The Myosin IXb Motor Activity Targets the Myosin IXb RhoGAP Domain as Cargo to Sites of Actin Polymerization

PubMed Central

van den Boom, Frank; Düssmann, Heiko; Uhlenbrock, Katharina; Abouhamed, Marouan

2007-01-01

Myosin IXb (Myo9b) is a single-headed processive myosin that exhibits Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) activity in its tail region. Using live cell imaging, we determined that Myo9b is recruited to extending lamellipodia, ruffles, and filopodia, the regions of active actin polymerization. A functional motor domain was both necessary and sufficient for targeting Myo9b to these regions. The head domains of class IX myosins comprise a large insertion in loop2. Deletion of the large Myo9b head loop 2 insertion abrogated the enrichment in extending lamellipodia and ruffles, but enhanced significantly the enrichment at the tips of filopodia and retraction fibers. The enrichment in the tips of filopodia and retraction fibers depended on four lysine residues C-terminal to the loop 2 insertion and the tail region. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and photoactivation experiments in lamellipodia revealed that the dynamics of Myo9b was comparable to that of actin. The exchange rates depended on the Myo9b motor region and motor activity, and they were also dependent on the turnover of F-actin. These results demonstrate that Myo9b functions as a motorized RhoGAP molecule in regions of actin polymerization and identify Myo9b head sequences important for in vivo motor properties. PMID:17314409

Microfluidic Investigation Reveals Distinct Roles for Actin Cytoskeleton and Myosin II Activity in Capillary Leukocyte Trafficking

PubMed Central

Gabriele, Sylvain; Benoliel, Anne-Marie; Bongrand, Pierre; Théodoly, Olivier

2009-01-01

Circulating leukocyte sequestration in pulmonary capillaries is arguably the initiating event of lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome. We present a microfluidic investigation of the roles of actin organization and myosin II activity during the different stages of leukocyte trafficking through narrow capillaries (entry, transit and shape relaxation) using specific drugs (latrunculin A, jasplakinolide, and blebbistatin). The deformation rate during entry reveals that cell stiffness depends strongly on F-actin organization and hardly on myosin II activity, supporting a microfilament role in leukocyte sequestration. In the transit stage, cell friction is influenced by stiffness, demonstrating that the actin network is not completely broken after a forced entry into a capillary. Conversely, membrane unfolding was independent of leukocyte stiffness. The surface area of sequestered leukocytes increased by up to 160% in the absence of myosin II activity, showing the major role of molecular motors in microvilli wrinkling and zipping. Finally, cell shape relaxation was largely independent of both actin organization and myosin II activity, whereas a deformed state was required for normal trafficking through capillary segments. PMID:19450501

Actin-myosin-based contraction is responsible for apoptotic nuclear disintegration.

PubMed

Croft, Daniel R; Coleman, Mathew L; Li, Shuixing; Robertson, David; Sullivan, Teresa; Stewart, Colin L; Olson, Michael F

2005-01-17

Membrane blebbing during the apoptotic execution phase results from caspase-mediated cleavage and activation of ROCK I. Here, we show that ROCK activity, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, MLC ATPase activity, and an intact actin cytoskeleton, but not microtubular cytoskeleton, are required for disruption of nuclear integrity during apoptosis. Inhibition of ROCK or MLC ATPase activity, which protect apoptotic nuclear integrity, does not affect caspase-mediated degradation of nuclear proteins such as lamins A, B1, or C. The conditional activation of ROCK I was sufficient to tear apart nuclei in lamin A/C null fibroblasts, but not in wild-type fibroblasts. Thus, apoptotic nuclear disintegration requires actin-myosin contractile force and lamin proteolysis, making apoptosis analogous to, but distinct from, mitosis where nuclear disintegration results from microtubule-based forces and from lamin phosphorylation and depolymerization.

Switch II Mutants Reveal Coupling between the Nucleotide- and Actin-Binding Regions in Myosin V

PubMed Central

Trivedi, Darshan V.; David, Charles; Jacobs, Donald J.; Yengo, Christopher M.

2012-01-01

Conserved active-site elements in myosins and other P-loop NTPases play critical roles in nucleotide binding and hydrolysis; however, the mechanisms of allosteric communication among these mechanoenzymes remain unresolved. In this work we introduced the E442A mutation, which abrogates a salt-bridge between switch I and switch II, and the G440A mutation, which abolishes a main-chain hydrogen bond associated with the interaction of switch II with the γ phosphate of ATP, into myosin V. We used fluorescence resonance energy transfer between mant-labeled nucleotides or IAEDANS-labeled actin and FlAsH-labeled myosin V to examine the conformation of the nucleotide- and actin-binding regions, respectively. We demonstrate that in the absence of actin, both the G440A and E442A mutants bind ATP with similar affinity and result in only minor alterations in the conformation of the nucleotide-binding pocket (NBP). In the presence of ADP and actin, both switch II mutants disrupt the formation of a closed NBP actomyosin.ADP state. The G440A mutant also prevents ATP-induced opening of the actin-binding cleft. Our results indicate that the switch II region is critical for stabilizing the closed NBP conformation in the presence of actin, and is essential for communication between the active site and actin-binding region. PMID:22713570

Sharing is Caring: The Role of Actin/Myosin-V in Synaptic Vesicle Transport between Synapses in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gramlich, Michael

Inter-synaptic vesicle sharing is an important but not well understood process of pre-synaptic function. Further, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this inter-synaptic exchange are not well known, and whether this inter-synaptic vesicle sharing is regulated by neural activity remains largely unexplored. I address these questions by studying CA1/CA3 Hippocampal neurons at the single synaptic vesicle level. Using high-resolution tracking of individual vesicles that have recently undergone endocytosis, I observe long-distance axonal transport of synaptic vesicles is partly mediated by the actin network. Further, the actin-dependent transport is predominantly carried out by Myosin-V. I develop a correlated-motion analysis to characterize the mechanics of how actin and Myosin-V affect vesicle transport. Lastly, I also observe that vesicle exit rates from the synapse to the axon and long-distance vesicle transport are both regulated by activity, but Myosin-V does not appear to mediate the activity dependence. These observations highlight the roles of the axonal actin network, and Myosin-V in particular, in regulating inter-synaptic vesicle exchange.

Rotational dynamics of spin-labeled F-actin during activation of myosin S1 ATPase using caged ATP.

PubMed Central

Ostap, E. M.; Thomas, D. D.

1991-01-01

The most probable source of force generation in muscle fibers in the rotation of the myosin head when bound to actin. This laboratory has demonstrated that ATP induces microsecond rotational motions of spin-labeled myosin heads bound to actin (Berger, C. L. E. C. Svensson, and D. D. Thomas. 1989. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86:8753-8757). Our goal is to determine whether the observed ATP-induced rotational motions of actin-bound heads are accompanied by changes in actin rotational motions. We have used saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance (ST-EPR) and laser-induced photolysis of caged ATP to monitor changes in the microsecond rotational dynamics of spin-labeled F-actin in the presence of myosin subfragment-1 (S1). A maleimide spin label was attached selectively to cys-374 on actin. In the absence of ATP (with or without caged ATP), the ST-EPR spectrum (corresponding to an effective rotational time of approximately 150 microseconds) was essentially the same as observed for the same spin label bound to cys-707 (SH1) on S1, indicating that S1 is rigidly bound to actin in rigor. At normal ionic strength (micro = 186 mM), a decrease in ST-EPR intensity (increase in microsecond F-actin mobility) was clearly indicated upon photolysis of 1 mM caged ATP with a 50-ms, 351-nm laser pulse. This increase in mobility is due to the complete dissociation of Si from the actin filament. At low ionic strength (micro, = 36 mM), when about half the Si heads remain bound during ATP hydrolysis, no change in the actin mobility was detected, despite much faster motions of labeled S1 bound to actin. Therefore, we conclude that the active interaction of Si, actin,and ATP induces rotation of myosin heads relative to actin, but does not affect the microsecond rotational motion of actin itself, as detected at cys-374 of actin. PMID:1651780

Effects of BTS (N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide), an inhibitor for myosin-actin interaction, on myofibrillogenesis in skeletal muscle cells in culture.

PubMed

Kagawa, Maiko; Sato, Naruki; Obinata, Takashi

2006-11-01

Actin filaments align around myosin filaments in the correct polarity and in a hexagonal arrangement to form cross-striated structures. It has been postulated that this myosin-actin interaction is important in the initial phase of myofibrillogenesis. It was previously demonstrated that an inhibitor of actin-myosin interaction, BDM (2,3-butanedione monoxime), suppresses myofibril formation in muscle cells in culture. However, further study showed that BDM also exerts several additional effects on living cells. In this study, we further examined the role of actin-myosin interaction in myofibril assembly in primary cultures of chick embryonic skeletal muscle by applying a more specific inhibitor, BTS (N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide), of myosin ATPase and actin-myosin interaction. The assembly of sarcomeric structures from myofibrillar proteins was examined by immunocytochemical methods with the application of BTS to myotubes just after fusion. Addition of BTS (10-50 microM) significantly suppressed the organization of actin and myosin into cross-striated structures. BTS also interfered in the organization of alpha-actinin, C-protein (or MyBP-C), and connectin (or titin) into ordered striated structures, though the sensitivity was less. Moreover, when myotubes cultured in the presence of BTS were transferred to a control medium, sarcomeric structures were formed in 2-3 days, indicating that the inhibitory effect of BTS on myotubes is reversible. These results show that actin-myosin interaction plays a critical role in the process of myofibrillogenesis.

Structural Characterization of the Binding of Myosin*ADP*Pi to Actin in Permeabilized Rabbit Psoas Muscle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu,S.; Gu, J.; Belknap, B.

2006-01-01

When myosin is attached to actin in a muscle cell, various structures in the filaments are formed. The two strongly bound states (A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ADP and A{center_dot}M) and the weakly bound A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ATP states are reasonably well understood. The orientation of the strongly bound myosin heads is uniform ('stereospecific' attachment), and the attached heads exhibit little spatial fluctuation. In the prehydrolysis weakly bound A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ATP state, the orientations of the attached myosin heads assume a wide range of azimuthal and axial angles, indicating considerable flexibility in the myosin head. The structure of the other weakly bound state, A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ADP{center_dot}P{sub i}, however, is poorly understood. Thismore » state is thought to be the critical pre-power-stroke state, poised to make the transition to the strongly binding, force-generating states, and hence it is of particular interest for understanding the mechanism of contraction. However, because of the low affinity between myosin and actin in the A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ADP{center_dot}P{sub i} state, the structure of this state has eluded determination both in isolated form and in muscle cells. With the knowledge recently gained in the structures of the weakly binding M{center_dot}ATP, M{center_dot}ADP{center_dot}P{sub i} states and the weakly attached A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ATP state in muscle fibers, it is now feasible to delineate the in vivo structure of the attached state of A{center_dot}M{center_dot}ADP{center_dot}P{sub i}. The series of experiments presented in this article were carried out under relaxing conditions at 25{sup o}C, where {approx}95% of the myosin heads in the skinned rabbit psoas muscle contain the hydrolysis products. The affinity for actin is enhanced by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) or by lowering the ionic strength in the bathing solution. Solution kinetics and binding constants were determined in the presence

Myosin VI and branched actin filaments mediate membrane constriction and fission of melanosomal tubule carriers.

PubMed

Ripoll, Léa; Heiligenstein, Xavier; Hurbain, Ilse; Domingues, Lia; Figon, Florent; Petersen, Karl J; Dennis, Megan K; Houdusse, Anne; Marks, Michael S; Raposo, Graça; Delevoye, Cédric

2018-06-06

Vesicular and tubular transport intermediates regulate organellar cargo dynamics. Transport carrier release involves local and profound membrane remodeling before fission. Pinching the neck of a budding tubule or vesicle requires mechanical forces, likely exerted by the action of molecular motors on the cytoskeleton. Here, we show that myosin VI, together with branched actin filaments, constricts the membrane of tubular carriers that are then released from melanosomes, the pigment containing lysosome-related organelles of melanocytes. By combining superresolution fluorescence microscopy, correlative light and electron microscopy, and biochemical analyses, we find that myosin VI motor activity mediates severing by constricting the neck of the tubule at specific melanosomal subdomains. Pinching of the tubules involves the cooperation of the myosin adaptor optineurin and the activity of actin nucleation machineries, including the WASH and Arp2/3 complexes. The fission and release of these tubules allows for the export of components from melanosomes, such as the SNARE VAMP7, and promotes melanosome maturation and transfer to keratinocytes. Our data reveal a new myosin VI- and actin-dependent membrane fission mechanism required for organelle function. © 2018 Ripoll et al.

Actin Filaments and Myosin I Alpha Cooperate with Microtubules for the Movement of LysosomesV⃞

PubMed Central

Cordonnier, Marie-Neige; Dauzonne, Daniel; Louvard, Daniel; Coudrier, Evelyne

2001-01-01

An earlier report suggested that actin and myosin I alpha (MMIα), a myosin associated with endosomes and lysosomes, were involved in the delivery of internalized molecules to lysosomes. To determine whether actin and MMIα were involved in the movement of lysosomes, we analyzed by time-lapse video microscopy the dynamic of lysosomes in living mouse hepatoma cells (BWTG3 cells), producing green fluorescent protein actin or a nonfunctional domain of MMIα. In GFP-actin cells, lysosomes displayed a combination of rapid long-range directional movements dependent on microtubules, short random movements, and pauses, sometimes on actin filaments. We showed that the inhibition of the dynamics of actin filaments by cytochalasin D increased pauses of lysosomes on actin structures, while depolymerization of actin filaments using latrunculin A increased the mobility of lysosomes but impaired the directionality of their long-range movements. The production of a nonfunctional domain of MMIα impaired the intracellular distribution of lysosomes and the directionality of their long-range movements. Altogether, our observations indicate for the first time that both actin filaments and MMIα contribute to the movement of lysosomes in cooperation with microtubules and their associated molecular motors. PMID:11739797

Direct observation of the myosin Va recovery stroke that contributes to unidirectional stepping along actin.

PubMed

Shiroguchi, Katsuyuki; Chin, Harvey F; Hannemann, Diane E; Muneyuki, Eiro; De La Cruz, Enrique M; Kinosita, Kazuhiko

2011-04-01

Myosins are ATP-driven linear molecular motors that work as cellular force generators, transporters, and force sensors. These functions are driven by large-scale nucleotide-dependent conformational changes, termed "strokes"; the "power stroke" is the force-generating swinging of the myosin light chain-binding "neck" domain relative to the motor domain "head" while bound to actin; the "recovery stroke" is the necessary initial motion that primes, or "cocks," myosin while detached from actin. Myosin Va is a processive dimer that steps unidirectionally along actin following a "hand over hand" mechanism in which the trailing head detaches and steps forward ∼72 nm. Despite large rotational Brownian motion of the detached head about a free joint adjoining the two necks, unidirectional stepping is achieved, in part by the power stroke of the attached head that moves the joint forward. However, the power stroke alone cannot fully account for preferential forward site binding since the orientation and angle stability of the detached head, which is determined by the properties of the recovery stroke, dictate actin binding site accessibility. Here, we directly observe the recovery stroke dynamics and fluctuations of myosin Va using a novel, transient caged ATP-controlling system that maintains constant ATP levels through stepwise UV-pulse sequences of varying intensity. We immobilized the neck of monomeric myosin Va on a surface and observed real time motions of bead(s) attached site-specifically to the head. ATP induces a transient swing of the neck to the post-recovery stroke conformation, where it remains for ∼40 s, until ATP hydrolysis products are released. Angle distributions indicate that the post-recovery stroke conformation is stabilized by ≥ 5 k(B)T of energy. The high kinetic and energetic stability of the post-recovery stroke conformation favors preferential binding of the detached head to a forward site 72 nm away. Thus, the recovery stroke contributes to

Myosin heavy chain-like localizes at cell contact sites during Drosophila myoblast fusion and interacts in vitro with Rolling pebbles 7

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonn, Bettina R.; Rudolf, Anja; Hornbruch-Freitag, Christina

2013-02-15

Besides representing the sarcomeric thick filaments, myosins are involved in many cellular transport and motility processes. Myosin heavy chains are grouped into 18 classes. Here we show that in Drosophila, the unconventional group XVIII myosin heavy chain-like (Mhcl) is transcribed in the mesoderm of embryos, most prominently in founder cells (FCs). An ectopically expressed GFP-tagged Mhcl localizes in the growing muscle at cell–cell contacts towards the attached fusion competent myoblast (FCM). We further show that Mhcl interacts in vitro with the essential fusion protein Rolling pebbles 7 (Rols7), which is part of a protein complex established at cell contact sitesmore » (Fusion-restricted Myogenic-Adhesive Structure or FuRMAS). Here, branched F-actin is likely needed to widen the fusion pore and to integrate the myoblast into the growing muscle. We show that the localization of Mhcl is dependent on the presence of Rols7, and we postulate that Mhcl acts at the FuRMAS as an actin motor protein. We further show that Mhcl deficient embryos develop a wild-type musculature. We thus propose that Mhcl functions redundantly to other myosin heavy chains in myoblasts. Lastly, we found that the protein is detectable adjacent to the sarcomeric Z-discs, suggesting an additional function in mature muscles. - Highlights: ► The class XVIII myosin encoding gene Mhcl is transcribed in the mesoderm. ► Mhcl localization at contact sites of fusing myoblasts depends on Rols7. ► Mhcl interacts in vitro with Rols7 which is essential for myogenesis. ► Functional redundancy with other myosins is likely as mutants show no muscle defects. ► Mhcl localizes adjacent to Z-discs of sarcomeres and might support muscle integrity.« less

Theoretical kinetic studies of models for binding myosin subfragment-1 to regulated actin: Hill model versus Geeves model.

PubMed Central

Chen , Y; Yan, B; Chalovich, J M; Brenner, B

2001-01-01

It was previously shown that a one-dimensional Ising model could successfully simulate the equilibrium binding of myosin S1 to regulated actin filaments (T. L. Hill, E. Eisenberg and L. Greene, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77:3186-3190, 1980). However, the time course of myosin S1 binding to regulated actin was thought to be incompatible with this model, and a three-state model was subsequently developed (D. F. McKillop and M. A. Geeves, Biophys. J. 65:693-701, 1993). A quantitative analysis of the predicted time course of myosin S1 binding to regulated actin, however, was never done for either model. Here we present the procedure for the theoretical evaluation of the time course of myosin S1 binding for both models and then show that 1) the Hill model can predict the "lag" in the binding of myosin S1 to regulated actin that is observed in the absence of Ca++ when S1 is in excess of actin, and 2) both models generate very similar families of binding curves when [S1]/[actin] is varied. This result shows that, just based on the equilibrium and pre-steady-state kinetic binding data alone, it is not possible to differentiate between the two models. Thus, the model of Hill et al. cannot be ruled out on the basis of existing pre-steady-state and equilibrium binding data. Physical mechanisms underlying the generation of the lag in the Hill model are discussed. PMID:11325734

Single cardiac ventricular myosins are autonomous motors

PubMed Central

Wang, Yihua; Yuan, Chen-Ching; Kazmierczak, Katarzyna; Szczesna-Cordary, Danuta

2018-01-01

Myosin transduces ATP free energy into mechanical work in muscle. Cardiac muscle has dynamically wide-ranging power demands on the motor as the muscle changes modes in a heartbeat from relaxation, via auxotonic shortening, to isometric contraction. The cardiac power output modulation mechanism is explored in vitro by assessing single cardiac myosin step-size selection versus load. Transgenic mice express human ventricular essential light chain (ELC) in wild- type (WT), or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-linked mutant forms, A57G or E143K, in a background of mouse α-cardiac myosin heavy chain. Ensemble motility and single myosin mechanical characteristics are consistent with an A57G that impairs ELC N-terminus actin binding and an E143K that impairs lever-arm stability, while both species down-shift average step-size with increasing load. Cardiac myosin in vivo down-shifts velocity/force ratio with increasing load by changed unitary step-size selections. Here, the loaded in vitro single myosin assay indicates quantitative complementarity with the in vivo mechanism. Both have two embedded regulatory transitions, one inhibiting ADP release and a second novel mechanism inhibiting actin detachment via strain on the actin-bound ELC N-terminus. Competing regulators filter unitary step-size selection to control force-velocity modulation without myosin integration into muscle. Cardiac myosin is muscle in a molecule. PMID:29669825

The unit event of sliding of the chemo-mechanical enzyme composed of myosin and actin with regulatory proteins.

PubMed

Oosawa, Fumio

2008-04-25

Various myosin-actin systems do not always show the same sliding behaviors. To make the situation clear, discussions are concentrated on the unit event of sliding of the chemo-mechanical enzyme composed of a single myosin head and a single actin filament with regulatory proteins. The popular idea of the one-to-one correspondence between the chemical state and the physical state or between the chemical reaction step and the physical conformational change is reexamined. It is likely that the sites and the modes of interaction between myosin head and actin filament during the ATP hydrolysis are more multiple and variable, and the input-output coupling in the chemo-mechanical enzyme is loose.

Roles of type II myosin and a tropomyosin isoform in retrograde actin flow in budding yeast

PubMed Central

Huckaba, Thomas M.; Lipkin, Thomas; Pon, Liza A.

2006-01-01

Retrograde flow of cortical actin networks and bundles is essential for cell motility and retrograde intracellular movement, and for the formation and maintenance of microvilli, stereocilia, and filopodia. Actin cables, which are F-actin bundles that serve as tracks for anterograde and retrograde cargo movement in budding yeast, undergo retrograde flow that is driven, in part, by actin polymerization and assembly. We find that the actin cable retrograde flow rate is reduced by deletion or delocalization of the type II myosin Myo1p, and by deletion or conditional mutation of the Myo1p motor domain. Deletion of the tropomyosin isoform Tpm2p, but not the Tpm1p isoform, increases the rate of actin cable retrograde flow. Pretreatment of F-actin with Tpm2p, but not Tpm1p, inhibits Myo1p binding to F-actin and Myo1p-dependent F-actin gliding. These data support novel, opposing roles of Myo1p and Tpm2 in regulating retrograde actin flow in budding yeast and an isoform-specific function of Tpm1p in promoting actin cable function in myosin-driven anterograde cargo transport. PMID:17178912

Structured Post-IQ Domain Governs Selectivity of Myosin X for Fascin-Actin Bundles*

PubMed Central

Nagy, Stanislav; Rock, Ronald S.

2010-01-01

Without guidance cues, cytoskeletal motors would traffic components to the wrong destination with disastrous consequences for the cell. Recently, we identified a motor protein, myosin X, that identifies bundled actin filaments for transport. These bundles direct myosin X to a unique destination, the tips of cellular filopodia. Because the structural and kinetic features that drive bundle selection are unknown, we employed a domain-swapping approach with the nonselective myosin V to identify the selectivity module of myosin X. We found a surprising role of the myosin X tail region (post-IQ) in supporting long runs on bundles. Moreover, the myosin X head is adapted for initiating processive runs on bundles. We found that the tail is structured and biases the orientation of the two myosin X heads because a targeted insertion that introduces flexibility in the tail abolishes selectivity. Together, these results suggest how myosin motors may manage to read cellular addresses. PMID:20538587

The Intensity Of The 2.7nm Reflection As A Constraint For Models Of Myosin Docking To Actin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reconditi, Massimo; Irving, Tom C.; IIT)

2009-03-16

Previous workers have proposed high resolution models for the docking of the myosin heads on actin on the basis of combined crystallographic and electron microscopy data (Mendelson and Morris, 1997 PNAS 94:8533; Holmes et al. 2003 Nature 425:423). We have used data from small angle X-ray fiber diffraction from living muscle to check the predictions of these models. Whole sartorius muscles from Rana pipiens were mounted in a chamber containing Ringer's solution at 10 C and at rest length at the BioCAT beamline (18 ID, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne, IL-U.S.A.). The muscles were activated by electrical stimulation and the forcemore » was recorded with a muscle lever system type 300B (Aurora Scientific). X-ray patterns were collected with 1s total exposures at rest and during isometric contraction out to 0.5 nm{sup -1} in reciprocal space, as the higher angle reflections are expected to be more sensitive to the arrangement of myosin heads on actin. We observed that during isometric contraction the meridional reflection originating from the 2.73nm repeat of the actin monomers along the actin filament increases its intensity by a factor 2.1 {+-} 0.2 relative to rest. Among the models tested, Holmes et al. fits the data when the actin filament is decorated with 30-40% the total available myosin heads, a fraction similar to that estimated with fast single fiber mechanics by Piazzesi et al. (2007, Cell 131:784). However, when the mismatch between the periodicities of actin and myosin filaments is taken into account, none of the models can reproduce the fiber diffraction data. We suggest that the fiber diffraction data should be used as a further constraint on new high resolution models for the docking of the myosin heads on actin.« less

Myosin IIA interacts with the spectrin-actin membrane skeleton to control red blood cell membrane curvature and deformability.

PubMed

Smith, Alyson S; Nowak, Roberta B; Zhou, Sitong; Giannetto, Michael; Gokhin, David S; Papoin, Julien; Ghiran, Ionita C; Blanc, Lionel; Wan, Jiandi; Fowler, Velia M

2018-05-08

The biconcave disk shape and deformability of mammalian RBCs rely on the membrane skeleton, a viscoelastic network of short, membrane-associated actin filaments (F-actin) cross-linked by long, flexible spectrin tetramers. Nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) motors exert force on diverse F-actin networks to control cell shapes, but a function for NMII contractility in the 2D spectrin-F-actin network of RBCs has not been tested. Here, we show that RBCs contain membrane skeleton-associated NMIIA puncta, identified as bipolar filaments by superresolution fluorescence microscopy. MgATP disrupts NMIIA association with the membrane skeleton, consistent with NMIIA motor domains binding to membrane skeleton F-actin and contributing to membrane mechanical properties. In addition, the phosphorylation of the RBC NMIIA heavy and light chains in vivo indicates active regulation of NMIIA motor activity and filament assembly, while reduced heavy chain phosphorylation of membrane skeleton-associated NMIIA indicates assembly of stable filaments at the membrane. Treatment of RBCs with blebbistatin, an inhibitor of NMII motor activity, decreases the number of NMIIA filaments associated with the membrane and enhances local, nanoscale membrane oscillations, suggesting decreased membrane tension. Blebbistatin-treated RBCs also exhibit elongated shapes, loss of membrane curvature, and enhanced deformability, indicating a role for NMIIA contractility in promoting membrane stiffness and maintaining RBC biconcave disk cell shape. As structures similar to the RBC membrane skeleton exist in many metazoan cell types, these data demonstrate a general function for NMII in controlling specialized membrane morphology and mechanical properties through contractile interactions with short F-actin in spectrin-F-actin networks.

The myosin passenger protein Smy1 controls actin cable structure and dynamics by acting as a formin damper

PubMed Central

Chesarone-Cataldo, Melissa; Guérin, Christophe; Yu, Jerry H.; Wedlich-Soldner, Roland; Blanchoin, Laurent; Goode, Bruce L.

2011-01-01

Summary Formins are a conserved family of proteins with robust effects in promoting actin nucleation and elongation. However, the mechanisms restraining formin activities in cells to generate actin networks with particular dynamics and architectures are not well understood. In S. cerevisiae, formins assemble actin cables, which serve as tracks for myosin-dependent intracellular transport. Here, we show that the kinesin-like myosin passenger-protein Smy1 interacts with the FH2 domain of the formin Bnr1 to decrease rates of actin filament elongation, which is distinct from the formin displacement activity of Bud14. In vivo analysis of smy1Δ mutants demonstrates that this ‘damper’ mechanism is critical for maintaining proper actin cable architecture, dynamics, and function. We directly observe Smy1–3GFP being transported by myosin V and transiently pausing at the neck in a manner dependent on Bnr1. These observations suggest that Smy1 is part of a negative feedback mechanism that detects cable length and prevents overgrowth. PMID:21839918

Vascular disease-causing mutation R258C in ACTA2 disrupts actin dynamics and interaction with myosin

PubMed Central

Lu, Hailong; Fagnant, Patricia M.; Bookwalter, Carol S.; Joel, Peteranne; Trybus, Kathleen M.

2015-01-01

Point mutations in vascular smooth muscle α-actin (SM α-actin), encoded by the gene ACTA2, are the most prevalent cause of familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD). Here, we provide the first molecular characterization, to our knowledge, of the effect of the R258C mutation in SM α-actin, expressed with the baculovirus system. Smooth muscles are unique in that force generation requires both interaction of stable actin filaments with myosin and polymerization of actin in the subcortical region. Both aspects of R258C function therefore need investigation. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy was used to quantify the growth of single actin filaments as a function of time. R258C filaments are less stable than WT and more susceptible to severing by cofilin. Smooth muscle tropomyosin offers little protection from cofilin cleavage, unlike its effect on WT actin. Unexpectedly, profilin binds tighter to the R258C monomer, which will increase the pool of globular actin (G-actin). In an in vitro motility assay, smooth muscle myosin moves R258C filaments more slowly than WT, and the slowing is exacerbated by smooth muscle tropomyosin. Under loaded conditions, small ensembles of myosin are unable to produce force on R258C actin-tropomyosin filaments, suggesting that tropomyosin occupies an inhibitory position on actin. Many of the observed defects cannot be explained by a direct interaction with the mutated residue, and thus the mutation allosterically affects multiple regions of the monomer. Our results align with the hypothesis that defective contractile function contributes to the pathogenesis of TAAD. PMID:26153420

Myosin motor function: the ins and outs of actin-based membrane protrusions

PubMed Central

Nambiar, Rajalakshmi; McConnell, Russell E.

2011-01-01

Cells build plasma membrane protrusions supported by parallel bundles of F-actin to enable a wide variety of biological functions, ranging from motility to host defense. Filopodia, microvilli and stereocilia are three such protrusions that have been the focus of intense biological and biophysical investigation in recent years. While it is evident that actin dynamics play a significant role in the formation of these organelles, members of the myosin superfamily have also been implicated as key players in the maintenance of protrusion architecture and function. Based on a simple analysis of the physical forces that control protrusion formation and morphology, as well as our review of available data, we propose that myosins play two general roles within these structures: (1) as cargo transporters to move critical regulatory components toward distal tips and (2) as mediators of membrane-cytoskeleton adhesion. PMID:20107861

Identification and biochemical analysis of Slac2-c/MyRIP as a Rab27A-, myosin Va/VIIa-, and actin-binding protein.

PubMed

Kuroda, Taruho S; Fukuda, Mitsunori

2005-01-01

Slac2-c/MyRIP is a specific Rab27A-binding protein that contains an N-terminal synaptotagmin-like protein (Slp) homology domain (SHD, a newly identified GTP-Rab27A-binding motif), but in contrast to the Slp family proteins, it lacks C-terminal tandem C2 domains. In vitro Slac2-c simultaneously directly interacts with both Rab27A and an actin-based motor protein, myosin Va, via its N-terminal SHD and middle region, respectively, consistent with the fact that the overall structure of Slac2-c is similar to that of Slac2-a/melanophilin, a linker protein between Rab27A and myosin Va in the melanosome transport in melanocytes. Unlike Slac2-a, however, the middle region of Slac2-c interacts with two types of myosins, myosin Va and myosin VIIa. In addition, the most C-terminal part of both Slac2-a and Slac2-c functions as an actin-binding domain: it directly interacts with globular and fibrous actin in vitro, and the actin-binding domain of Slac2-a and Slac2-c colocalizes with actin filaments when it is expressed in living cells (i.e., PC12 cells and mouse melanocytes). In this chapter we describe the methods that have been used to analyze the protein-protein interactions of Slac2-c, specifically with Rab27A, myosin Va/VIIa, and actin.

A Novel Alpha Cardiac Actin (ACTC1) Mutation Mapping to a Domain in Close Contact with Myosin Heavy Chain Leads to a Variety of Congenital Heart Defects, Arrhythmia and Possibly Midline Defects.

PubMed

Augière, Céline; Mégy, Simon; El Malti, Rajae; Boland, Anne; El Zein, Loubna; Verrier, Bernard; Mégarbané, André; Deleuze, Jean-François; Bouvagnet, Patrice

2015-01-01

A Lebanese Maronite family presented with 13 relatives affected by various congenital heart defects (mainly atrial septal defects), conduction tissue anomalies and midline defects. No mutations were found in GATA4 and NKX2-5. A set of 399 poly(AC) markers was used to perform a linkage analysis which peaked at a 2.98 lod score on the long arm of chromosome 15. The haplotype analysis delineated a 7.7 meganucleotides genomic interval which included the alpha-cardiac actin gene (ACTC1) among 36 other protein coding genes. A heterozygous missense mutation was found (c.251T>C, p.(Met84Thr)) in the ACTC1 gene which changed a methionine residue conserved up to yeast. This mutation was absent from 1000 genomes and exome variant server database but segregated perfectly in this family with the affection status. This mutation and 2 other ACTC1 mutations (p.(Glu101Lys) and p.(Met125Val)) which result also in congenital heart defects are located in a region in close apposition to a myosin heavy chain head region by contrast to 3 other alpha-cardiac actin mutations (p.(Ala297Ser),p.(Asp313His) and p.(Arg314His)) which result in diverse cardiomyopathies and are located in a totally different interaction surface. Alpha-cardiac actin mutations lead to congenital heart defects, cardiomyopathies and eventually midline defects. The consequence of an ACTC1 mutation may in part be dependent on the interaction surface between actin and myosin.

Myosin IIb-dependent Regulation of Actin Dynamics Is Required for N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Trafficking during Synaptic Plasticity.

PubMed

Bu, Yunfei; Wang, Ning; Wang, Shaoli; Sheng, Tao; Tian, Tian; Chen, Linlin; Pan, Weiwei; Zhu, Minsheng; Luo, Jianhong; Lu, Wei

2015-10-16

N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) synaptic incorporation changes the number of NMDARs at synapses and is thus critical to various NMDAR-dependent brain functions. To date, the molecules involved in NMDAR trafficking and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we report that myosin IIb is an essential molecule in NMDAR synaptic incorporation during PKC- or θ burst stimulation-induced synaptic plasticity. Moreover, we demonstrate that myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)-dependent actin reorganization contributes to NMDAR trafficking. The findings from additional mutual occlusion experiments demonstrate that PKC and MLCK share a common signaling pathway in NMDAR-mediated synaptic regulation. Because myosin IIb is the primary substrate of MLCK and can regulate actin dynamics during synaptic plasticity, we propose that the MLCK- and myosin IIb-dependent regulation of actin dynamics is required for NMDAR trafficking during synaptic plasticity. This study provides important insights into a mechanical framework for understanding NMDAR trafficking associated with synaptic plasticity. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Mutating the converter-relay interface of Drosophila myosin perturbs ATPase activity, actin motility, myofibril stability and flight ability.

PubMed

Kronert, William A; Melkani, Girish C; Melkani, Anju; Bernstein, Sanford I

2010-05-21

We used an integrative approach to probe the significance of the interaction between the relay loop and converter domain of the myosin molecular motor from Drosophila melanogaster indirect flight muscle. During the myosin mechanochemical cycle, ATP-induced twisting of the relay loop is hypothesized to reposition the converter, resulting in cocking of the contiguous lever arm into the pre-power stroke configuration. The subsequent movement of the lever arm through its power stroke generates muscle contraction by causing myosin heads to pull on actin filaments. We generated a transgenic line expressing myosin with a mutation in the converter domain (R759E) at a site of relay loop interaction. Molecular modeling suggests that the interface between the relay loop and converter domain of R759E myosin would be significantly disrupted during the mechanochemical cycle. The mutation depressed calcium as well as basal and actin-activated MgATPase (V(max)) by approximately 60% compared to wild-type myosin, but there is no change in apparent actin affinity (K(m)). While ATP or AMP-PNP (adenylyl-imidodiphosphate) binding to wild-type myosin subfragment-1 enhanced tryptophan fluorescence by approximately 15% or approximately 8%, respectively, enhancement does not occur in the mutant. This suggests that the mutation reduces lever arm movement. The mutation decreases in vitro motility of actin filaments by approximately 35%. Mutant pupal indirect flight muscles display normal myofibril assembly, myofibril shape, and double-hexagonal arrangement of thick and thin filaments. Two-day-old fibers have occasional "cracking" of the crystal-like array of myofilaments. Fibers from 1-week-old adults show more severe cracking and frayed myofibrils with some disruption of the myofilament lattice. Flight ability is reduced in 2-day-old flies compared to wild-type controls, with no upward mobility but some horizontal flight. In 1-week-old adults, flight capability is lost. Thus, altered myosin

The Effect of Experimental Hyperthyroidism on Characteristics of Actin-Myosin Interaction in Fast and Slow Skeletal Muscles.

PubMed

Kopylova, G V; Shchepkin, D V; Bershitsky, S Y

2018-05-01

The molecular mechanism of the failure of contractile function of skeletal muscles caused by oxidative damage to myosin in hyperthyroidism is not fully understood. Using an in vitro motility assay, we studied the effect of myosin damage caused by oxidative stress in experimental hyperthyroidism on the actin-myosin interaction and its regulation by calcium. We found that hyperthyroidism-induced oxidation of myosin is accompanied by a decrease in the sliding velocity of the regulated thin filaments in the in vitro motility assay, and this effect is increased with the duration of the pathological process.

UCS protein Rng3p activates actin filament gliding by fission yeast myosin-II

PubMed Central

Lord, Matthew; Pollard, Thomas D.

2004-01-01

We purified native Myo2p/Cdc4p/Rlc1p (Myo2), the myosin-II motor required for cytokinesis by Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The Myo2p heavy chain associates with two light chains, Cdc4p and Rlc1p. Although crude Myo2 supported gliding motility of actin filaments in vitro, purified Myo2 lacked this activity in spite of retaining full Ca-ATPase activity and partial actin-activated Mg-ATPase activity. Unc45-/Cro1p-/She4p-related (UCS) protein Rng3p restored the full motility and actin-activated Mg-ATPase activity of purified Myo2. The COOH-terminal UCS domain of Rng3p alone restored motility to pure Myo2. Thus, Rng3p contributes directly to the motility activity of native Myo2. Consistent with a role in Myo2 activation, Rng3p colocalizes with Myo2p in the cytokinetic contractile ring. The absence of Rlc1p or mutations in the Myo2p head or Rng3p compromise the in vitro motility of Myo2 and explain the defects in cytokinesis associated with some of these mutations. In contrast, Myo2 with certain temperature-sensitive forms of Cdc4p has normal motility, so these mutations compromise other functions of Cdc4p required for cytokinesis. PMID:15504913

Continued Expression of Neonatal Myosin Heavy Chain in Adult Dystrophic Skeletal Muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandman, Everett

1985-02-01

The expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms was examined in normal and dystrophic chicken muscle with a monoclonal antibody specific for neonatal myosin. Adult dystrophic muscle continued to contain neonatal myosin long after it disappeared from adult normal muscle. A new technique involving western blotting and peptide mapping demonstrated that the immunoreactive myosin in adult dystrophic muscle was identical to that found in neonatal normal muscle. Immunocytochemistry revealed that all fibers in the dystrophic muscle failed to repress neonatal myosin heavy chain. These studies suggest that muscular dystrophy inhibits the myosin gene switching that normally occurs during muscle maturation.

The recruitment of acetylated and unacetylated tropomyosin to distinct actin polymers permits the discrete regulation of specific myosins in fission yeast

PubMed Central

Coulton, Arthur T.; East, Daniel A.; Galinska-Rakoczy, Agnieszka; Lehman, William; Mulvihill, Daniel P.

2010-01-01

Tropomyosin (Tm) is a conserved dimeric coiled-coil protein, which forms polymers that curl around actin filaments in order to regulate actomyosin function. Acetylation of the Tm N-terminal methionine strengthens end-to-end bonds, which enhances actin binding as well as the ability of Tm to regulate myosin motor activity in both muscle and non-muscle cells. In this study we explore the function of each Tm form within fission yeast cells. Electron microscopy and live cell imaging revealed that acetylated and unacetylated Tm associate with distinct actin structures within the cell, and that each form has a profound effect upon the shape and integrity of the polymeric actin filament. We show that, whereas Tm acetylation is required to regulate the in vivo motility of class II myosins, acetylated Tm had no effect on the motility of class I and V myosins. These findings illustrate a novel Tm-acetylation-state-dependent mechanism for regulating specific actomyosin cytoskeletal interactions. PMID:20807799

Myosin II Motors and F-Actin Dynamics Drive the Coordinated Movement of the Centrosome and Soma during CNS Glial-Guided Neuronal Migration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Solecki, Dr. David; Trivedi, Dr. Niraj; Govek, Eve-Ellen

2009-01-01

Lamination of cortical regions of the vertebrate brain depends on glial-guided neuronal migration. The conserved polarity protein Par6{alpha} localizes to the centrosome and coordinates forward movement of the centrosome and soma in migrating neurons. The cytoskeletal components that produce this unique form of cell polarity and their relationship to polarity signaling cascades are unknown. We show that F-actin and Myosin II motors are enriched in the neuronal leading process and that Myosin II activity is necessary for leading process actin dynamics. Inhibition of Myosin II decreased the speed of centrosome and somal movement, whereas Myosin II activation increased coordinated movement.more » Ectopic expression or silencing of Par6{alpha} inhibited Myosin II motors by decreasing Myosin light-chain phosphorylation. These findings suggest leading-process Myosin II may function to 'pull' the centrosome and soma forward during glial-guided migration by a mechanism involving the conserved polarity protein Par6{alpha}.« less

EF-hand proteins and the regulation of actin-myosin interaction in the eutardigrade Hypsibius klebelsbergi (tardigrada).

PubMed

Prasath, Thiruketheeswaran; Greven, Hartmut; D'Haese, Jochen

2012-06-01

Many tardigrade species resist harsh environmental conditions by entering anhydrobiosis or cryobiosis. Desiccation as well as freeze resistance probably leads to changes of the ionic balance that includes the intracellular calcium concentration. In order to search for protein modifications affecting the calcium homoeostasis, we studied the regulatory system controlling actin-myosin interaction of the eutardigrade Hypsibius klebelsbergi and identified full-length cDNA clones for troponin C (TnC, 824 bp), calmodulin (CaM, 1,407 bp), essential myosin light chain (eMLC, 1,015 bp), and regulatory myosin light chain (rMLC, 984 bp) from a cDNA library. All four proteins belong to the EF-hand superfamily typified by a calcium coordinating helix-loop-helix motif. Further, we cloned and obtained recombinant TnC and both MLCs. CaM and TnC revealed four and two potential calcium-binding domains, respectively. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated calcium-induced conformational transition of TnC. From both MLCs, only the rMLC showed one potential N-terminal EF-hand domain. Additionally, sequence properties suggest phosphorylation of this myosin light chain. Based on our results, we suggest a dual-regulated system at least in somatic muscles for tardigrades with a calcium-dependent tropomyosin-troponin complex bound to the actin filaments and a phosphorylation of the rMLC turning on and off both actin and myosin. Our results indicate no special modifications of the molecular structure and function of the EF-hand proteins in tardigrades. Phylogenetic trees of 131 TnCs, 96 rMLCs, and 62 eMLCs indicate affinities to Ecdysozoa, but also to some other taxa suggesting that our results reflect the complex evolution of these proteins rather than phylogenetic relationships. © 2012 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Histone Deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)-dependent Reversible Lysine Acetylation of Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain Isoforms Modulates Their Enzymatic and Motor Activity*

PubMed Central

Samant, Sadhana A.; Pillai, Vinodkumar B.; Sundaresan, Nagalingam R.; Shroff, Sanjeev G.; Gupta, Mahesh P.

2015-01-01

Reversible lysine acetylation is a widespread post-translational modification controlling the activity of proteins in different subcellular compartments. We previously demonstrated that a class II histone deacetylase (HDAC), HDAC4, and a histone acetyltransferase, p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor, associate with cardiac sarcomeres and that a class I and II HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A, enhances contractile activity of myofilaments. In this study we show that a class I HDAC, HDAC3, is also present at cardiac sarcomeres. By immunohistochemical and electron microscopic analyses, we found that HDAC3 was localized to A-band of sarcomeres and capable of deacetylating myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. The motor domains of both cardiac α- and β-MHC isoforms were found to be reversibly acetylated. Biomechanical studies revealed that lysine acetylation significantly decreased the Km for the actin-activated ATPase activity of MHC isoforms. By in vitro motility assay, we found that lysine acetylation increased the actin-sliding velocity of α-myosin by 20% and β-myosin by 36% compared with their respective non-acetylated isoforms. Moreover, myosin acetylation was found to be sensitive to cardiac stress. During induction of hypertrophy, myosin isoform acetylation increased progressively with duration of stress stimuli independently of isoform shift, suggesting that lysine acetylation of myosin could be an early response of myofilaments to increase contractile performance of the heart. These studies provide the first evidence for localization of HDAC3 at myofilaments and uncover a novel mechanism modulating the motor activity of cardiac MHC isoforms. PMID:25911107

Conformational distributions and proximity relationships in the rigor complex of actin and myosin subfragment-1.

PubMed

Nyitrai, M; Hild, G; Lukács, A; Bódis, E; Somogyi, B

2000-01-28

Cyclic conformational changes in the myosin head are considered essential for muscle contraction. We hereby show that the extension of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer method described originally by Taylor et al. (Taylor, D. L., Reidler, J., Spudich, J. A., and Stryer, L. (1981) J. Cell Biol. 89, 362-367) allows determination of the position of a labeled point outside the actin filament in supramolecular complexes and also characterization of the conformational heterogeneity of an actin-binding protein while considering donor-acceptor distance distributions. Using this method we analyzed proximity relationships between two labeled points of S1 and the actin filament in the acto-S1 rigor complex. The donor (N-[[(iodoacetyl)amino]ethyl]-5-naphthylamine-1-sulfonate) was attached to either the catalytic domain (Cys-707) or the essential light chain (Cys-177) of S1, whereas the acceptor (5-(iodoacetamido)fluorescein) was attached to the actin filament (Cys-374). In contrast to the narrow positional distribution (assumed as being Gaussian) of Cys-707 (5 +/- 3 A), the positional distribution of Cys-177 was found to be broad (102 +/- 4 A). Such a broad positional distribution of the label on the essential light chain of S1 may be important in accommodating the helically arranged acto-myosin binding relative to the filament axis.

Cofilin, But Not Profilin, Is Required for Myosin-I-Induced Actin Polymerization and the Endocytic Uptake in Yeast

PubMed Central

Idrissi, Fatima-Zahra; Wolf, Bianka L.; Geli, M. Isabel

2002-01-01

Mutations in the budding yeast myosins-I (MYO3 and MYO5) cause defects in the actin cytoskeleton and in the endocytic uptake. Robust evidence also indicates that these proteins induce Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization. Consistently, we have recently demonstrated, using fluorescence microscopy, that Myo5p is able to induce cytosol-dependent actin polymerization on the surface of Sepharose beads. Strikingly, we now observed that, at short incubation times, Myo5p induced the formation of actin foci that resembled the yeast cortical actin patches, a plasma membrane-associated structure that might be involved in the endocytic uptake. Analysis of the machinery required for the formation of the Myo5p-induced actin patches in vitro demonstrated that the Arp2/3 complex was necessary but not sufficient in the assay. In addition, we found that cofilin was directly involved in the process. Strikingly though, the cofilin requirement seemed to be independent of its ability to disassemble actin filaments and profilin, a protein that closely cooperates with cofilin to maintain a rapid actin filament turnover, was not needed in the assay. In agreement with these observations, we found that like the Arp2/3 complex and the myosins-I, cofilin was essential for the endocytic uptake in vivo, whereas profilin was dispensable. PMID:12429847

Non-muscle (NM) myosin heavy chain phosphorylation regulates the formation of NM myosin filaments, adhesome assembly and smooth muscle contraction.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenwu; Gunst, Susan J

2017-07-01

Non-muscle (NM) and smooth muscle (SM) myosin II are both expressed in smooth muscle tissues, however the role of NM myosin in SM contraction is unknown. Contractile stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle tissues stimulates phosphorylation of the NM myosin heavy chain on Ser1943 and causes NM myosin filament assembly at the SM cell cortex. Expression of a non-phosphorylatable NM myosin mutant, NM myosin S1943A, in SM tissues inhibits ACh-induced NM myosin filament assembly and SM contraction, and also inhibits the assembly of membrane adhesome complexes during contractile stimulation. NM myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphorylation but not SM myosin RLC phosphorylation is regulated by RhoA GTPase during ACh stimulation, and NM RLC phosphorylation is required for NM myosin filament assembly and SM contraction. NM myosin II plays a critical role in airway SM contraction that is independent and distinct from the function of SM myosin. The molecular function of non-muscle (NM) isoforms of myosin II in smooth muscle (SM) tissues and their possible role in contraction are largely unknown. We evaluated the function of NM myosin during contractile stimulation of canine tracheal SM tissues. Stimulation with ACh caused NM myosin filament assembly, as assessed by a Triton solubility assay and a proximity ligation assay aiming to measure interactions between NM myosin monomers. ACh stimulated the phosphorylation of NM myosin heavy chain on Ser1943 in tracheal SM tissues, which can regulate NM myosin IIA filament assembly in vitro. Expression of the non-phosphorylatable mutant NM myosin S1943A in SM tissues inhibited ACh-induced endogenous NM myosin Ser1943 phosphorylation, NM myosin filament formation, the assembly of membrane adhesome complexes and tension development. The NM myosin cross-bridge cycling inhibitor blebbistatin suppressed adhesome complex assembly and SM contraction without inhibiting NM myosin Ser1943 phosphorylation or NM myosin filament assembly. Rho

Ionic interaction of myosin loop 2 with residues located beyond the N-terminal part of actin probed by chemical cross-linking.

PubMed

Pliszka, Barbara; Martin, Brian M; Karczewska, Emilia

2008-02-01

To probe ionic contacts of skeletal muscle myosin with negatively charged residues located beyond the N-terminal part of actin, myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and actin split by ECP32 protease (ECP-actin) were cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC). We have found that unmodified S1 can be cross-linked not only to the N-terminal part, but also to the C-terminal 36 kDa fragment of ECP-actin. Subsequent experiments performed on S1 cleaved by elastase or trypsin indicate that the cross-linking site in S1 is located within loop 2. This site is composed of Lys-636 and Lys-637 and can interact with negatively charged residues of the 36 kDa actin fragment, most probably with Glu-99 and Glu-100. Cross-links are formed both in the absence and presence of MgATP.P(i) analog, although the addition of nucleotide decreases the efficiency of the cross-linking reaction.

Direct Microtubule-Binding by Myosin-10 Orients Centrosomes toward Retraction Fibers and Subcortical Actin Clouds.

PubMed

Kwon, Mijung; Bagonis, Maria; Danuser, Gaudenz; Pellman, David

2015-08-10

Positioning of centrosomes is vital for cell division and development. In metazoan cells, spindle positioning is controlled by a dynamic pool of subcortical actin that organizes in response to the position of retraction fibers. These actin "clouds" are proposed to generate pulling forces on centrosomes and mediate spindle orientation. However, the motors that pull astral microtubules toward these actin structures are not known. Here, we report that the unconventional myosin, Myo10, couples actin-dependent forces from retraction fibers and subcortical actin clouds to centrosomes. Myo10-mediated centrosome positioning requires its direct microtubule binding. Computational image analysis of large microtubule populations reveals a direct effect of Myo10 on microtubule dynamics and microtubule-cortex interactions. Myo10's role in centrosome positioning is distinct from, but overlaps with, that of dynein. Thus, Myo10 plays a key role in integrating the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons to position centrosomes and mitotic spindles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct Microtubule-Binding by Myosin-10 Orients Centrosomes toward Retraction Fibers and Subcortical Actin Clouds

PubMed Central

Kwon, Mijung; Bagonis, Maria; Danuser, Gaudenz; Pellman, David

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Positioning of centrosomes is vital for cell division and development. In metazoan cells, spindle positioning is controlled by a dynamic pool of subcortical actin that organizes in response to the position of retraction fibers. These actin “clouds” are proposed to generate pulling forces on centrosomes and mediate spindle orientation. However, the motors that pull astral microtubules toward these actin structures are not known. Here, we report that the unconventional myosin, Myo10, couples actin-dependent forces from retraction fibers and subcortical actin clouds to centrosomes. Myo10-mediated centrosome positioning requires its direct microtubule binding. Computational image analysis of large microtubule populations reveals a direct effect of Myo10 on microtubule dynamics and microtubule-cortex interactions. Myo10’s role in centrosome positioning is distinct from, but overlaps with, that of dynein. Thus, Myo10 plays a key role in integrating the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons to position centrosomes and mitotic spindles. PMID:26235048

Thermal activation energy for bidirectional movement of actin along bipolar tracks of myosin filaments.

PubMed

Okubo, Hiroyuki; Iwai, Masanori; Iwai, Sosuke; Chaen, Shigeru

2010-05-28

Previous in vitro motility assays using bipolar myosin thick filaments demonstrated that actin filaments were capable of moving in both directions along the myosin filament tracks. The movements; however, were slower in the direction leading away from the central bare zone than towards it. To understand the mechanism underlying these different direction-dependent motilities, we have examined the effects of temperature on the velocities of the bidirectional movements along reconstituted myosin filaments. Activation energies of the movements were determined by Arrhenius plots at high and low concentrations of ATP. As a result, the thermal activation energy of the movement away from the central bare zone was significantly higher than that of the movement toward the zone. Given that the backward movement away from the central bare zone would cause the myosin heads to be constrained and the stiffness of the cross-bridges to increase, these results suggest that elastic energy required for the cross-bridge transition is supplied by thermal fluctuations. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A technique for studying cardiac myosin dynamics using optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolino, Michael; Migirditch, Sam; Nesmelov, Yuri; Hester, Brooke; Appalachian State Biophysics; Optical Sciences Facility Team

A primary protein involved in human muscle contraction is myosin, which exists in α- and β- isoforms. Myosin exerts forces on actin filaments when ATP is present, driving muscle contraction. A significant decrease in the population of cardiac α-myosin has been linked to heart failure. It is proposed that slow β-myosin in a failing heart could, through introduction of a drug, be made to mimic the action of α-myosin, thereby improving cardiac muscle performance. In working towards testing this hypothesis, the focus of this work is to develop a technique to measure forces exerted by myosin on actin using optical tweezers. An actin-myosin arrangement is constructed between two optically trapped polystyrene microspheres. The displacement of a microsphere is monitored when ATP is introduced, and the force responsible is measured. With this achieved, we can then modify the actin-myosin arrangement, for example with varying amounts of α- and β- myosin and test the effects on forces exerted. In this work, assemblies of actin and myosin molecules and preliminary force measurements are discussed. North Carolina Space Grant.

Cardiac myosin missense mutations cause dilated cardiomyopathy in mouse models and depress molecular motor function.

PubMed

Schmitt, Joachim P; Debold, Edward P; Ahmad, Ferhaan; Armstrong, Amy; Frederico, Andrea; Conner, David A; Mende, Ulrike; Lohse, Martin J; Warshaw, David; Seidman, Christine E; Seidman, J G

2006-09-26

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) leads to heart failure, a leading cause of death in industrialized nations. Approximately 30% of DCM cases are genetic in origin, with some resulting from point mutations in cardiac myosin, the molecular motor of the heart. The effects of these mutations on myosin's molecular mechanics have not been determined. We have engineered two murine models characterizing the physiological, cellular, and molecular effects of DCM-causing missense mutations (S532P and F764L) in the alpha-cardiac myosin heavy chain and compared them with WT mice. Mutant mice developed morphological and functional characteristics of DCM consistent with the human phenotypes. Contractile function of isolated myocytes was depressed and preceded left ventricular dilation and reduced fractional shortening. In an in vitro motility assay, both mutant cardiac myosins exhibited a reduced ability to translocate actin (V(actin)) but had similar force-generating capacities. Actin-activated ATPase activities were also reduced. Single-molecule laser trap experiments revealed that the lower V(actin) in the S532P mutant was due to a reduced ability of the motor to generate a step displacement and an alteration of the kinetics of its chemomechanical cycle. These results suggest that the depressed molecular function in cardiac myosin may initiate the events that cause the heart to remodel and become pathologically dilated.

Force-velocity relationship of single actin filament interacting with immobilised myosin measured by electromagnetic technique.

PubMed

Holohan, S-J P; Marston, S B

2005-06-01

The effect of applying an external load to actin filaments moving in the in vitro motility assay is studied. Bead-tailed actin filaments were made by polymerising actin onto 2.8 microm diameter Dynabeads conjugated with gelsolin-G actin. These were introduced into a motility cell coated with 100 microg/ml rabbit fast skeletal myosin in the presence of ATP and 0.5% methylcellulose. The motility cell was inserted between the pole-pieces of an electromagnet and the fluorescent beads and filaments were observed. The force-current relationship of the electromagnet was determined from the velocity of free beads in viscous solution and Stokes' equation. The magnet produced up to 6 pN force on the Dynabeads at 1 A. Many bead-tailed actin filaments stuck to the surface, but the beads that did move moved at the same speed as unloaded f-actin in the same cell. Bead-tailed filaments slowed down under an increasing magnetic load, eventually stalled and then slid backward under increasing load before detaching from the surface. Single-filament force-velocity curves were constructed and a stalling force of about 0.6 pN/mm of actin filament estimated.

A gain-of-function mutation in the M-domain of cardiac myosin-binding protein-C increases binding to actin.

PubMed

Bezold, Kristina L; Shaffer, Justin F; Khosa, Jaskiran K; Hoye, Elaine R; Harris, Samantha P

2013-07-26

The M-domain is the major regulatory subunit of cardiac myosin-binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) that modulates actin and myosin interactions to influence muscle contraction. However, the precise mechanism(s) and the specific residues involved in mediating the functional effects of the M-domain are not fully understood. Positively charged residues adjacent to phosphorylation sites in the M-domain are thought to be critical for effects of cMyBP-C on cross-bridge interactions by mediating electrostatic binding with myosin S2 and/or actin. However, recent structural studies revealed that highly conserved sequences downstream of the phosphorylation sites form a compact tri-helix bundle. Here we used site-directed mutagenesis to probe the functional significance of charged residues adjacent to the phosphorylation sites and conserved residues within the tri-helix bundle. Results confirm that charged residues adjacent to phosphorylation sites and residues within the tri-helix bundle are important for mediating effects of the M-domain on contraction. In addition, four missense variants within the tri-helix bundle that are associated with human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused either loss-of-function or gain-of-function effects on force. Importantly, the effects of the gain-of-function variant, L348P, increased the affinity of the M-domain for actin. Together, results demonstrate that functional effects of the M-domain are not due solely to interactions with charged residues near phosphorylatable serines and provide the first demonstration that the tri-helix bundle contributes to the functional effects of the M-domain, most likely by binding to actin.

Modulators of actin-myosin dissociation: basis for muscle type functional differences during fatigue

PubMed Central

Karatzaferi, Christina; Adamek, Nancy

2017-01-01

The muscle types present with variable fatigue tolerance, in part due to the myosin isoform expressed. However, the critical steps that define “fatigability” in vivo of fast vs. slow myosin isoforms, at the molecular level, are not yet fully understood. We examined the modulation of the ATP-induced myosin subfragment 1 (S1) dissociation from pyrene-actin by inorganic phosphate (Pi), pH, and temperature using a specially modified stopped-flow system that allowed fast kinetics measurements at physiological temperature. We contrasted the properties of rabbit psoas (fast) and bovine masseter (slow) myosins (obtained from samples collected from New Zealand rabbits and from a licensed abattoir, respectively, according to institutional and national ethics permits). To identify ATP cycling biochemical intermediates, we assessed ATP binding to a preequilibrated mixture of actomyosin and variable [ADP], pH (pH 7 vs. pH 6.2), and Pi (zero, 15, or 30 added mM Pi) in a range of temperatures (5 to 45°C). Temperature and pH variations had little, if any, effect on the ADP dissociation constant (KADP) for fast S1, but for slow S1, KADP was weakened with increasing temperature or low pH. In the absence of ADP, the dissociation constant for phosphate (KPi) was weakened with increasing temperature for fast S1. In the presence of ADP, myosin type differences were revealed at the apparent phosphate affinity, depending on pH and temperature. Overall, the newly revealed kinetic differences between myosin types could help explain the in vivo observed muscle type functional differences at rest and during fatigue. PMID:28931538

Rho/Rho-dependent kinase affects locomotion and actin-myosin II activity of Amoeba proteus.

PubMed

Kłopocka, W; Redowicz, M J

2004-10-01

The highly motile free-living unicellular organism Amoeba proteus has been widely used as a model to study cell motility. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its unique locomotion are still scarcely known. Recently, we have shown that blocking the amoebae's endogenous Rac- and Rho-like proteins led to distinct and irreversible changes in the appearance of these large migrating cells as well as to a significant inhibition of their locomotion. In order to elucidate the mechanism of the Rho pathway, we tested the effects of blocking the endogenous Rho-dependent kinase (ROCK) by anti-ROCK antibodies and Y-27632, (+)-(R)-trans-4-(1-aminoethyl)-N-(4-pyridyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide dihydrochloride, a specific inhibitor of ROCK, on migrating amoebae and the effect of the Rho and ROCK inhibition on the actin-activated Mg-ATPase of the cytosolic fraction of the amoebae. Amoebae microinjected with anti-ROCK inhibitors remained contracted and strongly attached to the glass surface and exhibited an atypical locomotion. Despite protruding many pseudopodia that were advancing in various directions, the amoebae could not effectively move. Immunofluorescence studies showed that ROCK-like protein was dispersed throughout the cytoplasm and was also found in the regions of actin-myosin II interaction during both isotonic and isometric contraction. The Mg-ATPase activity was about two- to threefold enhanced, indicating that blocking the Rho/Rho-dependent kinase activated myosin. It is possible then that in contrast to the vertebrate cells, the inactivation of Rho/Rho-dependent kinase in amoebae leads to the activation of myosin II and to the observed hypercontracted cells which cannot exert effective locomotion.

Characterization of myosin heavy chain and its gene in Amoeba proteus.

PubMed

Oh, S W; Jeon, K W

1998-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies against the myosin heavy chain of Amoeba proteus were obtained and used to localize myosin inside amoebae and to clone cDNAs encoding myosin. Myosin was found throughout the amoeba cytoplasm but was more concentrated in the ectoplasmic regions as determined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. In symbiont-bearing xD amoebae, myosin was also found on the symbiosome membranes, as checked by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and by immunoelectron microscopy. The open reading frame of a cloned myosin cDNA contained 6,414 nucleotides, coding for a polypeptide of 2,138 amino acids. While the amino-acid sequence of the globular head region of amoeba's myosin had a high degree of similarity with that of myosins from various organisms, the tail region building a coiled-coil structure did not show a significant sequence similarity. There appeared to be at least three different isoforms of myosins in amoebae, with closely related amino acids in the globular head region.

Human Myo19 is a novel myosin that associates with mitochondria

PubMed Central

Quintero, Omar A.; DiVito, Melinda M.; Adikes, Rebecca C.; Kortan, Melisa B.; Case, Lindsay B.; Lier, Audun J.; Panaretos, Niki S.; Slater, Stephanie Q.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Feliu, Marianela; Cheney, Richard E.

2009-01-01

Summary Mitochondria are pleomorphic organelles [1, 2] that have central roles in cell physiology. Defects in their localization and dynamics lead to human disease [3-5]. Myosins are actin-based motors that power processes such as muscle contraction, cytokinesis, and organelle transport [6]. Here we report the initial characterization of myosin-XIX (Myo19), the founding member of a novel class of myosin that associates with mitochondria. The 970aa heavy chain consists of a motor domain, three IQ motifs, and a short tail. Myo19 mRNA is expressed in multiple tissues and antibodies to human Myo19 detect a ∼109kD band in multiple cell lines. Both endogenous Myo19 and GFP-Myo19 exhibit striking localization to mitochondria. Deletion analysis reveals that the Myo19 tail is necessary and sufficient for mitochondrial localization. Expressing full-length GFP-Myo19 in A549 cells reveals a remarkable gain-of-function where the majority of the mitochondria move continuously. Moving mitochondria travel for many microns with an obvious leading end and distorted shape. The motility and shape-change are sensitive to latrunculin B, indicating that both are actin-dependent. Expressing the GFP-Myo19 tail in CAD cells resulted in decreased mitochondrial run lengths in neurites. These results suggest that this novel myosin functions as an actin-based motor for mitochondrial movement in vertebrate cells. PMID:19932026

[Mutation analysis of beta myosin heavy chain gene in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy families].

PubMed

Fan, Xin-ping; Yang, Zhong-wei; Feng, Xiu-li; Yang, Fu-hui; Xiao, Bai; Liang, Yan

2011-08-01

To detect the gene mutations of beta-myosin heavy chain gene (MYH7) in Chinese pedigrees with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and to analyze the correlation between the genotype and phenotype. Exons 3, 5, 7-9, 11-16 and 18-23 of the MYH7 gene were amplified with PCR in three Chinese pedigrees with HCM. The products were sequenced. Sequence alignment between the detected and the standard sequences was performed. A missense mutation of Thr441Met in exon 14 was identified in a pedigree, which was not detected in the controls. Several synonymous mutations of MYH7 gene were detected in the three pedigrees. The mutation of Thr441Met, located in the actin binding domain of the globular head, was first identified in Chinese. It probably caused HCM. HCM is a heterogeneous disease. Many factors are involved in the process of its occurrence and development.

Non-weight bearing-induced muscle weakness: the role of myosin quantity and quality in MHC type II fibers.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Hee; Thompson, LaDora V

2014-07-15

We tested the hypothesis that non-weight bearing-induced muscle weakness (i.e., specific force) results from decreases in myosin protein quantity (i.e., myosin content per half-sarcomere and the ratio of myosin to actin) and quality (i.e., force per half-sarcomere and population of myosin heads in the strong-binding state during muscle contraction) in single myosin heavy chain (MHC) type II fibers. Fisher-344 rats were assigned to weight-bearing control (Con) or non-weight bearing (NWB). The NWB rats were hindlimb unloaded for 2 wk. Diameter, force, and MHC content were determined in permeabilized single fibers from the semimembranosus muscle. MHC isoform and the ratio of MHC to actin in each fiber were determined by gel electrophoresis and silver staining techniques. The structural distribution of myosin from spin-labeled fiber bundles during maximal isometric contraction was evaluated using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Specific force (peak force per cross-sectional area) in MHC type IIB and IIXB fibers from NWB was significantly reduced by 38% and 18%, respectively. MHC content per half-sarcomere was significantly reduced by 21%. Two weeks of hindlimb unloading resulted in a reduced force per half-sarcomere of 52% and fraction of myosin strong-binding during contraction of 34%. The results suggest that reduced myosin and actin content (quantity) and myosin quality concomitantly contribute to non-weight bearing-related muscle weakness. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Actomyosin kinetics and in vitro motility of wild-type Drosophila actin and the effects of two mutations in the Act88F gene.

PubMed Central

Anson, M; Drummond, D R; Geeves, M A; Hennessey, E S; Ritchie, M D; Sparrow, J C

1995-01-01

Two missense mutations of the flight muscle-specific actin gene of Drosophila melanogaster, Act88F, assemble into normally structured myofibrils but affect the flight ability of flies and the mechanical kinetics of isolated muscle fibers. We describe the isolation of actin from different homozygous Act88F strains, including wild-type, an Act88F null mutant (KM88), and two Act88F single point mutations (E316K and G368E), their biochemical interactions with rabbit myosin subfragment 1 (S1), and behavior with rabbit myosin and heavy meromyosin in in vitro motility assays. The rabbit and wild-type Drosophila actins have different association rate constants with S1 (2.64 and 1.77 microM-1 s-1, respectively) and in vitro motilities (2.51, 1.60 microns s-1) clearly demonstrating an isoform-specific difference. The G368E mutation shows a reduced affinity for rabbit S1 compared with the wild type (increasing from 0.11 to 0.17 microM) and a reduced velocity in vitro (reduced by 19%). The E316K mutant actin has no change in affinity for myosin S1 or in vitro motility with heavy meromyosin but does have a reduced in vitro motility (15%) with myosin. These results are discussed with respect to the recently published atomic models for the actomyosin structure and our findings that G368E fibers show a reduced rate constant for delayed tension development and increased fiber stiffness. We interpret these results as possibly caused either by effects on A1 myosin light chain binding or conformational changes within the subdomain 1 of actin, which contains the myosin binding site. E316K is discussed with respect to its likely position within the tropomyosin binding site of actin. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 9 PMID:7612841

An electromechanical model of myosin molecular motors.

PubMed

Masuda, Tadashi

2003-12-21

There is a long-running debate on the working mechanism of myosin molecular motors, which, by interacting with actin filaments, convert the chemical energy of ATP into a variety of mechanical work. After the development of technologies for observing and manipulating individual working molecules, experimental results negating the widely accepted 'lever-arm hypothesis' have been reported. In this paper, based on the experimental results so far accumulated, an alternative hypothesis is proposed, in which motor molecules are modelled as electromechanical components that interact with each other through electrostatic force. Electrostatic attractive force between myosin and actin is assumed to cause a conformational change in the myosin head during the attachment process. An elastic energy resulting from the conformational change then produces the power stroke. The energy released at the ATP hydrolysis is mainly used to detach the myosin head from actin filaments. The mechanism presented in this paper is compatible with the experimental results contradictory to the previous theories. It also explains the behavior of myosins V and VI, which are engaged in cellular transport and move processively along actin filaments.

A Toxoplasma gondii Class XIV Myosin, Expressed in Sf9 Cells with a Parasite Co-chaperone, Requires Two Light Chains for Fast Motility*

PubMed Central

Bookwalter, Carol S.; Kelsen, Anne; Leung, Jacqueline M.; Ward, Gary E.; Trybus, Kathleen M.

2014-01-01

Many diverse myosin classes can be expressed using the baculovirus/Sf9 insect cell expression system, whereas others have been recalcitrant. We hypothesized that most myosins utilize Sf9 cell chaperones, but others require an organism-specific co-chaperone. TgMyoA, a class XIVa myosin from the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is required for the parasite to efficiently move and invade host cells. The T. gondii genome contains one UCS family myosin co-chaperone (TgUNC). TgMyoA expressed in Sf9 cells was soluble and functional only if the heavy and light chain(s) were co-expressed with TgUNC. The tetratricopeptide repeat domain of TgUNC was not essential to obtain functional myosin, implying that there are other mechanisms to recruit Hsp90. Purified TgMyoA heavy chain complexed with its regulatory light chain (TgMLC1) moved actin in a motility assay at a speed of ∼1.5 μm/s. When a putative essential light chain (TgELC1) was also bound, TgMyoA moved actin at more than twice that speed (∼3.4 μm/s). This result implies that two light chains bind to and stabilize the lever arm, the domain that amplifies small motions at the active site into the larger motions that propel actin at fast speeds. Our results show that the TgMyoA domain structure is more similar to other myosins than previously appreciated and provide a molecular explanation for how it moves actin at fast speeds. The ability to express milligram quantities of a class XIV myosin in a heterologous system paves the way for detailed structure-function analysis of TgMyoA and identification of small molecule inhibitors. PMID:25231988

Characterization of Amoeba proteus myosin VI immunoanalog.

PubMed

Dominik, Magdalena; Kłopocka, Wanda; Pomorski, Paweł; Kocik, Elzbieta; Redowicz, Maria Jolanta

2005-07-01

Amoeba proteus, the highly motile free-living unicellular organism, has been widely used as a model to study cell motility. However, molecular mechanisms underlying its unique locomotion and intracellular actin-based-only trafficking remain poorly understood. A search for myosin motors responsible for vesicular transport in these giant cells resulted in detection of 130-kDa protein interacting with several polyclonal antibodies against different tail regions of human and chicken myosin VI. This protein was binding to actin in the ATP-dependent manner, and immunoprecipitated with anti-myosin VI antibodies. In order to characterize its possible functions in vivo, its cellular distribution and colocalization with actin filaments and dynamin II during migration and pinocytosis were examined. In migrating amoebae, myosin VI immunoanalog localized to vesicular structures, particularly within the perinuclear and sub-plasma membrane areas, and colocalized with dynamin II immunoanalog and actin filaments. The colocalization was even more evident in pinocytotic cells as proteins concentrated within pinocytotic pseudopodia. Moreover, dynamin II and myosin VI immunoanalogs cosedimented with actin filaments, and were found on the same isolated vesicles. Blocking endogenous myosin VI immunoanalog with anti-myosin VI antibodies inhibited the rate of pseudopodia protrusion (about 19% decrease) and uroidal retraction (about 28% decrease) but did not affect cell morphology and the manner of cell migration. Treatment with anti-human dynamin II antibodies led to changes in directionality of amebae migration and affected the rate of only uroidal translocation (about 30% inhibition). These results indicate that myosin VI immunoanalog is expressed in protist Amoeba proteus and may be involved in vesicle translocation and cell locomotion.

Myosin conformational states determined by single fluorophore polarization

PubMed Central

Warshaw, David M.; Hayes, Eric; Gaffney, Donald; Lauzon, Anne-Marie; Wu, Junru; Kennedy, Guy; Trybus, Kathleen; Lowey, Susan; Berger, Christopher

1998-01-01

Muscle contraction is powered by the interaction of the molecular motor myosin with actin. With new techniques for single molecule manipulation and fluorescence detection, it is now possible to correlate, within the same molecule and in real time, conformational states and mechanical function of myosin. A spot-confocal microscope, capable of detecting single fluorophore polarization, was developed to measure orientational states in the smooth muscle myosin light chain domain during the process of motion generation. Fluorescently labeled turkey gizzard smooth muscle myosin was prepared by removal of endogenous regulatory light chain and re-addition of the light chain labeled at cysteine-108 with the 6-isomer of iodoacetamidotetramethylrhodamine (6-IATR). Single myosin molecule fluorescence polarization data, obtained in a motility assay, provide direct evidence that the myosin light chain domain adopts at least two orientational states during the cyclic interaction of myosin with actin, a randomly disordered state, most likely associated with myosin whereas weakly bound to actin, and an ordered state in which the light chain domain adopts a finite angular orientation whereas strongly bound after the powerstroke. PMID:9653135

Switching of actin-myosin motors by voltage-induced pH bias in vitro.

PubMed

Hatori, Kuniyuki; Iwase, Takahiro; Wada, Reito

2016-08-01

ATP-driven motor proteins, which function in cell motility and organelle transport, have potential applications as bio-inspired micro-devices; however, their control remains unsatisfactory. Here, we show rapid-velocity control of actin filaments interacting with myosin motors using voltage applied to Pt electrodes in an in vitro motility system, by which immediate increases and decreases in velocity were induced beside the cathode and anode, respectively. Indicator dye revealed pH changes after voltage application, and alternate voltage switching allowed actin filaments to cyclically alter their velocity in response to these changes. This principle provides a basis for on-demand control of not only motor proteins but also pH-sensitive events at a microscopic level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of the Motor and Tail Domains of Class III Myosins on Regulating the Formation and Elongation of Actin Protrusions*

PubMed Central

Quintero, Omar A.; Weck, Meredith L.; Unrath, William C.; Gallagher, James W.; Cui, Runjia; Kachar, Bechara; Tyska, Matthew J.; Yengo, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

Class III myosins (MYO3A and MYO3B) are proposed to function as transporters as well as length and ultrastructure regulators within stable actin-based protrusions such as stereocilia and calycal processes. MYO3A differs from MYO3B in that it contains an extended tail domain with an additional actin-binding motif. We examined how the properties of the motor and tail domains of human class III myosins impact their ability to enhance the formation and elongation of actin protrusions. Direct examination of the motor and enzymatic properties of human MYO3A and MYO3B revealed that MYO3A is a 2-fold faster motor with enhanced ATPase activity and actin affinity. A chimera in which the MYO3A tail was fused to the MYO3B motor demonstrated that motor activity correlates with formation and elongation of actin protrusions. We demonstrate that removal of individual exons (30–34) in the MYO3A tail does not prevent filopodia tip localization but abolishes the ability to enhance actin protrusion formation and elongation in COS7 cells. Interestingly, our results demonstrate that MYO3A slows filopodia dynamics and enhances filopodia lifetime in COS7 cells. We also demonstrate that MYO3A is more efficient than MYO3B at increasing formation and elongation of stable microvilli on the surface of cultured epithelial cells. We propose that the unique features of MYO3A, enhanced motor activity, and an extended tail with tail actin-binding motif, allow it to play an important role in stable actin protrusion length and ultrastructure maintenance. PMID:27582493

Computational model of polarized actin cables and cytokinetic actin ring formation in budding yeast

PubMed Central

Tang, Haosu; Bidone, Tamara C.

2015-01-01

The budding yeast actin cables and contractile ring are important for polarized growth and division, revealing basic aspects of cytoskeletal function. To study these formin-nucleated structures, we built a 3D computational model with actin filaments represented as beads connected by springs. Polymerization by formins at the bud tip and bud neck, crosslinking, severing, and myosin pulling, are included. Parameter values were estimated from prior experiments. The model generates actin cable structures and dynamics similar to those of wild type and formin deletion mutant cells. Simulations with increased polymerization rate result in long, wavy cables. Simulated pulling by type V myosin stretches actin cables. Increasing the affinity of actin filaments for the bud neck together with reduced myosin V pulling promotes the formation of a bundle of antiparallel filaments at the bud neck, which we suggest as a model for the assembly of actin filaments to the contractile ring. PMID:26538307

N-terminus of Cardiac Myosin Essential Light Chain Modulates Myosin Step-Size

PubMed Central

Wang, Yihua; Ajtai, Katalin; Kazmierczak, Katarzyna; Szczesna-Cordary, Danuta; Burghardt, Thomas P.

2016-01-01

Muscle myosin cyclically hydrolyzes ATP to translate actin. Ventricular cardiac myosin (βmys) moves actin with three distinct unitary step-sizes resulting from its lever-arm rotation and with step-frequencies that are modulated in a myosin regulation mechanism. The lever-arm associated essential light chain (vELC) binds actin by its 43 residue N-terminal extension. Unitary steps were proposed to involve the vELC N-terminal extension with the 8 nm step engaging the vELC/actin bond facilitating an extra ~19 degrees of lever-arm rotation while the predominant 5 nm step forgoes vELC/actin binding. A minor 3 nm step is the unlikely conversion of the completed 5 to the 8 nm step. This hypothesis was tested using a 17 residue N-terminal truncated vELC in porcine βmys (Δ17βmys) and a 43 residue N-terminal truncated human vELC expressed in transgenic mouse heart (Δ43αmys). Step-size and step-frequency were measured using the Qdot motility assay. Both Δ17βmys and Δ43αmys had significantly increased 5 nm step-frequency and coincident loss in the 8 nm step-frequency compared to native proteins suggesting the vELC/actin interaction drives step-size preference. Step-size and step-frequency probability densities depend on the relative fraction of truncated vELC and relate linearly to pure myosin species concentrations in a mixture containing native vELC homodimer, two truncated vELCs in the modified homodimer, and one native and one truncated vELC in the heterodimer. Step-size and step-frequency, measured for native homodimer and at two or more known relative fractions of truncated vELC, are surmised for each pure species by using a new analytical method. PMID:26671638

Steady-state force-velocity relation in the ATP-dependent sliding movement of myosin-coated beads on actin cables in vitro studied with a centrifuge microscope.

PubMed Central

Oiwa, K; Chaen, S; Kamitsubo, E; Shimmen, T; Sugi, H

1990-01-01

To eliminate the gap between the biochemistry of actomyosin in solution and the physiology of contracting muscle, we developed an in vitro force-movement assay system in which the steady-state force-velocity relation in the actin-myosin interaction can be studied. The assay system consists of the internodal cells of an alga, Nitellopsis obtusa, containing well-organized actin filament arrays (actin cables); tosyl-activated polystyrene beads (diameter, 2.8 microns; specific gravity, 1.3) coated with skeletal muscle myosin; and a centrifuge microscope equipped with a stroboscopic light source and a video system. The internodal cell preparation was mounted on the rotor of the centrifuge microscope, so that centrifugal forces were applied to the myosin-coated beads moving along the actin cables in the presence of ATP. Under constant centrifugal forces directed opposite to the bead movement ("positive" loads), the beads continued to move with constant velocities, which decreased with increasing centrifugal forces. The steady-state force-velocity curve thus obtained was analogous to the double-hyperbolic force-velocity curve of single muscle fibers. The unloaded velocity of bead movement was 1.6-3.6 microns/s (20-23 degrees C), while the maximum "isometric" force generated by the myosin molecules on the bead was 1.9-39 pN. If, on the other hand, the beads were subjected to constant centrifugal forces in the direction of bead movement ("negative" loads), the bead also moved with constant velocities. Unexpectedly, the velocity of bead movement did not increase with increasing negative loads but first decreased by 20-60% and then increased towards the initial unloaded velocity until the beads were eventually detached from the actin cables. Images PMID:2236007

Steady-state force-velocity relation in the ATP-dependent sliding movement of myosin-coated beads on actin cables in vitro studied with a centrifuge microscope.

PubMed

Oiwa, K; Chaen, S; Kamitsubo, E; Shimmen, T; Sugi, H

1990-10-01

To eliminate the gap between the biochemistry of actomyosin in solution and the physiology of contracting muscle, we developed an in vitro force-movement assay system in which the steady-state force-velocity relation in the actin-myosin interaction can be studied. The assay system consists of the internodal cells of an alga, Nitellopsis obtusa, containing well-organized actin filament arrays (actin cables); tosyl-activated polystyrene beads (diameter, 2.8 microns; specific gravity, 1.3) coated with skeletal muscle myosin; and a centrifuge microscope equipped with a stroboscopic light source and a video system. The internodal cell preparation was mounted on the rotor of the centrifuge microscope, so that centrifugal forces were applied to the myosin-coated beads moving along the actin cables in the presence of ATP. Under constant centrifugal forces directed opposite to the bead movement ("positive" loads), the beads continued to move with constant velocities, which decreased with increasing centrifugal forces. The steady-state force-velocity curve thus obtained was analogous to the double-hyperbolic force-velocity curve of single muscle fibers. The unloaded velocity of bead movement was 1.6-3.6 microns/s (20-23 degrees C), while the maximum "isometric" force generated by the myosin molecules on the bead was 1.9-39 pN. If, on the other hand, the beads were subjected to constant centrifugal forces in the direction of bead movement ("negative" loads), the bead also moved with constant velocities. Unexpectedly, the velocity of bead movement did not increase with increasing negative loads but first decreased by 20-60% and then increased towards the initial unloaded velocity until the beads were eventually detached from the actin cables.

Transportation of Nanoscale Cargoes by Myosin Propelled Actin Filaments

PubMed Central

Persson, Malin; Gullberg, Maria; Tolf, Conny; Lindberg, A. Michael; Månsson, Alf; Kocer, Armagan

2013-01-01

Myosin II propelled actin filaments move ten times faster than kinesin driven microtubules and are thus attractive candidates as cargo-transporting shuttles in motor driven lab-on-a-chip devices. In addition, actomyosin-based transportation of nanoparticles is useful in various fundamental studies. However, it is poorly understood how actomyosin function is affected by different number of nanoscale cargoes, by cargo size, and by the mode of cargo-attachment to the actin filament. This is studied here using biotin/fluorophores, streptavidin, streptavidin-coated quantum dots, and liposomes as model cargoes attached to monomers along the actin filaments (“side-attached”) or to the trailing filament end via the plus end capping protein CapZ. Long-distance transportation (>100 µm) could be seen for all cargoes independently of attachment mode but the fraction of motile filaments decreased with increasing number of side-attached cargoes, a reduction that occurred within a range of 10–50 streptavidin molecules, 1–10 quantum dots or with just 1 liposome. However, as observed by monitoring these motile filaments with the attached cargo, the velocity was little affected. This also applied for end-attached cargoes where the attachment was mediated by CapZ. The results with side-attached cargoes argue against certain models for chemomechanical energy transduction in actomyosin and give important insights of relevance for effective exploitation of actomyosin-based cargo-transportation in molecular diagnostics and other nanotechnological applications. The attachment of quantum dots via CapZ, without appreciable modulation of actomyosin function, is useful in fundamental studies as exemplified here by tracking with nanometer accuracy. PMID:23437074

Mouse Myosin-19 Is a Plus-end-directed, High-duty Ratio Molecular Motor*

PubMed Central

Lu, Zekuan; Ma, Xiao-Nan; Zhang, Hai-Man; Ji, Huan-Hong; Ding, Hao; Zhang, Jie; Luo, Dan; Sun, Yujie; Li, Xiang-dong

2014-01-01

Class XIX myosin (Myo19) is a vertebrate-specific unconventional myosin, responsible for the transport of mitochondria. To characterize biochemical properties of Myo19, we prepared recombinant mouse Myo19-truncated constructs containing the motor domain and the IQ motifs using the baculovirus/Sf9 expression system. We identified regulatory light chain (RLC) of smooth muscle/non-muscle myosin-2 as the light chain of Myo19. The actin-activated ATPase activity and the actin-gliding velocity of Myo19-truncated constructs were about one-third and one-sixth as those of myosin-5a, respectively. The apparent affinity of Myo19 to actin was about the same as that of myosin-5a. The RLCs bound to Myo19 could be phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase, but this phosphorylation had little effect on the actin-activated ATPase activity and the actin-gliding activity of Myo19-truncated constructs. Using dual fluorescence-labeled actin filaments, we determined that Myo19 is a plus-end-directed molecular motor. We found that, similar to that of the high-duty ratio myosin, such as myosin-5a, ADP release rate was comparable with the maximal actin-activated ATPase activity of Myo19, indicating that ADP release is a rate-limiting step for the ATPase cycle of acto-Myo19. ADP strongly inhibited the actin-activated ATPase activity and actin-gliding activity of Myo19-truncated constructs. Based on the above results, we concluded that Myo19 is a high-duty ratio molecular motor moving to the plus-end of the actin filament. PMID:24825904

Single Molecule Stepping and Structural Dynamics of Myosin X

PubMed Central

Sun, Yujie; Sato, Osamu; Ruhnow, Felix; Arsenault, Mark E.; Ikebe, Mitsuo; Goldman, Yale E.

2010-01-01

Myosin X is an unconventional myosin with puzzling motility properties. We studied the motility of dimerized myosin X using single molecule fluorescence techniques – polTIRF, FIONA, and Parallax to measure rotation angles and 3-dimensional position of the molecule during its walk. It was found that Myosin X steps processively in a hand-over-hand manner following a left-handed helical path along both single actin filaments and bundles. Its step size and velocity are smaller on actin bundles than individual filaments, suggesting myosin X often steps onto neighboring filaments in a bundle. The data suggest that a previously postulated single α-helical domain mechanically extends the 3-IQ motif lever arm and either the neck-tail hinge or the tail is flexible. These structural features, in conjunction with the membrane and microtubule binding domains, enable myosin X to perform multiple functions on varied actin structures in cells. PMID:20364131

In Vitro and In Vivo Single Myosin Step-Sizes in Striated Muscle a

PubMed Central

Burghardt, Thomas P.; Sun, Xiaojing; Wang, Yihua; Ajtai, Katalin

2016-01-01

Myosin in muscle transduces ATP free energy into the mechanical work of moving actin. It has a motor domain transducer containing ATP and actin binding sites, and, mechanical elements coupling motor impulse to the myosin filament backbone providing transduction/mechanical-coupling. The mechanical coupler is a lever-arm stabilized by bound essential and regulatory light chains. The lever-arm rotates cyclically to impel bound filamentous actin. Linear actin displacement due to lever-arm rotation is the myosin step-size. A high-throughput quantum dot labeled actin in vitro motility assay (Qdot assay) measures motor step-size in the context of an ensemble of actomyosin interactions. The ensemble context imposes a constant velocity constraint for myosins interacting with one actin filament. In a cardiac myosin producing multiple step-sizes, a “second characterization” is step-frequency that adjusts longer step-size to lower frequency maintaining a linear actin velocity identical to that from a shorter step-size and higher frequency actomyosin cycle. The step-frequency characteristic involves and integrates myosin enzyme kinetics, mechanical strain, and other ensemble affected characteristics. The high-throughput Qdot assay suits a new paradigm calling for wide surveillance of the vast number of disease or aging relevant myosin isoforms that contrasts with the alternative model calling for exhaustive research on a tiny subset myosin forms. The zebrafish embryo assay (Z assay) performs single myosin step-size and step-frequency assaying in vivo combining single myosin mechanical and whole muscle physiological characterizations in one model organism. The Qdot and Z assays cover “bottom-up” and “top-down” assaying of myosin characteristics. PMID:26728749

Unconstrained steps of myosin VI appear longest among known molecular motors.

PubMed

Ali, M Yusuf; Homma, Kazuaki; Iwane, Atsuko Hikikoshi; Adachi, Kengo; Itoh, Hiroyasu; Kinosita, Kazuhiko; Yanagida, Toshio; Ikebe, Mitsuo

2004-06-01

Myosin VI is a two-headed molecular motor that moves along an actin filament in the direction opposite to most other myosins. Previously, a single myosin VI molecule has been shown to proceed with steps that are large compared to its neck size: either it walks by somehow extending its neck or one head slides along actin for a long distance before the other head lands. To inquire into these and other possible mechanism of motility, we suspended an actin filament between two plastic beads, and let a single myosin VI molecule carrying a bead duplex move along the actin. This configuration, unlike previous studies, allows unconstrained rotation of myosin VI around the right-handed double helix of actin. Myosin VI moved almost straight or as a right-handed spiral with a pitch of several micrometers, indicating that the molecule walks with strides slightly longer than the actin helical repeat of 36 nm. The large steps without much rotation suggest kinesin-type walking with extended and flexible necks, but how to move forward with flexible necks, even under a backward load, is not clear. As an answer, we propose that a conformational change in the lifted head would facilitate landing on a forward, rather than backward, site. This mechanism may underlie stepping of all two-headed molecular motors including kinesin and myosin V.

Load and Pi control flux through the branched kinetic cycle of myosin V.

PubMed

Kad, Neil M; Trybus, Kathleen M; Warshaw, David M

2008-06-20

Myosin V is a processive actin-based motor protein that takes multiple 36-nm steps to deliver intracellular cargo to its destination. In the laser trap, applied load slows myosin V heavy meromyosin stepping and increases the probability of backsteps. In the presence of 40 mm phosphate (P(i)), both forward and backward steps become less load-dependent. From these data, we infer that P(i) release commits myosin V to undergo a highly load-dependent transition from a state in which ADP is bound to both heads and its lead head trapped in a pre-powerstroke conformation. Increasing the residence time in this state by applying load increases the probability of backstepping or detachment. The kinetics of detachment indicate that myosin V can detach from actin at two distinct points in the cycle, one of which is turned off by the presence of P(i). We propose a branched kinetic model to explain these data. Our model includes P(i) release prior to the most load-dependent step in the cycle, implying that P(i) release and load both act as checkpoints that control the flux through two parallel pathways.

Long-range self-organization of cytoskeletal myosin II filament stacks.

PubMed

Hu, Shiqiong; Dasbiswas, Kinjal; Guo, Zhenhuan; Tee, Yee-Han; Thiagarajan, Visalatchi; Hersen, Pascal; Chew, Teng-Leong; Safran, Samuel A; Zaidel-Bar, Ronen; Bershadsky, Alexander D

2017-02-01

Although myosin II filaments are known to exist in non-muscle cells, their dynamics and organization are incompletely understood. Here, we combined structured illumination microscopy with pharmacological and genetic perturbations, to study the process of actomyosin cytoskeleton self-organization into arcs and stress fibres. A striking feature of the myosin II filament organization was their 'registered' alignment into stacks, spanning up to several micrometres in the direction orthogonal to the parallel actin bundles. While turnover of individual myosin II filaments was fast (characteristic half-life time 60 s) and independent of actin filament turnover, the process of stack formation lasted a longer time (in the range of several minutes) and required myosin II contractility, as well as actin filament assembly/disassembly and crosslinking (dependent on formin Fmnl3, cofilin1 and α-actinin-4). Furthermore, myosin filament stack formation involved long-range movements of individual myosin filaments towards each other suggesting the existence of attractive forces between myosin II filaments. These forces, possibly transmitted via mechanical deformations of the intervening actin filament network, may in turn remodel the actomyosin cytoskeleton and drive its self-organization.

The R403Q Myosin Mutation Implicated in Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Causes Disorder at the Actomyosin Interface

PubMed Central

Volkmann, Niels; Lui, HongJun; Hazelwood, Larnele; Trybus, Kathleen M.; Lowey, Susan; Hanein, Dorit

2007-01-01

Background Mutations in virtually all of the proteins comprising the cardiac muscle sarcomere have been implicated in causing Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (FHC). Mutations in the β-myosin heavy chain (MHC) remain among the most common causes of FHC, with the widely studied R403Q mutation resulting in an especially severe clinical prognosis. In vitro functional studies of cardiac myosin containing the R403Q mutation have revealed significant changes in enzymatic and mechanical properties compared to wild-type myosin. It has been proposed that these molecular changes must trigger events that ultimately lead to the clinical phenotype. Principal Findings Here we examine the structural consequences of the R403Q mutation in a recombinant smooth muscle myosin subfragment (S1), whose kinetic features have much in common with slow β-MHC. We obtained three-dimensional reconstructions of wild-type and R403Q smooth muscle S1 bound to actin filaments in the presence (ADP) and absence (apo) of nucleotide by electron cryomicroscopy and image analysis. We observed that the mutant S1 was attached to actin at highly variable angles compared to wild-type reconstructions, suggesting a severe disruption of the actin-myosin interaction at the interface. Significance These results provide structural evidence that disarray at the molecular level may be linked to the histopathological myocyte disarray characteristic of the diseased state. PMID:17987111

Electron microscopic evidence for the myosin head lever arm mechanism in hydrated myosin filaments using the gas environmental chamber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Minoda, Hiroki; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012; Okabe, Tatsuhiro

2011-02-25

Research highlights: {yields} We succeeded in recording structural changes of hydrated myosin cross-bridges. {yields} We succeeded in position-marking the cross-bridges with site-directed antibodies. {yields} We recorded cross-bridge movement at different regions in individual cross-bridge. {yields} The movement was smallest at the cross-bridge-subfragment two boundary. {yields} The results provide evidence for the cross-bridge lever arm mechanism. -- Abstract: Muscle contraction results from an attachment-detachment cycle between the myosin heads extending from myosin filaments and the sites on actin filaments. The myosin head first attaches to actin together with the products of ATP hydrolysis, performs a power stroke associated with release ofmore » hydrolysis products, and detaches from actin upon binding with new ATP. The detached myosin head then hydrolyses ATP, and performs a recovery stroke to restore its initial position. The strokes have been suggested to result from rotation of the lever arm domain around the converter domain, while the catalytic domain remains rigid. To ascertain the validity of the lever arm hypothesis in muscle, we recorded ATP-induced movement at different regions within individual myosin heads in hydrated myosin filaments, using the gas environmental chamber attached to the electron microscope. The myosin head were position-marked with gold particles using three different site-directed antibodies. The amplitude of ATP-induced movement at the actin binding site in the catalytic domain was similar to that at the boundary between the catalytic and converter domains, but was definitely larger than that at the regulatory light chain in the lever arm domain. These results are consistent with the myosin head lever arm mechanism in muscle contraction if some assumptions are made.« less

Actin turnover maintains actin filament homeostasis during cytokinetic ring contraction

PubMed Central

Palani, Saravanan; Sommese, Ruth; Kamnev, Anton; Hatano, Tomoyuki; Sivaramakrishnan, Sivaraj

2017-01-01

Cytokinesis in many eukaryotes involves a tension-generating actomyosin-based contractile ring. Many components of actomyosin rings turn over during contraction, although the significance of this turnover has remained enigmatic. Here, using Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, we investigate the role of turnover of actin and myosin II in its contraction. Actomyosin ring components self-organize into ∼1-µm-spaced clusters instead of undergoing full-ring contraction in the absence of continuous actin polymerization. This effect is reversed when actin filaments are stabilized. We tested the idea that the function of turnover is to ensure actin filament homeostasis in a synthetic system, in which we abolished turnover by fixing rings in cell ghosts with formaldehyde. We found that these rings contracted fully upon exogenous addition of a vertebrate myosin. We conclude that actin turnover is required to maintain actin filament homeostasis during ring contraction and that the requirement for turnover can be bypassed if homeostasis is achieved artificially. PMID:28655757

Calmodulin Bound to the First IQ Motif Is Responsible for Calcium-dependent Regulation of Myosin 5a*

PubMed Central

Lu, Zekuan; Shen, Mei; Cao, Yang; Zhang, Hai-Man; Yao, Lin-Lin; Li, Xiang-dong

2012-01-01

Myosin 5a is as yet the best-characterized unconventional myosin motor involved in transport of organelles along actin filaments. It is well-established that myosin 5a is regulated by its tail in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The fact that the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin 5a is stimulated by micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ and that calmodulin (CaM) binds to IQ motifs of the myosin 5a heavy chain indicates that Ca2+ regulates myosin 5a function via bound CaM. However, it is not known which IQ motif and bound CaM are responsible for the Ca2+-dependent regulation and how the head-tail interaction is affected by Ca2+. Here, we found that the CaM in the first IQ motif (IQ1) is responsible for Ca2+ regulation of myosin 5a. In addition, we demonstrate that the C-lobe fragment of CaM in IQ1 is necessary for mediating Ca2+ regulation of myosin 5a, suggesting that the C-lobe fragment of CaM in IQ1 participates in the interaction between the head and the tail. We propose that Ca2+ induces a conformational change of the C-lobe of CaM in IQ1 and prevents interaction between the head and the tail, thus activating motor function. PMID:22437832

Heart failure drug changes the mechanoenzymology of the cardiac myosin powerstroke.

PubMed

Rohde, John A; Thomas, David D; Muretta, Joseph M

2017-03-07

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a putative heart failure therapeutic, increases cardiac contractility. We hypothesize that it does this by changing the structural kinetics of the myosin powerstroke. We tested this directly by performing transient time-resolved FRET on a ventricular cardiac myosin biosensor. Our results demonstrate that OM stabilizes myosin's prepowerstroke structural state, supporting previous measurements showing that the drug shifts the equilibrium constant for myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis toward the posthydrolysis biochemical state. OM slowed the actin-induced powerstroke, despite a twofold increase in the rate constant for actin-activated phosphate release, the biochemical step in myosin's ATPase cycle associated with force generation and the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work. We conclude that OM alters the energetics of cardiac myosin's mechanical cycle, causing the powerstroke to occur after myosin weakly binds to actin and releases phosphate. We discuss the physiological implications for these changes.

Myosin Va binding to neurofilaments is essential for correct myosin Va distribution and transport and neurofilament density

PubMed Central

Rao, Mala V.; Engle, Linda J.; Mohan, Panaiyur S.; Yuan, Aidong; Qiu, Dike; Cataldo, Anne; Hassinger, Linda; Jacobsen, Stephen; Lee, Virginia M-Y.; Andreadis, Athena; Julien, Jean-Pierre; Bridgman, Paul C.; Nixon, Ralph A.

2002-01-01

The identification of molecular motors that modulate the neuronal cytoskeleton has been elusive. Here, we show that a molecular motor protein, myosin Va, is present in high proportions in the cytoskeleton of mouse CNS and peripheral nerves. Immunoelectron microscopy, coimmunoprecipitation, and blot overlay analyses demonstrate that myosin Va in axons associates with neurofilaments, and that the NF-L subunit is its major ligand. A physiological association is indicated by observations that the level of myosin Va is reduced in axons of NF-L–null mice lacking neurofilaments and increased in mice overexpressing NF-L, but unchanged in NF-H–null mice. In vivo pulse-labeled myosin Va advances along axons at slow transport rates overlapping with those of neurofilament proteins and actin, both of which coimmunoprecipitate with myosin Va. Eliminating neurofilaments from mice selectively accelerates myosin Va translocation and redistributes myosin Va to the actin-rich subaxolemma and membranous organelles. Finally, peripheral axons of dilute-lethal mice, lacking functional myosin Va, display selectively increased neurofilament number and levels of neurofilament proteins without altering axon caliber. These results identify myosin Va as a neurofilament-associated protein, and show that this association is essential to establish the normal distribution, axonal transport, and content of myosin Va, and the proper numbers of neurofilaments in axons. PMID:12403814

UNC-45/CRO1/She4p (UCS) Protein Forms Elongated Dimer and Joins Two Myosin Heads Near Their Actin Binding Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

H Shi; G Blobel

2011-12-31

UNC-45/CRO1/She4p (UCS) proteins have variously been proposed to affect the folding, stability, and ATPase activity of myosins. They are the only proteins known to interact directly with the motor domain. To gain more insight into UCS function, we determined the atomic structure of the yeast UCS protein, She4p, at 2.9 {angstrom} resolution. We found that 16 helical repeats are organized into an L-shaped superhelix with an amphipathic N-terminal helix dangling off the short arm of the L-shaped molecule. In the crystal, She4p forms a 193-{angstrom}-long, zigzag-shaped dimer through three distinct and evolutionary conserved interfaces. We have identified She4p's C-terminal regionmore » as a ligand for a 27-residue-long epitope on the myosin motor domain. Remarkably, this region consists of two adjacent, but distinct, binding epitopes localized at the nucleotide-responsive cleft between the nucleotide- and actin-filament-binding sites. One epitope is situated inside the cleft, the other outside the cleft. After ATP hydrolysis and Pi ejection, the cleft narrows at its base from 20 to 12 {angstrom} thereby occluding the inside the cleft epitope, while leaving the adjacent, outside the cleft binding epitope accessible to UCS binding. Hence, one cycle of higher and lower binding affinity would accompany one ATP hydrolysis cycle and a single step in the walk on an actin filament rope. We propose that a UCS dimer links two myosins at their motor domains and thereby functions as one of the determinants for step size of myosin on actin filaments.« less

Regulation of intracellular trafficking and secretion of adiponectin by myosin II.

PubMed

Bedi, Deepa; Dennis, John C; Morrison, Edward E; Braden, Tim D; Judd, Robert L

2017-08-19

Adiponectin is a protein secreted by white adipocytes that plays an important role in insulin action, energy homeostasis and the development of atherosclerosis. The intracellular localization and trafficking of GLUT4 and leptin in adipocytes has been well studied, but little is known regarding the intracellular trafficking of adiponectin. Recent studies have demonstrated that constitutive adiponectin secretion is dependent on PIP2 levels and the integrity of cortical F-actin. Non-muscle myosin II is an actin-based motor that is associated with membrane vesicles and participates in vesicular trafficking in mammalian cells. Therefore, we investigated the role of myosin II in the trafficking and secretion of adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Confocal microscopy revealed that myosin IIA and IIB were dispersed throughout the cytoplasm of the adipocyte. Both myosin isoforms were localized in the Golgi/TGN region as evidenced by colocalization with the cis-Golgi marker, p115 and the trans-Golgi marker, γ-adaptin. Inhibition of myosin II activity by blebbistatin or actin depolymerization by latrunculin B dispersed myosin IIA and IIB towards the periphery while significantly inhibiting adiponectin secretion. Therefore, the constitutive trafficking and secretion of adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes occurs by an actin-dependent mechanism that involves the actin-based motors, myosin IIA and IIB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tropomyosin movement on F-actin during muscle activation explained by energy landscapes

PubMed Central

Orzechowski, Marek; Moore, Jeffrey R.; Fischer, Stefan; Lehman, William

2014-01-01

Muscle contraction is regulated by tropomyosin movement across the thin filament surface, which exposes or blocks myosin-binding sites on actin. Recent atomic structures of F-actin-tropomyosin have yielded the positions of tropomyosin on myosin-free and myosin-decorated actin. Here, the repositioning of α-tropomyosin between these locations on F-actin was systematically examined by optimizing the energy of the complex for a wide range of tropomyosin positions on F-actin. The resulting energy landscape provides a full-map of the F-actin surface preferred by tropomyosin, revealing a broad energy basin associated with the tropomyosin position that blocks myosin-binding. This is consistent with previously proposed low-energy oscillations of semi-rigid tropomyosin, necessary for shifting of tropomyosin following troponin-binding. In contrast, the landscape shows much less favorable energies when tropomyosin locates near its myosin-induced “open-state” position. This indicates that spontaneous movement of tropomyosin away from its energetic “ground-state” to the open-state is unlikely in absence of myosin. Instead, myosin-binding must drive tropomyosin toward the open-state to activate the thin filament. Additional energy landscapes were computed for disease-causing actin mutants that distort the topology of the actin-tropomyosin energy landscape, explaining their phenotypes. Thus, the computation of such energy landscapes offers a sensitive way to estimate the impact of mutations. PMID:24412204

Tropomyosin movement on F-actin during muscle activation explained by energy landscapes.

PubMed

Orzechowski, Marek; Moore, Jeffrey R; Fischer, Stefan; Lehman, William

2014-03-01

Muscle contraction is regulated by tropomyosin movement across the thin filament surface, which exposes or blocks myosin-binding sites on actin. Recent atomic structures of F-actin-tropomyosin have yielded the positions of tropomyosin on myosin-free and myosin-decorated actin. Here, the repositioning of α-tropomyosin between these locations on F-actin was systematically examined by optimizing the energy of the complex for a wide range of tropomyosin positions on F-actin. The resulting energy landscape provides a full-map of the F-actin surface preferred by tropomyosin, revealing a broad energy basin associated with the tropomyosin position that blocks myosin-binding. This is consistent with previously proposed low-energy oscillations of semi-rigid tropomyosin, necessary for shifting of tropomyosin following troponin-binding. In contrast, the landscape shows much less favorable energies when tropomyosin locates near its myosin-induced "open-state" position. This indicates that spontaneous movement of tropomyosin away from its energetic "ground-state" to the open-state is unlikely in absence of myosin. Instead, myosin-binding must drive tropomyosin toward the open-state to activate the thin filament. Additional energy landscapes were computed for disease-causing actin mutants that distort the topology of the actin-tropomyosin energy landscape, explaining their phenotypes. Thus, the computation of such energy landscapes offers a sensitive way to estimate the impact of mutations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Axial rotation of sliding actin filaments revealed by single-fluorophore imaging.

PubMed

Sase, I; Miyata, H; Ishiwata, S; Kinosita, K

1997-05-27

In the actomyosin motor, myosin slides along an actin filament that has a helical structure with a pitch of approximately 72 nm. Whether myosin precisely follows this helical track is an unanswered question bearing directly on the motor mechanism. Here, axial rotation of actin filaments sliding over myosin molecules fixed on a glass surface was visualized through fluorescence polarization imaging of individual tetramethylrhodamine fluorophores sparsely bound to the filaments. The filaments underwent one revolution per sliding distance of approximately 1 microm, which is much greater than the 72 nm pitch. Thus, myosin does not "walk" on the helical array of actin protomers; rather it "runs," skipping many protomers. Possible mechanisms involving sequential interaction of myosin with successive actin protomers are ruled out at least for the preparation described here in which the actin filaments ran rather slowly compared with other in vitro systems. The result also indicates that each "kick" of myosin is primarily along the axis of the actin filament. The successful, real-time observation of the changes in the orientation of a single fluorophore opens the possibility of detecting a conformational change(s) of a single protein molecule at the moment it functions.

Kinetic Adaptations of Myosins for their Diverse Cellular Functions

PubMed Central

Heissler, Sarah M.; Sellers, James R.

2016-01-01

Members of the myosin superfamily are involved in all aspects of eukaryotic life. Their function ranges from the transport of organelles and cargos to the generation of membrane tension, and the contraction of muscle. The diversity of physiological functions is remarkable, given that all enzymatically active myosins follow a conserved mechanoenzymatic cycle in which the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate is coupled to either actin-based transport or tethering of actin to defined cellular compartments. Kinetic capacities and limitations of a myosin are determined by the extent to with actin can accelerate the hydrolysis of ATP and the release of the hydrolysis products and are indispensably linked to its physiological tasks. This review focuses on kinetic competencies that – together with structural adaptations – result in myosins with unique mechanoenzymatic properties targeted to their diverse cellular function. PMID:26929436

In vitro contraction of cytokinetic ring depends on myosin II but not on actin dynamics.

PubMed

Mishra, Mithilesh; Kashiwazaki, Jun; Takagi, Tomoko; Srinivasan, Ramanujam; Huang, Yinyi; Balasubramanian, Mohan K; Mabuchi, Issei

2013-07-01

Cytokinesis in many eukaryotes involves the contraction of an actomyosin-based contractile ring. However, the detailed mechanism of contractile ring contraction is not fully understood. Here, we establish an experimental system to study contraction of the ring to completion in vitro. We show that the contractile ring of permeabilized fission yeast cells undergoes rapid contraction in an ATP- and myosin-II-dependent manner in the absence of other cytoplasmic constituents. Surprisingly, neither actin polymerization nor its disassembly is required for contraction of the contractile ring, although addition of exogenous actin-crosslinking proteins blocks ring contraction. Using contractile rings generated from fission yeast cytokinesis mutants, we show that not all proteins required for assembly of the ring are required for its contraction in vitro. Our work provides the beginnings of the definition of a minimal contraction-competent cytokinetic ring apparatus.

Optical trapping studies of acto-myosin motor proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrow, Rachel E.; Rosenthal, Peter B.; Mashanov, Gregory I.; Holder, Anthony A.; Molloy, Justin E.

2007-09-01

Optical tweezers have been used extensively to measure the mechanical properties of individual biological molecules. Over the past 10-15 years optical trapping studies have revealed important information about the way in which motor proteins convert chemical energy to mechanical work. This paper focuses on studies of the acto-myosin motor system that is responsible for muscle contraction and a host of other cellular motilities. Myosin works by binding to filamentous actin, pulling and then releasing. Each cycle of interaction produces a few nanometres movement and a few piconewtons force. Individual interactions can be observed directly by holding an individual actin filament between two optically trapped microspheres and positioning it in the immediate vicinity of a single myosin motor. When the chemical fuel (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) is present the myosin undergoes repeated cycles of interaction with the actin filament producing square-wave like displacements and forces. Analysis of optical trapping data sets enables the size and timing of the molecular motions to be deduced.

Detection of a ventricular-specific myosin heavy chain in adult and developing chicken heart

PubMed Central

1986-01-01

In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (McAb), ALD19, generated against myosin of slow tonic muscle, was shown to react with the heavy chain of ventricular myosin in the adult chicken heart. With this antibody, it was possible to detect a ventricular-specific myosin during myocardial differentiation and to show that the epitope recognized by ALD19 was present from the earliest stages of ventricular differentiation and maintained throughout development only in the ventricle. A second McAb, specific for atrial myosin heavy chain (MHC) (Gonzalez-Sanchez, A., and D. Bader, 1984, Dev. Biol., 103:151-158), was used as a control to detect an atrial-specific myosin in the caudal portion of the developing heart at Hamburger-Hamilton stage 15. It was found that the appearance of ventricular MHC predated the expression of atrial MHC by approximately 1 d in ovo and that specific MHCs were always differentially distributed. While a common primordial MHC may be present in the early heart, this study showed the tissue-specific expression of a ventricular MHC during the initial stages of heart development and its differential accumulation throughout development. PMID:3514633

Force Generation by Membrane-Associated Myosin-I

PubMed Central

Pyrpassopoulos, Serapion; Arpağ, Göker; Feeser, Elizabeth A.; Shuman, Henry; Tüzel, Erkan; Ostap, E. Michael

2016-01-01

Vertebrate myosin-IC (Myo1c) is a type-1 myosin that links cell membranes to the cytoskeleton via its actin-binding motor domain and its phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2)-binding tail domain. While it is known that Myo1c bound to PtdIns(4,5)P2 in fluid-lipid bilayers can propel actin filaments in an unloaded motility assay, its ability to develop forces against external load on actin while bound to fluid bilayers has not been explored. Using optical tweezers, we measured the diffusion coefficient of single membrane-bound Myo1c molecules by force-relaxation experiments, and the ability of ensembles of membrane-bound Myo1c molecules to develop and sustain forces. To interpret our results, we developed a computational model that recapitulates the basic features of our experimental ensemble data and suggests that Myo1c ensembles can generate forces parallel to lipid bilayers, with larger forces achieved when the myosin works away from the plane of the membrane or when anchored to slowly diffusing regions. PMID:27156719

Characterization of f-actin tryptophan phosphorescence in the presence and absence of tryptophan-free myosin motor domain.

PubMed

Bódis, Emöke; Strambini, Giovanni B; Gonnelli, Margherita; Málnási-Csizmadia, András; Somogyi, Béla

2004-08-01

The effect of binding the Trp-free motor domain mutant of Dictyostelium discoideum, rabbit skeletal muscle myosin S1, and tropomyosin on the dynamics and conformation of actin filaments was characterized by an analysis of steady-state tryptophan phosphorescence spectra and phosphorescence decay kinetics over a temperature range of 140-293 K. The binding of the Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum to actin caused red shifts in the phosphorescence spectrum of two internal Trp residues of actin and affected the intrinsic lifetime of each emitter, decreasing by roughly twofold the short phosphorescence lifetime components (tau(1) and tau(2)) and increasing by approximately 20% the longest component (tau(3)). The alteration of actin phosphorescence by the motor protein suggests that i), structural changes occur deep down in the core of actin and that ii), subtle changes in conformation appear also on the surface but in regions distant from the motor domain binding site. When actin formed complexes with skeletal S1, an extra phosphorescence lifetime component appeared (tau(4), twice as long as tau(3)) in the phosphorescence decay that is absent in the isolated proteins. The lack of this extra component in the analogous actin-Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum complex suggests that it should be assigned to Trps in S1 that in the complex attain a more compact local structure. Our data indicated that the binding of tropomyosin to actin filaments had no effect on the structure or flexibility of actin observable by this technique.

Myosin VIIa as a common component of cilia and microvilli.

PubMed

Wolfrum, U; Liu, X; Schmitt, A; Udovichenko, I P; Williams, D S

1998-01-01

The distribution of myosin VIIa, which is defective or absent in Usher syndrome 1B, was studied in a variety of tissues by immunomicroscopy. The primary aim was to determine whether this putative actin-based mechanoenzyme is a common component of cilia. Previously, it has been proposed that defective ciliary function might be the basis of some forms of Usher syndrome. Myosin VIIa was detected in cilia from cochlear hair cells, olfactory neurons, kidney distal tubules, and lung bronchi. It was also found to cofractionate with the axonemal fraction of retinal photoreceptor cells. Immunolabeling appeared most concentrated in the periphery of the transition zone of the cilia. This general presence of a myosin in cilia is surprising, given that cilia are dominated by microtubules, and not actin filaments. In addition to cilia, myosin VIIa was also found in actin-rich microvilli of different types of cell. We conclude that myosin VIIa is a common component of cilia and microvilli.

Myosin 7 and its adaptors link cadherins to actin.

PubMed

Yu, I-Mei; Planelles-Herrero, Vicente J; Sourigues, Yannick; Moussaoui, Dihia; Sirkia, Helena; Kikuti, Carlos; Stroebel, David; Titus, Margaret A; Houdusse, Anne

2017-06-29

Cadherin linkages between adjacent stereocilia and microvilli are essential for mechanotransduction and maintaining their organization. They are anchored to actin through interaction of their cytoplasmic domains with related tripartite complexes consisting of a class VII myosin and adaptor proteins: Myo7a/SANS/Harmonin in stereocilia and Myo7b/ANKS4B/Harmonin in microvilli. Here, we determine high-resolution structures of Myo7a and Myo7b C-terminal MyTH4-FERM domain (MF2) and unveil how they recognize harmonin using a novel binding mode. Systematic definition of interactions between domains of the tripartite complex elucidates how the complex assembles and prevents possible self-association of harmonin-a. Several Myo7a deafness mutants that map to the surface of MF2 disrupt harmonin binding, revealing the molecular basis for how they impact the formation of the tripartite complex and disrupt mechanotransduction. Our results also suggest how switching between different harmonin isoforms can regulate the formation of networks with Myo7a motors and coordinate force sensing in stereocilia.

Myosin 7 and its adaptors link cadherins to actin

PubMed Central

Yu, I-Mei; Planelles-Herrero, Vicente J.; Sourigues, Yannick; Moussaoui, Dihia; Sirkia, Helena; Kikuti, Carlos; Stroebel, David; Titus, Margaret A.; Houdusse, Anne

2017-01-01

Cadherin linkages between adjacent stereocilia and microvilli are essential for mechanotransduction and maintaining their organization. They are anchored to actin through interaction of their cytoplasmic domains with related tripartite complexes consisting of a class VII myosin and adaptor proteins: Myo7a/SANS/Harmonin in stereocilia and Myo7b/ANKS4B/Harmonin in microvilli. Here, we determine high-resolution structures of Myo7a and Myo7b C-terminal MyTH4-FERM domain (MF2) and unveil how they recognize harmonin using a novel binding mode. Systematic definition of interactions between domains of the tripartite complex elucidates how the complex assembles and prevents possible self-association of harmonin-a. Several Myo7a deafness mutants that map to the surface of MF2 disrupt harmonin binding, revealing the molecular basis for how they impact the formation of the tripartite complex and disrupt mechanotransduction. Our results also suggest how switching between different harmonin isoforms can regulate the formation of networks with Myo7a motors and coordinate force sensing in stereocilia. PMID:28660889

Myosin light chains: Teaching old dogs new tricks

PubMed Central

Heissler, Sarah M; Sellers, James R

2014-01-01

The myosin holoenzyme is a multimeric protein complex consisting of heavy chains and light chains. Myosin light chains are calmodulin family members which are crucially involved in the mechanoenzymatic function of the myosin holoenzyme. This review examines the diversity of light chains within the myosin superfamily, discusses interactions between the light chain and the myosin heavy chain as well as regulatory and structural functions of the light chain as a subunit of the myosin holoenzyme. It covers aspects of the myosin light chain in the localization of the myosin holoenzyme, protein-protein interactions and light chain binding to non-myosin binding partners. Finally, this review challenges the dogma that myosin regulatory and essential light chain exclusively associate with conventional myosin heavy chains while unconventional myosin heavy chains usually associate with calmodulin. PMID:26155737

Thermodynamic evidence of non-muscle myosin II-lipid-membrane interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schewkunow, Vitali; Sharma, Karan P.; Diez, Gerold

2008-02-08

A unique feature of protein networks in living cells is that they can generate their own force. Proteins such as non-muscle myosin II are an integral part of the cytoskeleton and have the capacity to convert the energy of ATP hydrolysis into directional movement. Non-muscle myosin II can move actin filaments against each other, and depending on the orientation of the filaments and the way in which they are linked together, it can produce contraction, bending, extension, and stiffening. Our measurements with differential scanning calorimetry showed that non-muscle myosin II inserts into negatively charged phospholipid membranes. Using lipid vesicles mademore » of DMPG/DMPC at a molar ratio of 1:1 at 10 mg/ml in the presence of different non-muscle myosin II concentrations showed a variation of the main phase transition of the lipid vesicle at around 23 deg. C. With increasing concentrations of non-muscle myosin II the thermotropic properties of the lipid vesicle changed, which is indicative of protein-lipid interaction/insertion. We hypothesize that myosin tail binds to acidic phospholipids through an electrostatic interaction using the basic side groups of positive residues; the flexible, amphipathic helix then may partially penetrate into the bilayer to form an anchor. Using the stopped-flow method, we determined the binding affinity of non-muscle myosin II when anchored to lipid vesicles with actin, which was similar to a pure actin-non-muscle myosin II system. Insertion of myosin tail into the hydrophobic region of lipid membranes, a model known as the lever arm mechanism, might explain how its interaction with actin generates cellular movement.« less

Motility assays using myosin attached to surfaces through specific binding to monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed Central

Winkelmann, D. A.; Bourdieu, L.; Kinose, F.; Libchaber, A.

1995-01-01

We have analyzed the dependence of actin filament movement on the mode of myosin attachment to surfaces. Monoclonal antibodies that bind to three distinct sites were used to tether myosin to nitrocellulose-coated glass. One antibody reacts with an epitope on the regulatory light chain located at the head-rod junction. The other two react with sites in the rod domain, one in the S2 region near the S2-LMM hinge, and the other at the C terminus of the myosin rod. These monoclonal antibodies were used to provide increasing flexibility in the mode of attachment. Fast skeletal muscle myosin monomers were bound to the surfaces through the specific interaction with these monoclonal antibodies and the sliding movement of fluorescently labeled actin filaments analyzed by video microscopy. Each of these antibodies produced stable, myosin-coated surfaces that supported uniform movement of actin over the course of several hours. Attachment of myosin through the anti-S2 and anti-LMM monoclonal antibodies yielded a maximum velocity of 10 microns/s at 30 degrees C, whereas attachment through anti-LC2 produced a lower velocity of 4-5 microns/s. Each antibody showed a characteristic minimum myosin density below which sliding movement was no longer supported and an exponential dependence of actin filament velocity on myosin surface density below Vmax. Maximum sliding velocity was achieved over a range of myosin surface densities. Thus, the specific mode of attachment can influence the characteristic velocity of actin filament movement and the surface density needed to support movement. These data are being used to analyze the dynamics of sliding filament assays and evaluate estimates of the average number of motor molecules per unit length of actin required to support movement. PMID:7787107

Axial rotation of sliding actin filaments revealed by single-fluorophore imaging

PubMed Central

Sase, Ichiro; Miyata, Hidetake; Ishiwata, Shin’ichi; Kinosita, Kazuhiko

1997-01-01

In the actomyosin motor, myosin slides along an actin filament that has a helical structure with a pitch of ≈72 nm. Whether myosin precisely follows this helical track is an unanswered question bearing directly on the motor mechanism. Here, axial rotation of actin filaments sliding over myosin molecules fixed on a glass surface was visualized through fluorescence polarization imaging of individual tetramethylrhodamine fluorophores sparsely bound to the filaments. The filaments underwent one revolution per sliding distance of ≈1 μm, which is much greater than the 72 nm pitch. Thus, myosin does not “walk” on the helical array of actin protomers; rather it “runs,” skipping many protomers. Possible mechanisms involving sequential interaction of myosin with successive actin protomers are ruled out at least for the preparation described here in which the actin filaments ran rather slowly compared with other in vitro systems. The result also indicates that each “kick” of myosin is primarily along the axis of the actin filament. The successful, real-time observation of the changes in the orientation of a single fluorophore opens the possibility of detecting a conformational change(s) of a single protein molecule at the moment it functions. PMID:9159126

Impacts of Usher Syndrome Type IB Mutations on Human Myosin VIIa Motor Function†

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Shinya; Umeki, Nobuhisa; Ikebe, Reiko; Ikebe, Mitsuo

2010-01-01

Usher syndrome (USH) is a human hereditary disorder characterized by profound congenital deafness, retinitis pigmentosa and vestibular dysfunction. Myosin VIIa has been identified as the responsible gene for USH type 1B, and a number of missense mutations have been identified in the affected families. However, the molecular basis of the dysfunction of USH gene, myosin VIIa, in the affected families is unknown to date. Here we clarified the effects of USH1B mutations on human myosin VIIa motor function for the first time. The missense mutations of USH1B significantly inhibited the actin activation of ATPase activity of myosin VIIa. G25R, R212C, A397D and E450Q mutations abolished the actin-activated ATPase activity completely. P503L mutation increased the basal ATPase activity for 2-3 fold, but reduced the actin-activated ATPase activity to 50% of the wild type. While all the mutations examined, except for R302H, reduced the affinity for actin and the ATP hydrolysis cycling rate, they did not largely decrease the rate of ADP release from acto-myosin, suggesting that the mutations reduce the duty ratio of myosin VIIa. Taken together, the results suggest that the mutations responsible for USH1B cause the complete loss of the actin-activated ATPase activity or the reduction of duty ratio of myosin VIIa. PMID:18700726

Determination of the myosin step size from mechanical and kinetic data.

PubMed Central

Pate, E; White, H; Cooke, R

1993-01-01

During muscle contraction, work is generated when a myosin cross-bridge attaches to an actin filament and exerts a force on it through some power-stroke distance, h. At the end of this power stroke, attached myosin heads are carried into regions where they exert a negative force on the actin filament (the drag stroke) and where they are released rapidly from actin by ATP binding. Although the length of the power stroke remains controversial, average distance traversed in the drag-stroke region can be determined when one knows both rate of cross-bridge dissociation and filament-sliding velocity. At maximum contraction velocity, the average force exerted in the drag stroke must balance that exerted in the power stroke. We discuss here a simple model of cross-bridge interaction that allows one to calculate the force exerted in the drag stroke and to relate this to the power-stroke distance h traversed by cross-bridges in the positive-force region. Both the rate at which myosin can be dissociated from actin and the velocity at which an actin filament can be translated have been measured for a series of myosin isozymes and for different substrates, producing a wide range of values for each. Nonetheless, we show here that the rate of myosin dissociation from actin correlates well with the velocity of filament sliding, providing support for the simple model presented and suggesting that the power stroke is approximately 10 nm in length. PMID:8460156

A Myo6 mutation destroys coordination between the myosin heads, revealing new functions of myosin VI in the stereocilia of mammalian inner ear hair cells.

PubMed

Hertzano, Ronna; Shalit, Ella; Rzadzinska, Agnieszka K; Dror, Amiel A; Song, Lin; Ron, Uri; Tan, Joshua T; Shitrit, Alina Starovolsky; Fuchs, Helmut; Hasson, Tama; Ben-Tal, Nir; Sweeney, H Lee; de Angelis, Martin Hrabe; Steel, Karen P; Avraham, Karen B

2008-10-03

Myosin VI, found in organisms from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans, is essential for auditory and vestibular function in mammals, since genetic mutations lead to hearing impairment and vestibular dysfunction in both humans and mice. Here, we show that a missense mutation in this molecular motor in an ENU-generated mouse model, Tailchaser, disrupts myosin VI function. Structural changes in the Tailchaser hair bundles include mislocalization of the kinocilia and branching of stereocilia. Transfection of GFP-labeled myosin VI into epithelial cells and delivery of endocytic vesicles to the early endosome revealed that the mutant phenotype displays disrupted motor function. The actin-activated ATPase rates measured for the D179Y mutation are decreased, and indicate loss of coordination of the myosin VI heads or 'gating' in the dimer form. Proper coordination is required for walking processively along, or anchoring to, actin filaments, and is apparently destroyed by the proximity of the mutation to the nucleotide-binding pocket. This loss of myosin VI function may not allow myosin VI to transport its cargoes appropriately at the base and within the stereocilia, or to anchor the membrane of stereocilia to actin filaments via its cargos, both of which lead to structural changes in the stereocilia of myosin VI-impaired hair cells, and ultimately leading to deafness.

Regulation of myosin IIA and filamentous actin during insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stall, Richard; Ramos, Joseph; Kent Fulcher, F.

Insulin stimulated glucose uptake requires the colocalization of myosin IIA (MyoIIA) and the insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) at the plasma membrane for proper GLUT4 fusion. MyoIIA facilitates filamentous actin (F-actin) reorganization in various cell types. In adipocytes F-actin reorganization is required for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. What is not known is whether MyoIIA interacts with F-actin to regulate insulin-induced GLUT4 fusion at the plasma membrane. To elucidate the relationship between MyoIIA and F-actin, we examined the colocalization of MyoIIA and F-actin at the plasma membrane upon insulin stimulation as well as the regulation of this interaction. Our findings demonstrated thatmore » MyoIIA and F-actin colocalized at the site of GLUT4 fusion with the plasma membrane upon insulin stimulation. Furthermore, inhibition of MyoII with blebbistatin impaired F-actin localization at the plasma membrane. Next we examined the regulatory role of calcium in MyoIIA-F-actin colocalization. Reduced calcium or calmodulin levels decreased colocalization of MyoIIA and F-actin at the plasma membrane. While calcium alone can translocate MyoIIA it did not stimulate F-actin accumulation at the plasma membrane. Taken together, we established that while MyoIIA activity is required for F-actin localization at the plasma membrane, it alone is insufficient to localize F-actin to the plasma membrane. - Highlights: • Insulin induces colocalization of MyoIIA and F-actin at the cortex in adipocytes. • MyoIIA is necessary but not sufficient to localize F-actin at the cell cortex. • MyoIIA-F-actin colocalization is regulated by calcium and calmodulin.« less

Tuning of shortening speed in coleoid cephalopod muscle: no evidence for tissue-specific muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms

PubMed Central

Shaffer, Justin F.; Kier, William M.

2015-01-01

The contractile protein myosin II is ubiquitous in muscle. It is widely accepted that animals express tissue-specific myosin isoforms that differ in amino acid sequence and ATPase activity in order to tune muscle contractile velocities. Recent studies, however, suggested that the squid Doryteuthis pealeii might be an exception; members of this species do not express muscle-specific myosin isoforms, but instead alter sarcomeric ultrastructure to adjust contractile velocities. We investigated whether this alternative mechanism of tuning muscle contractile velocity is found in other coleoid cephalopods. We analyzed myosin heavy chain transcript sequences and expression profiles from muscular tissues of a cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, and an octopus, Octopus bimaculoides, in order to determine if these cephalopods express tissue-specific myosin heavy chain isoforms. We identified transcripts of four and six different myosin heavy chain isoforms in S. officinalis and O. bimaculoides muscular tissues, respectively. Transcripts of all isoforms were expressed in all muscular tissues studied, and thus S. officinalis and O. bimaculoides do not appear to express tissue-specific muscle myosin isoforms. We also examined the sarcomeric ultrastructure in the transverse muscle fibers of the arms of O. bimaculoides and the arms and tentacles of S. officinalis using transmission electron microscopy and found that the fast contracting fibers of the prey capture tentacles of S. officinalis have shorter thick filaments than those found in the slower transverse muscle fibers of the arms of both species. It thus appears that coleoid cephalopods, including the cuttlefish and octopus, may use ultrastructural modifications rather than tissue-specific myosin isoforms to adjust contractile velocities. PMID:26997860

Impacts of Usher syndrome type IB mutations on human myosin VIIa motor function.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shinya; Umeki, Nobuhisa; Ikebe, Reiko; Ikebe, Mitsuo

2008-09-09

Usher syndrome (USH) is a human hereditary disorder characterized by profound congenital deafness, retinitis pigmentosa, and vestibular dysfunction. Myosin VIIa has been identified as the responsible gene for USH type 1B, and a number of missense mutations have been identified in the affected families. However, the molecular basis of the dysfunction of USH gene, myosin VIIa, in the affected families is unknown to date. Here we clarified the effects of USH1B mutations on human myosin VIIa motor function for the first time. The missense mutations of USH1B significantly inhibited the actin activation of ATPase activity of myosin VIIa. G25R, R212C, A397D, and E450Q mutations abolished the actin-activated ATPase activity completely. P503L mutation increased the basal ATPase activity for 2-3-fold but reduced the actin-activated ATPase activity to 50% of the wild type. While all of the mutations examined, except for R302H, reduced the affinity for actin and the ATP hydrolysis cycling rate, they did not largely decrease the rate of ADP release from actomyosin, suggesting that the mutations reduce the duty ratio of myosin VIIa. Taken together, the results suggest that the mutations responsible for USH1B cause the complete loss of the actin-activated ATPase activity or the reduction of duty ratio of myosin VIIa.

Measuring the Kinetic and Mechanical Properties of Non-Processive Myosins using Optical Tweezers

PubMed Central

Greenberg, Michael J.; Shuman, Henry; Ostap, E. Michael

2017-01-01

The myosin superfamily of molecular motors utilizes energy from ATP hydrolysis to generate force and motility along actin filaments in a diverse array of cellular processes. These motors are structurally, kinetically, and mechanically tuned to their specific molecular roles in the cell. Optical trapping techniques have played a central role in elucidating the mechanisms by which myosins generate force and in exposing the remarkable diversity of myosin functions. Here, we present thorough methods for measuring and analyzing interactions between actin and non-processive myosins using optical trapping techniques. PMID:27844441

Actin- and myosin-driven movement of viruses along filopodia precedes their entry into cells

PubMed Central

Lehmann, Maik J.; Sherer, Nathan M.; Marks, Carolyn B.; Pypaert, Marc; Mothes, Walther

2005-01-01

Viruses have often been observed in association with the dense microvilli of polarized epithelia as well as the filopodia of nonpolarized cells, yet whether interactions with these structures contribute to infection has remained unknown. Here we show that virus binding to filopodia induces a rapid and highly ordered lateral movement, “surfing” toward the cell body before cell entry. Virus cell surfing along filopodia is mediated by the underlying actin cytoskeleton and depends on functional myosin II. Any disruption of virus cell surfing significantly reduces viral infection. Our results reveal another example of viruses hijacking host machineries for efficient infection by using the inherent ability of filopodia to transport ligands to the cell body. PMID:16027225

Actin- and myosin-driven movement of viruses along filopodia precedes their entry into cells.

PubMed

Lehmann, Maik J; Sherer, Nathan M; Marks, Carolyn B; Pypaert, Marc; Mothes, Walther

2005-07-18

Viruses have often been observed in association with the dense microvilli of polarized epithelia as well as the filopodia of nonpolarized cells, yet whether interactions with these structures contribute to infection has remained unknown. Here we show that virus binding to filopodia induces a rapid and highly ordered lateral movement, "surfing" toward the cell body before cell entry. Virus cell surfing along filopodia is mediated by the underlying actin cytoskeleton and depends on functional myosin II. Any disruption of virus cell surfing significantly reduces viral infection. Our results reveal another example of viruses hijacking host machineries for efficient infection by using the inherent ability of filopodia to transport ligands to the cell body.

Nonmuscle myosin IIA is required for lamellipodia formation through binding to WAVE2 and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate.

PubMed

Morimura, Shigeru; Suzuki, Katsuo; Takahashi, Kazuhide

2011-01-21

Investigation of the mechanism underlying cell membrane-targeted WAVE2 capture by phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP(3)) through IRSp53 revealed an unidentified 250-kDa protein (p250) bound to PIP(3). We identified p250 as nonmuscle myosin IIA heavy chain (MYH9) by mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis using anti-MYH9 antibody. After stimulation with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), MYH9 colocalized with PIP(3) in lamellipodia at the leading edge of cells. Depletion of MYH9 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and inhibition of myosin II activity by blebbistatin abrogated the formation of actin filament (F-actin) arcs and lamellipodia induced by IGF-I. MYH9 was constitutively associated with WAVE2, which was dependent on myosin II activity, and the MYH9-WAVE2 complex colocalized to PIP(3) at the leading edge after IGF-I stimulation. These results indicate that MYH9 is required for lamellipodia formation since it provides contractile forces and tension for the F-actin network to form convex arcs at the leading edge through constitutive binding to WAVE2 and colocalization with PIP(3) in response to IGF-I. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kinetic Characterization of Nonmuscle Myosin IIB at the Single Molecule Level*

PubMed Central

Nagy, Attila; Takagi, Yasuharu; Billington, Neil; Sun, Sara A.; Hong, Davin K. T.; Homsher, Earl; Wang, Aibing; Sellers, James R.

2013-01-01

Nonmuscle myosin IIB (NMIIB) is a cytoplasmic myosin, which plays an important role in cell motility by maintaining cortical tension. It forms bipolar thick filaments with ∼14 myosin molecule dimers on each side of the bare zone. Our previous studies showed that the NMIIB is a moderately high duty ratio (∼20–25%) motor. The ADP release step (∼0.35 s−1) of NMIIB is only ∼3 times faster than the rate-limiting phosphate release (0.13 ± 0.01 s−1). The aim of this study was to relate the known in vitro kinetic parameters to the results of single molecule experiments and to compare the kinetic and mechanical properties of single- and double-headed myosin fragments and nonmuscle IIB thick filaments. Examination of the kinetics of NMIIB interaction with actin at the single molecule level was accomplished using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) with fluorescence imaging with 1-nm accuracy (FIONA) and dual-beam optical trapping. At a physiological ATP concentration (1 mm), the rate of detachment of the single-headed and double-headed molecules was similar (∼0.4 s−1). Using optical tweezers we found that the power stroke sizes of single- and double-headed heavy meromyosin (HMM) were each ∼6 nm. No signs of processive stepping at the single molecule level were observed in the case of NMIIB-HMM in optical tweezers or TIRF/in vitro motility experiments. In contrast, robust motility of individual fluorescently labeled thick filaments of full-length NMIIB was observed on actin filaments. Our results are in good agreement with the previous steady-state and transient kinetic studies and show that the individual nonprocessive nonmuscle myosin IIB molecules form a highly processive unit when polymerized into filaments. PMID:23148220

The post-rigor structure of myosin VI and implications for the recovery stroke

PubMed Central

Ménétrey, Julie; Llinas, Paola; Cicolari, Jérome; Squires, Gaëlle; Liu, Xiaoyan; Li, Anna; Sweeney, H Lee; Houdusse, Anne

2008-01-01

Myosin VI has an unexpectedly large swing of its lever arm (powerstroke) that optimizes its unique reverse direction movement. The basis for this is an unprecedented rearrangement of the subdomain to which the lever arm is attached, referred to as the converter. It is unclear at what point(s) in the myosin VI ATPase cycle rearrangements in the converter occur, and how this would effect lever arm position. We solved the structure of myosin VI with an ATP analogue (ADP.BeF3) bound in its nucleotide-binding pocket. The structure reveals that no rearrangement in the converter occur upon ATP binding. Based on previously solved myosin structures, our structure suggests that no reversal of the powerstroke occurs during detachment of myosin VI from actin. The structure also reveals novel features of the myosin VI motor that may be important in maintaining the converter conformation during detachment from actin, and other features that may promote rapid rearrangements in the structure following actin detachment that enable hydrolysis of ATP. PMID:18046460

Antenna Mechanism of Length Control of Actin Cables

PubMed Central

Mohapatra, Lishibanya; Goode, Bruce L.; Kondev, Jane

2015-01-01

Actin cables are linear cytoskeletal structures that serve as tracks for myosin-based intracellular transport of vesicles and organelles in both yeast and mammalian cells. In a yeast cell undergoing budding, cables are in constant dynamic turnover yet some cables grow from the bud neck toward the back of the mother cell until their length roughly equals the diameter of the mother cell. This raises the question: how is the length of these cables controlled? Here we describe a novel molecular mechanism for cable length control inspired by recent experimental observations in cells. This “antenna mechanism” involves three key proteins: formins, which polymerize actin, Smy1 proteins, which bind formins and inhibit actin polymerization, and myosin motors, which deliver Smy1 to formins, leading to a length-dependent actin polymerization rate. We compute the probability distribution of cable lengths as a function of several experimentally tuneable parameters such as the formin-binding affinity of Smy1 and the concentration of myosin motors delivering Smy1. These results provide testable predictions of the antenna mechanism of actin-cable length control. PMID:26107518

Antenna Mechanism of Length Control of Actin Cables.

PubMed

Mohapatra, Lishibanya; Goode, Bruce L; Kondev, Jane

2015-06-01

Actin cables are linear cytoskeletal structures that serve as tracks for myosin-based intracellular transport of vesicles and organelles in both yeast and mammalian cells. In a yeast cell undergoing budding, cables are in constant dynamic turnover yet some cables grow from the bud neck toward the back of the mother cell until their length roughly equals the diameter of the mother cell. This raises the question: how is the length of these cables controlled? Here we describe a novel molecular mechanism for cable length control inspired by recent experimental observations in cells. This "antenna mechanism" involves three key proteins: formins, which polymerize actin, Smy1 proteins, which bind formins and inhibit actin polymerization, and myosin motors, which deliver Smy1 to formins, leading to a length-dependent actin polymerization rate. We compute the probability distribution of cable lengths as a function of several experimentally tuneable parameters such as the formin-binding affinity of Smy1 and the concentration of myosin motors delivering Smy1. These results provide testable predictions of the antenna mechanism of actin-cable length control.

Three-dimensional stochastic model of actin–myosin binding in the sarcomere lattice

PubMed Central

Kayser-Herold, Oliver; Stojanovic, Boban; Nedic, Djordje; Irving, Thomas C.; Geeves, Michael A.

2016-01-01

The effect of molecule tethering in three-dimensional (3-D) space on bimolecular binding kinetics is rarely addressed and only occasionally incorporated into models of cell motility. The simplest system that can quantitatively determine this effect is the 3-D sarcomere lattice of the striated muscle, where tethered myosin in thick filaments can only bind to a relatively small number of available sites on the actin filament, positioned within a limited range of thermal movement of the myosin head. Here we implement spatially explicit actomyosin interactions into the multiscale Monte Carlo platform MUSICO, specifically defining how geometrical constraints on tethered myosins can modulate state transition rates in the actomyosin cycle. The simulations provide the distribution of myosin bound to sites on actin, ensure conservation of the number of interacting myosins and actin monomers, and most importantly, the departure in behavior of tethered myosin molecules from unconstrained myosin interactions with actin. In addition, MUSICO determines the number of cross-bridges in each actomyosin cycle state, the force and number of attached cross-bridges per myosin filament, the range of cross-bridge forces and accounts for energy consumption. At the macroscopic scale, MUSICO simulations show large differences in predicted force-velocity curves and in the response during early force recovery phase after a step change in length comparing to the two simplest mass action kinetic models. The origin of these differences is rooted in the different fluxes of myosin binding and corresponding instantaneous cross-bridge distributions and quantitatively reflects a major flaw of the mathematical description in all mass action kinetic models. Consequently, this new approach shows that accurate recapitulation of experimental data requires significantly different binding rates, number of actomyosin states, and cross-bridge elasticity than typically used in mass action kinetic models to

Three-dimensional stochastic model of actin–myosin binding in the sarcomere lattice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mijailovich, Srboljub M.; Kayser-Herold, Oliver; Stojanovic, Boban

2016-11-18

The effect of molecule tethering in three-dimensional (3-D) space on bimolecular binding kinetics is rarely addressed and only occasionally incorporated into models of cell motility. The simplest system that can quantitatively determine this effect is the 3-D sarcomere lattice of the striated muscle, where tethered myosin in thick filaments can only bind to a relatively small number of available sites on the actin filament, positioned within a limited range of thermal movement of the myosin head. Here we implement spatially explicit actomyosin interactions into the multiscale Monte Carlo platform MUSICO, specifically defining how geometrical constraints on tethered myosins can modulatemore » state transition rates in the actomyosin cycle. The simulations provide the distribution of myosin bound to sites on actin, ensure conservation of the number of interacting myosins and actin monomers, and most importantly, the departure in behavior of tethered myosin molecules from unconstrained myosin interactions with actin. In addition, MUSICO determines the number of cross-bridges in each actomyosin cycle state, the force and number of attached cross-bridges per myosin filament, the range of cross-bridge forces and accounts for energy consumption. At the macroscopic scale, MUSICO simulations show large differences in predicted force-velocity curves and in the response during early force recovery phase after a step change in length comparing to the two simplest mass action kinetic models. The origin of these differences is rooted in the different fluxes of myosin binding and corresponding instantaneous cross-bridge distributions and quantitatively reflects a major flaw of the mathematical description in all mass action kinetic models. Consequently, this new approach shows that accurate recapitulation of experimental data requires significantly different binding rates, number of actomyosin states, and cross-bridge elasticity than typically used in mass action kinetic models

Mechanistic insights into the active site and allosteric communication pathways in human nonmuscle myosin-2C

PubMed Central

Preller, Matthias

2017-01-01

Despite a generic, highly conserved motor domain, ATP turnover kinetics and their activation by F-actin vary greatly between myosin-2 isoforms. Here, we present a 2.25 Å pre-powerstroke state (ADP⋅VO4) crystal structure of the human nonmuscle myosin-2C motor domain, one of the slowest myosins characterized. In combination with integrated mutagenesis, ensemble-solution kinetics, and molecular dynamics simulation approaches, the structure reveals an allosteric communication pathway that connects the distal end of the motor domain with the active site. Disruption of this pathway by mutation of hub residue R788, which forms the center of a cluster of interactions connecting the converter, the SH1-SH2 helix, the relay helix, and the lever, abolishes nonmuscle myosin-2 specific kinetic signatures. Our results provide insights into structural changes in the myosin motor domain that are triggered upon F-actin binding and contribute critically to the mechanochemical behavior of stress fibers, actin arcs, and cortical actin-based structures. PMID:29256864

14-3-3 coordinates microtubules, Rac, and myosin II to control cell mechanics and cytokinesis

PubMed Central

Zhou, Qiongqiong; Kee, Yee-Seir; Poirier, Christopher C.; Jelinek, Christine; Osborne, Jonathan; Divi, Srikanth; Surcel, Alexandra; Will, Marie E.; Eggert, Ulrike S.; Müller-Taubenberger, Annette; Iglesias, Pablo A.; Cotter, Robert J.; Robinson, Douglas N.

2010-01-01

Summary Background During cytokinesis, regulatory signals are presumed to emanate from the mitotic spindle. However, what these signals are and how they lead to the spatiotemporal changes in the cortex structure, mechanics, and regional contractility are not well understood in any system. Results To investigate pathways that link the microtubule network to the cortical changes that promote cytokinesis, we used chemical genetics in Dictyostelium to identify genetic suppressors of nocodazole, a microtubule depolymerizer. We identified 14-3-3 and found that it is enriched in the cortex, helps maintain steady state microtubule length, contributes to normal cortical tension, modulates actin wave formation, and controls the symmetry and kinetics of cleavage furrow contractility during cytokinesis. Furthermore, 14-3-3 acts downstream of a Rac small GTPase (RacE), associates with myosin II heavy chain and is needed to promote myosin II bipolar thick filament remodeling. Conclusion 14-3-3 connects microtubules, Rac and myosin II to control several aspects of cortical dynamics, mechanics, and cytokinesis cell shape change. Further, 14-3-3 interacts directly with myosin II heavy chain to promote bipolar thick filament remodeling and distribution. Overall, 14-3-3 appears to integrate several critical cytoskeletal elements that drive two important processes cytokinesis shape change and cell mechanics. PMID:20951045

Model for adhesion clutch explains biphasic relationship between actin flow and traction at the cell leading edge

PubMed Central

Craig, Erin M.; Stricker, Jonathan; Gardel, Margaret L.; Mogilner, Alex

2015-01-01

Cell motility relies on the continuous reorganization of a dynamic actin-myosin-adhesion network at the leading edge of the cell, in order to generate protrusion at the leading edge and traction between the cell and its external environment. We analyze experimentally measured spatial distributions of actin flow, traction force, myosin density, and adhesion density in control and pharmacologically perturbed epithelial cells in order to develop a mechanical model of the actin-adhesion-myosin self-organization at the leading edge. A model in which the F-actin network is treated as a viscous gel, and adhesion clutch engagement is strengthened by myosin but weakened by actin flow, can explain the measured molecular distributions and correctly predict the spatial distributions of the actin flow and traction stress. We test the model by comparing its predictions with measurements of the actin flow and traction stress in cells with fast and slow actin polymerization rates. The model predicts how the location of the lamellipodium-lamellum boundary depends on the actin viscosity and adhesion strength. The model further predicts that the location of the lamellipodium-lamellum boundary is not very sensitive to the level of myosin contraction. PMID:25969948

Motor-motor interactions in ensembles of muscle myosin: using theory to connect single molecule to ensemble measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walcott, Sam

2013-03-01

Interactions between the proteins actin and myosin drive muscle contraction. Properties of a single myosin interacting with an actin filament are largely known, but a trillion myosins work together in muscle. We are interested in how single-molecule properties relate to ensemble function. Myosin's reaction rates depend on force, so ensemble models keep track of both molecular state and force on each molecule. These models make subtle predictions, e.g. that myosin, when part of an ensemble, moves actin faster than when isolated. This acceleration arises because forces between molecules speed reaction kinetics. Experiments support this prediction and allow parameter estimates. A model based on this analysis describes experiments from single molecule to ensemble. In vivo, actin is regulated by proteins that, when present, cause the binding of one myosin to speed the binding of its neighbors; binding becomes cooperative. Although such interactions preclude the mean field approximation, a set of linear ODEs describes these ensembles under simplified experimental conditions. In these experiments cooperativity is strong, with the binding of one molecule affecting ten neighbors on either side. We progress toward a description of myosin ensembles under physiological conditions.

Myosin-II sets the optimal response time scale of chemotactic amoeba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Hsin-Fang; Westendorf, Christian; Tarantola, Marco; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Beta, Carsten

2014-03-01

The response dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton to external chemical stimuli plays a fundamental role in numerous cellular functions. One of the key players that governs the dynamics of the actin network is the motor protein myosin-II. Here we investigate the role of myosin-II in the response of the actin system to external stimuli. We used a microfluidic device in combination with a photoactivatable chemoattractant to apply stimuli to individual cells with high temporal resolution. We directly compare the actin dynamics in Dictyostelium discodelium wild type (WT) cells to a knockout mutant that is deficient in myosin-II (MNL). Similar to the WT a small population of MNL cells showed self-sustained oscillations even in absence of external stimuli. The actin response of MNL cells to a short pulse of chemoattractant resembles WT during the first 15 sec but is significantly delayed afterward. The amplitude of the dominant peak in the power spectrum from the response time series of MNL cells to periodic stimuli with varying period showed a clear resonance peak at a forcing period of 36 sec, which is significantly delayed as compared to the resonance at 20 sec found for the WT. This shift indicates an important role of myosin-II in setting the response time scale of motile amoeba. Institute of Physics und Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.

The fungal myosin I is essential for Fusarium toxisome formation.

PubMed

Tang, Guangfei; Chen, Yun; Xu, Jin-Rong; Kistler, H Corby; Ma, Zhonghua

2018-01-01

Myosin-I molecular motors are proposed to function as linkers between membranes and the actin cytoskeleton in several cellular processes, but their role in the biosynthesis of fungal secondary metabolites remain elusive. Here, we found that the myosin I of Fusarium graminearum (FgMyo1), the causal agent of Fusarium head blight, plays critical roles in mycotoxin biosynthesis. Inhibition of myosin I by the small molecule phenamacril leads to marked reduction in deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis. FgMyo1 also governs translation of the DON biosynthetic enzyme Tri1 by interacting with the ribosome-associated protein FgAsc1. Disruption of the ATPase activity of FgMyo1 either by the mutation E420K, down-regulation of FgMyo1 expression or deletion of FgAsc1 results in reduced Tri1 translation. The DON biosynthetic enzymes Tri1 and Tri4 are mainly localized to subcellular structures known as toxisomes in response to mycotoxin induction and the FgMyo1-interacting protein, actin, participates in toxisome formation. The actin polymerization disruptor latrunculin A inhibits toxisome assembly. Consistent with this observation, deletion of the actin-associated proteins FgPrk1 and FgEnd3 also results in reduced toxisome formation. Unexpectedly, the FgMyo1-actin cytoskeleton is not involved in biosynthesis of another secondary metabolite tested. Taken together, this study uncovers a novel function of myosin I in regulating mycotoxin biosynthesis in filamentous fungi.

The fungal myosin I is essential for Fusarium toxisome formation

PubMed Central

Xu, Jin-Rong

2018-01-01

Myosin-I molecular motors are proposed to function as linkers between membranes and the actin cytoskeleton in several cellular processes, but their role in the biosynthesis of fungal secondary metabolites remain elusive. Here, we found that the myosin I of Fusarium graminearum (FgMyo1), the causal agent of Fusarium head blight, plays critical roles in mycotoxin biosynthesis. Inhibition of myosin I by the small molecule phenamacril leads to marked reduction in deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis. FgMyo1 also governs translation of the DON biosynthetic enzyme Tri1 by interacting with the ribosome-associated protein FgAsc1. Disruption of the ATPase activity of FgMyo1 either by the mutation E420K, down-regulation of FgMyo1 expression or deletion of FgAsc1 results in reduced Tri1 translation. The DON biosynthetic enzymes Tri1 and Tri4 are mainly localized to subcellular structures known as toxisomes in response to mycotoxin induction and the FgMyo1-interacting protein, actin, participates in toxisome formation. The actin polymerization disruptor latrunculin A inhibits toxisome assembly. Consistent with this observation, deletion of the actin-associated proteins FgPrk1 and FgEnd3 also results in reduced toxisome formation. Unexpectedly, the FgMyo1-actin cytoskeleton is not involved in biosynthesis of another secondary metabolite tested. Taken together, this study uncovers a novel function of myosin I in regulating mycotoxin biosynthesis in filamentous fungi. PMID:29357387

Recombinant dissection of myosin heavy chain of Toxocara canis shows strong clustering of antigenic regions.

PubMed

Obwaller, A; Duchêne, M; Bruhn, H; Steipe, B; Tripp, C; Kraft, D; Wiedermann, G; Auer, H; Aspöck, H

2001-05-01

Myosins from nematode parasites elicit strong humoral and cellular immune responses and have been investigated as vaccine candidates. In this study we cloned and sequenced a cDNA coding for myosin heavy chain from Toxocara canis, a nematode parasite of canids which may also infect humans and cause various unspecific symptoms. To determine the major antigenic regions the myosin heavy chain was systematically dissected into ten overlapping recombinant fusion polypeptides which were purified by metal chelate chromatography. Single fragments were then tested for their IgG reactivity in sera from toxocarosis patients and healthy probands. Two regions, one region at the mid to carboxy-terminal end of the head domain and one region in the rod domain, were identified as major antigens, which in combination were positive with 86% of the sera. The other domains were less reactive. This shows that the patients' IgG reactivity was not directed evenly against all parts of the molecule, but was rather clustered in few regions.

A Drosophila model of dominant inclusion body myopathy type 3 shows diminished myosin kinetics that reduce muscle power and yield myofibrillar defects

PubMed Central

Suggs, Jennifer A.; Melkani, Girish C.; Glasheen, Bernadette M.; Detor, Mia M.; Melkani, Anju; Marsan, Nathan P.; Swank, Douglas M.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Individuals with inclusion body myopathy type 3 (IBM3) display congenital joint contractures with early-onset muscle weakness that becomes more severe in adulthood. The disease arises from an autosomal dominant point mutation causing an E706K substitution in myosin heavy chain type IIa. We have previously expressed the corresponding myosin mutation (E701K) in homozygous Drosophila indirect flight muscles and recapitulated the myofibrillar degeneration and inclusion bodies observed in the human disease. We have also found that purified E701K myosin has dramatically reduced actin-sliding velocity and ATPase levels. Since IBM3 is a dominant condition, we now examine the disease state in heterozygote Drosophila in order to gain a mechanistic understanding of E701K pathogenicity. Myosin ATPase activities in heterozygotes suggest that approximately equimolar levels of myosin accumulate from each allele. In vitro actin sliding velocity rates for myosin isolated from the heterozygotes were lower than the control, but higher than for the pure mutant isoform. Although sarcomeric ultrastructure was nearly wild type in young adults, mechanical analysis of skinned indirect flight muscle fibers revealed a 59% decrease in maximum oscillatory power generation and an approximately 20% reduction in the frequency at which maximum power was produced. Rate constant analyses suggest a decrease in the rate of myosin attachment to actin, with myosin spending decreased time in the strongly bound state. These mechanical alterations result in a one-third decrease in wing beat frequency and marginal flight ability. With aging, muscle ultrastructure and function progressively declined. Aged myofibrils showed Z-line streaming, consistent with the human heterozygote phenotype. Based upon the mechanical studies, we hypothesize that the mutation decreases the probability of the power stroke occurring and/or alters the degree of movement of the myosin lever arm, resulting in decreased in

Myosin II Activity Softens Cells in Suspension.

PubMed

Chan, Chii J; Ekpenyong, Andrew E; Golfier, Stefan; Li, Wenhong; Chalut, Kevin J; Otto, Oliver; Elgeti, Jens; Guck, Jochen; Lautenschläger, Franziska

2015-04-21

The cellular cytoskeleton is crucial for many cellular functions such as cell motility and wound healing, as well as other processes that require shape change or force generation. Actin is one cytoskeleton component that regulates cell mechanics. Important properties driving this regulation include the amount of actin, its level of cross-linking, and its coordination with the activity of specific molecular motors like myosin. While studies investigating the contribution of myosin activity to cell mechanics have been performed on cells attached to a substrate, we investigated mechanical properties of cells in suspension. To do this, we used multiple probes for cell mechanics including a microfluidic optical stretcher, a microfluidic microcirculation mimetic, and real-time deformability cytometry. We found that nonadherent blood cells, cells arrested in mitosis, and naturally adherent cells brought into suspension, stiffen and become more solidlike upon myosin inhibition across multiple timescales (milliseconds to minutes). Our results hold across several pharmacological and genetic perturbations targeting myosin. Our findings suggest that myosin II activity contributes to increased whole-cell compliance and fluidity. This finding is contrary to what has been reported for cells attached to a substrate, which stiffen via active myosin driven prestress. Our results establish the importance of myosin II as an active component in modulating suspended cell mechanics, with a functional role distinctly different from that for substrate-adhered cells. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tropomyosins as discriminators of myosin function.

PubMed

Ostap, E Michael

2008-01-01

Vertebrate nonmuscle cells express multiple tropomyosin isoforms that are sorted to subcellular compartments that have distinct morphological and dynamic properties. The creation of these compartments has a role in controlling cell morphology, cell migration and polarization of cellular components. There is increasing evidence that nonmuscle myosins are regulated by tropomyosin in these compartments via the regulation of actin attachment, ATPase kinetics, or by stabilization of cytoskeletal tracks for myosin-based transport. In this chapter, I review the literature describing the regulation of various myosins by tropomyosins and consider the mechanisms for this regulation.

Leveraging the membrane-cytoskeleton interface with myosin-1

PubMed Central

McConnell, Russell E.; Tyska, Matthew J.

2010-01-01

Class 1 myosins are small motor proteins with the ability to simultaneously bind to actin filaments and cellular membranes. Given their ability to generate mechanical force, and their high prevalence in many cell types, these molecules are well positioned to carry out a number of important biological functions at the interface of membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. Indeed, recent studies implicate these motors in endocytosis, exocytosis, release of extracellular vesicles, and the regulation of tension between membrane and the cytoskeleton. Many class 1 myosins also exhibit a load-dependent mechano-chemical cycle that enables them to maintain tension for long periods of time without hydrolyzing ATP. These properties put myosins-1 in a unique position to regulate dynamic membrane-cytoskeleton interactions and respond to physical forces during these events. PMID:20471271

Modulating Beta-Cardiac Myosin Function at the Molecular and Tissue Levels

PubMed Central

Tang, Wanjian; Blair, Cheavar A.; Walton, Shane D.; Málnási-Csizmadia, András; Campbell, Kenneth S.; Yengo, Christopher M.

2017-01-01

Inherited cardiomyopathies are a common form of heart disease that are caused by mutations in sarcomeric proteins with beta cardiac myosin (MYH7) being one of the most frequently affected genes. Since the discovery of the first cardiomyopathy associated mutation in beta-cardiac myosin, a major goal has been to correlate the in vitro myosin motor properties with the contractile performance of cardiac muscle. There has been substantial progress in developing assays to measure the force and velocity properties of purified cardiac muscle myosin but it is still challenging to correlate results from molecular and tissue-level experiments. Mutations that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are more common than mutations that lead to dilated cardiomyopathy and are also often associated with increased isometric force and hyper-contractility. Therefore, the development of drugs designed to decrease isometric force by reducing the duty ratio (the proportion of time myosin spends bound to actin during its ATPase cycle) has been proposed for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Para-Nitroblebbistatin is a small molecule drug proposed to decrease the duty ratio of class II myosins. We examined the impact of this drug on human beta cardiac myosin using purified myosin motor assays and studies of permeabilized muscle fiber mechanics. We find that with purified human beta-cardiac myosin para-Nitroblebbistatin slows actin-activated ATPase and in vitro motility without altering the ADP release rate constant. In permeabilized human myocardium, para-Nitroblebbistatin reduces isometric force, power, and calcium sensitivity while not changing shortening velocity or the rate of force development (ktr). Therefore, designing a drug that reduces the myosin duty ratio by inhibiting strong attachment to actin while not changing detachment can cause a reduction in force without changing shortening velocity or relaxation. PMID:28119616

Myosin IIA-related Actomyosin Contractility Mediates Oxidative Stress-induced Neuronal Apoptosis

PubMed Central

Wang, Yan; Xu, Yingqiong; Liu, Qian; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Gao, Zhen; Yin, Mingzhu; Jiang, Nan; Cao, Guosheng; Yu, Boyang; Cao, Zhengyu; Kou, Junping

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis plays an important role in the progression of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. In our study, when neuronal cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an exogenous oxidant, cell apoptosis was observed with typical morphological changes including membrane blebbing, neurite retraction and cell contraction. The actomyosin system is considered to be responsible for the morphological changes, but how exactly it regulates oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis and the distinctive functions of different myosin II isoforms remain unclear. We demonstrate that myosin IIA was required for neuronal contraction, while myosin IIB was required for neuronal outgrowth in normal conditions. During H2O2-induced neuronal apoptosis, myosin IIA, rather than IIB, interacted with actin filaments to generate contractile forces that lead to morphological changes. Moreover, myosin IIA knockout using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) reduced H2O2-induced neuronal apoptosis and the associated morphological changes. We further demonstrate that caspase-3/Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1) dependent phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) was required for the formation of the myosin IIA-actin complex. Meanwhile, either inhibition of myosin II ATPase with blebbistatin or knockdown of myosin IIA with siRNA reversely attenuated caspase-3 activation, suggesting a positive feedback loop during oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Based on our observation, myosin IIA-actin complex contributes to actomyosin contractility and is associated with the positive feedback loop of caspase-3/ROCK1/MLC pathway. This study unravels the biochemical and mechanistic mechanisms during oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis and may be applicable for the development of therapies for CNS diseases. PMID:28352215

Myosin Heads Are Displaced from Actin Filaments in the In Situ Beating Rat Heart in Early Diabetes

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Mathew J.; Pearson, James T.; Schwenke, Daryl O.; Edgley, Amanda J.; Sonobe, Takashi; Fujii, Yutaka; Ishibashi-Ueda, Hatsue; Kelly, Darren J.; Yagi, Naoto; Shirai, Mikiyasu

2013-01-01

Diabetes is independently associated with a specific cardiomyopathy, characterized by impaired cardiac muscle relaxation and force development. Using synchrotron radiation small-angle x-ray scattering, this study investigated in the in situ heart and in real-time whether changes in cross-bridge disposition and myosin interfilament spacing underlie the early development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Experiments were conducted using anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats 3 weeks after treatment with either vehicle (control) or streptozotocin (diabetic). Diffraction patterns were recorded during baseline and dobutamine infusions simultaneous with ventricular pressure-volumetry. From these diffraction patterns myosin mass transfer to actin filaments was assessed as the change in intensity ratio (I1,0/I1,1). In diabetic hearts cross-bridge disposition was most notably abnormal in the diastolic phase (p < 0.05) and to a lesser extent the systolic phase (p < 0.05). In diabetic rats only, there was a transmural gradient of contractile depression. Elevated diabetic end-diastolic intensity ratios were correlated with the suppression of diastolic function (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the expected increase in myosin head transfer by dobutamine was significantly blunted in diabetic animals (p < 0.05). Interfilament spacing did not differ between groups. We reveal that impaired cross-bridge disposition and radial transfer may thus underlie the early decline in ventricular function observed in diabetic cardiomyopathy. PMID:23473489

Muscular tissues of the squid Doryteuthis pealeii express identical myosin heavy chain isoforms: an alternative mechanism for tuning contractile speed

PubMed Central

Shaffer, Justin F.; Kier, William M.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY The speed of muscle contraction is largely controlled at the sarcomere level by the ATPase activity of the motor protein myosin. Differences in amino acid sequence in catalytically important regions of myosin yield different myosin isoforms with varying ATPase activities and resulting differences in cross-bridge cycling rates and interfilamentary sliding velocities. Modulation of whole-muscle performance by changes in myosin isoform ATPase activity is regarded as a universal mechanism to tune contractile properties, especially in vertebrate muscles. Invertebrates such as squid, however, may exhibit an alternative mechanism to tune contractile properties that is based on differences in muscle ultrastructure, including variable myofilament and sarcomere lengths. To determine definitively whether contractile properties of squid muscles are regulated via different myosin isoforms (i.e. different ATPase activities), the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the myosin heavy chain from the squid Doryteuthis pealeii were determined from the mantle, arm, tentacle, fin and funnel retractor musculature. We identified three myosin heavy chain isoforms in squid muscular tissues, with differences arising at surface loop 1 and the carboxy terminus. All three isoforms were detected in all five tissues studied. These results suggest that the muscular tissues of D. pealeii express identical myosin isoforms, and it is likely that differences in muscle ultrastructure, not myosin ATPase activity, represent the most important mechanism for tuning contractile speeds. PMID:22189767

Rigor-like structures from muscle myosins reveal key mechanical elements in the transduction pathways of this allosteric motor.

PubMed

Yang, Yuting; Gourinath, S; Kovács, Mihály; Nyitray, László; Reutzel, Robbie; Himmel, Daniel M; O'Neall-Hennessey, Elizabeth; Reshetnikova, Ludmilla; Szent-Györgyi, Andrew G; Brown, Jerry H; Cohen, Carolyn

2007-05-01

Unlike processive cellular motors such as myosin V, whose structure has recently been determined in a "rigor-like" conformation, myosin II from contracting muscle filaments necessarily spends most of its time detached from actin. By using squid and sea scallop sources, however, we have now obtained similar rigor-like atomic structures for muscle myosin heads (S1). The significance of the hallmark closed actin-binding cleft in these crystal structures is supported here by actin/S1-binding studies. These structures reveal how different duty ratios, and hence cellular functions, of the myosin isoforms may be accounted for, in part, on the basis of detailed differences in interdomain contacts. Moreover, the rigor-like position of switch II turns out to be unique for myosin V. The overall arrangements of subdomains in the motor are relatively conserved in each of the known contractile states, and we explore qualitatively the energetics of these states.

A novel missense mutation, Leu390Val, in the cardiac beta-myosin heavy chain associated with pronounced septal hypertrophy in two families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Havndrup, O; Bundgaard, H; Andersen, P S; Larsen, L A; Vuust, J; Kjeldsen, K; Christiansen, M

2000-12-01

An examination of the genetic background and phenotypic presentation of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) with respect to specific mutations in the MYH7-gene encoding the cardiac beta-myosin heavy chain. Two families (n = 22) from a cohort of 67 families with FHC were studied at the National University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen. Clinical, non-invasive examinations of all included family members followed by molecular genetic analysis including PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism/heteroduplex (SSCP/HD) analysis and sequencing of exon 3-23 of the MYH7-gene. We found FHC associated with a missense mutation in two families, i.e. a C > G transversion at position g10124 and a G > T transversion at position g10126 causing the change of a leucine residue at codon 390 to a valine residue. The mutation is located in the actin-binding region of the beta-myosin heavy chain. The leucine residue is evolutionarily conserved in vertebrate myosins. In the two families, the phenotypic presentations in the clinically affected were characterized by asymmetric septal hypertrophy (septum diameter 18.8 (5.0) mm (mean (SD)) with only minor involvement of the left ventricular free wall (posterior wall diameter 11.0 (2.2) mm). Furthermore, the left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions were well preserved, even at a high age. The symptomatic status of the clinically affected patients depended on the presence or absence of a concomitant left ventricular outflow tract gradient. We report a novel missense mutation associated with FHC caused by a double nucleotide transversion. The penetrance of the mutation was not complete, but in clinically affected patients the mutation gives rise to an echocardiographic phenotype, predominantly characterized by pronounced septal hypertrophy.

A Role for Myosin Va in Human Cytomegalovirus Nuclear Egress.

PubMed

Wilkie, Adrian R; Sharma, Mayuri; Pesola, Jean M; Ericsson, Maria; Fernandez, Rosio; Coen, Donald M

2018-03-15

Herpesviruses replicate and package their genomes into capsids in replication compartments within the nuclear interior. Capsids then move to the inner nuclear membrane for envelopment and release into the cytoplasm in a process called nuclear egress. We previously found that nuclear F-actin is induced upon infection with the betaherpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and is important for nuclear egress and capsid localization away from replication compartment-like inclusions toward the nuclear rim. Despite these and related findings, it has not been shown that any specific motor protein is involved in herpesvirus nuclear egress. In this study, we have investigated whether the host motor protein, myosin Va, could be fulfilling this role. Using immunofluorescence microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation, we observed associations between a nuclear population of myosin Va and the viral major capsid protein, with both concentrating at the periphery of replication compartments. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that nearly 40% of assembled nuclear capsids associate with myosin Va. We also found that myosin Va and major capsid protein colocalize with nuclear F-actin. Importantly, antagonism of myosin Va with RNA interference or a dominant negative mutant revealed that myosin Va is important for the efficient production of infectious virus, capsid accumulation in the cytoplasm, and capsid localization away from replication compartment-like inclusions toward the nuclear rim. Our results lead us to suggest a working model whereby human cytomegalovirus capsids associate with myosin Va for movement from replication compartments to the nuclear periphery during nuclear egress. IMPORTANCE Little is known regarding how newly assembled and packaged herpesvirus capsids move from the nuclear interior to the periphery during nuclear egress. While it has been proposed that an actomyosin-based mechanism facilitates intranuclear movement of alphaherpesvirus capsids, a functional role for

Crystal structure of the motor domain of a class-I myosin

PubMed Central

Kollmar, Martin; Dürrwang, Ulrike; Kliche, Werner; Manstein, Dietmar J.; Kull, F.Jon

2002-01-01

The crystal structure of the motor domain of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin-IE, a monomeric unconventional myosin, was determined. The crystallographic asymmetric unit contains four independently resolved molecules, highlighting regions that undergo large conformational changes. Differences are particularly pronounced in the actin binding region and the converter domain. The changes in position of the converter domain reflect movements both parallel to and perpendicular to the actin axis. The orientation of the converter domain is ∼30° further up than in other myosin structures, indicating that MyoE can produce a larger power stroke by rotating its lever arm through a larger angle. The role of extended loops near the actin-binding site is discussed in the context of cellular localization. The core regions of the motor domain are similar, and the structure reveals how that core is stabilized in the absence of an N-terminal SH3-like domain. PMID:12032065

Expression of the inclusion body myopathy 3 mutation in Drosophila depresses myosin function and stability and recapitulates muscle inclusions and weakness.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Melkani, Girish C; Suggs, Jennifer A; Melkani, Anju; Kronert, William A; Cammarato, Anthony; Bernstein, Sanford I

2012-06-01

Hereditary myosin myopathies are characterized by variable clinical features. Inclusion body myopathy 3 (IBM-3) is an autosomal dominant disease associated with a missense mutation (E706K) in the myosin heavy chain IIa gene. Adult patients experience progressive muscle weakness. Biopsies reveal dystrophic changes, rimmed vacuoles with cytoplasmic inclusions, and focal disorganization of myofilaments. We constructed a transgene encoding E706K myosin and expressed it in Drosophila (E701K) indirect flight and jump muscles to establish a novel homozygous organism with homogeneous populations of fast IBM-3 myosin and muscle fibers. Flight and jump abilities were severely reduced in homozygotes. ATPase and actin sliding velocity of the mutant myosin were depressed >80% compared with wild-type myosin. Light scattering experiments and electron microscopy revealed that mutant myosin heads bear a dramatic propensity to collapse and aggregate. Thus E706K (E701K) myosin appears far more labile than wild-type myosin. Furthermore, mutant fly fibers exhibit ultrastructural hallmarks seen in patients, including cytoplasmic inclusions containing aberrant proteinaceous structures and disorganized muscle filaments. Our Drosophila model reveals the unambiguous consequences of the IBM-3 lesion on fast muscle myosin and fibers. The abnormalities observed in myosin function and muscle ultrastructure likely contribute to muscle weakness observed in our flies and patients.

Molecular mechanisms underlying deoxy‐ADP.Pi activation of pre‐powerstroke myosin

PubMed Central

Nowakowski, Sarah G.

2017-01-01

Abstract Myosin activation is a viable approach to treat systolic heart failure. We previously demonstrated that striated muscle myosin is a promiscuous ATPase that can use most nucleoside triphosphates as energy substrates for contraction. When 2‐deoxy ATP (dATP) is used, it acts as a myosin activator, enhancing cross‐bridge binding and cycling. In vivo, we have demonstrated that elevated dATP levels increase basal cardiac function and rescues function of infarcted rodent and pig hearts. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism underlying this physiological effect. We show with molecular dynamics simulations that the binding of dADP.Pi (dATP hydrolysis products) to myosin alters the structure and dynamics of the nucleotide binding pocket, myosin cleft conformation, and actin binding sites, which collectively yield a myosin conformation that we predict favors weak, electrostatic binding to actin. In vitro motility assays at high ionic strength were conducted to test this prediction and we found that dATP increased motility. These results highlight alterations to myosin that enhance cross‐bridge formation and reveal a potential mechanism that may underlie dATP‐induced improvements in cardiac function. PMID:28097776

Myosin V is a biological Brownian machine.

PubMed

Fujita, Keisuke; Iwaki, Mitsuhiro

2014-01-01

Myosin V is a vesicle transporter that unidirectionally walks along cytoskeletal actin filaments by converting the chemical energy of ATP into mechanical work. Recently, it was found that myosin V force generation is a composition of two processes: a lever-arm swing, which involves a conformational change in the myosin molecule, and a Brownian search-and-catch, which involves a diffusive "search" by the motor domain that is followed by an asymmetric "catch" in the forward actin target such that Brownian motion is rectified. Here we developed a system that combines optical tweezers with DNA nano-material to show that the Brownian search-and-catch mechanism is the energetically dominant process at near stall force, providing 13 kBT of work compared to just 3 kBT by the lever-arm swing. Our result significantly reconsiders the lever-arm swinging model, which assumes the swing dominantly produces work (>10 kBT), and sheds light on the Brownian search-and-catch as a driving process.

Sarcomeric Pattern Formation by Actin Cluster Coalescence

PubMed Central

Friedrich, Benjamin M.; Fischer-Friedrich, Elisabeth; Gov, Nir S.; Safran, Samuel A.

2012-01-01

Contractile function of striated muscle cells depends crucially on the almost crystalline order of actin and myosin filaments in myofibrils, but the physical mechanisms that lead to myofibril assembly remains ill-defined. Passive diffusive sorting of actin filaments into sarcomeric order is kinetically impossible, suggesting a pivotal role of active processes in sarcomeric pattern formation. Using a one-dimensional computational model of an initially unstriated actin bundle, we show that actin filament treadmilling in the presence of processive plus-end crosslinking provides a simple and robust mechanism for the polarity sorting of actin filaments as well as for the correct localization of myosin filaments. We propose that the coalescence of crosslinked actin clusters could be key for sarcomeric pattern formation. In our simulations, sarcomere spacing is set by filament length prompting tight length control already at early stages of pattern formation. The proposed mechanism could be generic and apply both to premyofibrils and nascent myofibrils in developing muscle cells as well as possibly to striated stress-fibers in non-muscle cells. PMID:22685394

UCS Protein Rng3p Is Essential for Myosin-II Motor Activity during Cytokinesis in Fission Yeast

PubMed Central

Stark, Benjamin C.; James, Michael L.; Pollard, Luther W.; Sirotkin, Vladimir; Lord, Matthew

2013-01-01

UCS proteins have been proposed to operate as co-chaperones that work with Hsp90 in the de novo folding of myosin motors. The fission yeast UCS protein Rng3p is essential for actomyosin ring assembly and cytokinesis. Here we investigated the role of Rng3p in fission yeast myosin-II (Myo2p) motor activity. Myo2p isolated from an arrested rng3-65 mutant was capable of binding actin, yet lacked stability and activity based on its expression levels and inactivity in ATPase and actin filament gliding assays. Myo2p isolated from a myo2-E1 mutant (a mutant hyper-sensitive to perturbation of Rng3p function) showed similar behavior in the same assays and exhibited an altered motor conformation based on limited proteolysis experiments. We propose that Rng3p is not required for the folding of motors per se, but instead works to ensure the activity of intrinsically unstable myosin-II motors. Rng3p is specific to conventional myosin-II and the actomyosin ring, and is not required for unconventional myosin motor function at other actin structures. However, artificial destabilization of myosin-I motors at endocytic actin patches (using a myo1-E1 mutant) led to recruitment of Rng3p to patches. Thus, while Rng3p is specific to myosin-II, UCS proteins are adaptable and can respond to changes in the stability of other myosin motors. PMID:24244528

A simplified method for identification of human cardiac myosin heavy-chain isoforms.

PubMed

Piao, Shengfu; Yu, Fushun; Mihm, Michael J; Reiser, Peter J; McCarthy, Patrick M; Van Wagoner, David R; Bauer, John Anthony

2003-02-01

Cardiac myosin is a central participant in the cross-bridge cycling that mediates myocyte contraction and consists of multiple subunits that mediate both hydrolysis of ATP and mechanical production of contractile force Two isoforms of myosin heavy chain (MHC- alpha and MHC- beta ) are known to exist in mammalian cardiac tissue, and it is within this myosin subunit that ATPase activity resides. These isoforms differ by less than 0.2% in total molecular mass and amino acid sequence, but, strikingly, influence the rate and efficiency of energy utilization for generation of contractile force. Changes in the MHC- alpha /MHC- beta ratio has been classically viewed as an adaptation of a failing myocyte in both animal models and humans; however, their measurement has traditionally required specialized preparations and materials for sufficient resolution. Here we describe a greatly simplified method for routine assessments of myosin isoform composition in human cardiac tissues. The primary advantages of our approach include higher throughput and reduced supply costs with no apparent loss of statistical power, reproducibility or achieved results. Use of this more convenient method may provide enhanced access to an otherwise specialized technique and could provide additional opportunity for investigation of cardiac myocyte adaptive changes.

Myosin Ib modulates the morphology and the protein transport within multi-vesicular sorting endosomes.

PubMed

Salas-Cortes, Laura; Ye, Fei; Tenza, Danièle; Wilhelm, Claire; Theos, Alexander; Louvard, Daniel; Raposo, Graça; Coudrier, Evelyne

2005-10-15

Members of at least four classes of myosin (I, II, V and VI) have been implicated in the dynamics of a large variety of organelles. Despite their common motor domain structure, some of these myosins, however, are non processive and cannot move organelles along the actin tracks. Here, we demonstrate in the human pigmented MNT-1 cell line that, (1) the overexpression of one of these myosins, myosin 1b, or the addition of cytochalasin D affects the morphology of the sorting multivesicular endosomes; (2) the overexpression of myosin 1b delays the processing of Pmel17 (the product of murine silver locus also named GP100), which occurs in these multivesicular endosomes; (3) myosin 1b associated with endosomes coimmunoprecipitates with Pmel17. All together, these observations suggest that myosin 1b controls the traffic of protein cargo in multivesicular endosomes most probably through its ability to modulate with actin the morphology of these sorting endosomes.

Changes in actin structural transitions associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contraction.

PubMed

Prochniewicz, Ewa; Spakowicz, Daniel; Thomas, David D

2008-11-11

We have used transient phosphorescence anisotropy (TPA) to detect changes in actin structural dynamics associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contraction. Contractility of skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers was inhibited by treatment with 50 mM H 2O 2, which induced oxidative modifications in the myosin head and in actin, as previously reported. Using proteins purified from oxidized and unoxidized muscle, we used TPA to measure the effects of weakly (+ATP) and strongly (no ATP) bound myosin heads (S1) on the microsecond dynamics of actin labeled at Cys374 with erythrosine iodoacetamide. Oxidative modification of S1 had no effect on actin dynamics in the absence of ATP (strong binding complex), but restricted the dynamics in the presence of ATP (weakly bound complex). In contrast, oxidative modification of actin did not have a significant effect on the weak-to-strong transitions. Thus, we concluded that (1) the effects of oxidation on the dynamics of actin in the actomyosin complex are predominantly determined by oxidation-induced changes in S1, and (2) changes in weak-to-strong structural transitions in actin and myosin are coupled to each other and are associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contractility.

Mechanical coupling between transsynaptic N-cadherin adhesions and actin flow stabilizes dendritic spines

PubMed Central

Chazeau, Anaël; Garcia, Mikael; Czöndör, Katalin; Perrais, David; Tessier, Béatrice; Giannone, Grégory; Thoumine, Olivier

2015-01-01

The morphology of neuronal dendritic spines is a critical indicator of synaptic function. It is regulated by several factors, including the intracellular actin/myosin cytoskeleton and transcellular N-cadherin adhesions. To examine the mechanical relationship between these molecular components, we performed quantitative live-imaging experiments in primary hippocampal neurons. We found that actin turnover and structural motility were lower in dendritic spines than in immature filopodia and increased upon expression of a nonadhesive N-cadherin mutant, resulting in an inverse relationship between spine motility and actin enrichment. Furthermore, the pharmacological stimulation of myosin II induced the rearward motion of actin structures in spines, showing that myosin II exerts tension on the actin network. Strikingly, the formation of stable, spine-like structures enriched in actin was induced at contacts between dendritic filopodia and N-cadherin–coated beads or micropatterns. Finally, computer simulations of actin dynamics mimicked various experimental conditions, pointing to the actin flow rate as an important parameter controlling actin enrichment in dendritic spines. Together these data demonstrate that a clutch-like mechanism between N-cadherin adhesions and the actin flow underlies the stabilization of dendritic filopodia into mature spines, a mechanism that may have important implications in synapse initiation, maturation, and plasticity in the developing brain. PMID:25568337

Interactions between Leishmania braziliensis and Macrophages Are Dependent on the Cytoskeleton and Myosin Va

PubMed Central

Azevedo, Elisama; Oliveira, Leandro Teixeira; Castro Lima, Ana Karina; Terra, Rodrigo; Dutra, Patrícia Maria Lourenço; Salerno, Verônica P.

2012-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with no effective vaccines. Actin, microtubules and the actin-based molecular motor myosin Va were investigated for their involvement in Leishmania braziliensis macrophage interactions. Results showed a decrease in the association index when macrophages were without F-actin or microtubules regardless of the activation state of the macrophage. In the absence of F-actin, the production of NO in non-activated cells increased, while in activated cells, the production of NO was reduced independent of parasites. The opposite effect of an increased NO production was observed in the absence of microtubules. In activated cells, the loss of cytoskeletal components inhibited the release of IL-10 during parasite interactions. The production of IL-10 also decreased in the absence of actin or microtubules in non-activated macrophages. Only the disruption of actin altered the production of TNF-α in activated macrophages. The expression of myosin Va tail resulted in an acute decrease in the association index between transfected macrophages and L. braziliensis promastigotes. These data reveal the importance of F-actin, microtubules, and myosin-Va suggesting that modulation of the cytoskeleton may be a mechanism used by L. braziliensis to overcome the natural responses of macrophages to establish infections. PMID:22792440

Interactions between Leishmania braziliensis and Macrophages Are Dependent on the Cytoskeleton and Myosin Va.

PubMed

Azevedo, Elisama; Oliveira, Leandro Teixeira; Castro Lima, Ana Karina; Terra, Rodrigo; Dutra, Patrícia Maria Lourenço; Salerno, Verônica P

2012-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with no effective vaccines. Actin, microtubules and the actin-based molecular motor myosin Va were investigated for their involvement in Leishmania braziliensis macrophage interactions. Results showed a decrease in the association index when macrophages were without F-actin or microtubules regardless of the activation state of the macrophage. In the absence of F-actin, the production of NO in non-activated cells increased, while in activated cells, the production of NO was reduced independent of parasites. The opposite effect of an increased NO production was observed in the absence of microtubules. In activated cells, the loss of cytoskeletal components inhibited the release of IL-10 during parasite interactions. The production of IL-10 also decreased in the absence of actin or microtubules in non-activated macrophages. Only the disruption of actin altered the production of TNF-α in activated macrophages. The expression of myosin Va tail resulted in an acute decrease in the association index between transfected macrophages and L. braziliensis promastigotes. These data reveal the importance of F-actin, microtubules, and myosin-Va suggesting that modulation of the cytoskeleton may be a mechanism used by L. braziliensis to overcome the natural responses of macrophages to establish infections.

Tension Recovery following Ramp-Shaped Release in High-Ca and Low-Ca Rigor Muscle Fibers: Evidence for the Dynamic State of AMADP Myosin Heads in the Absence of ATP

PubMed Central

Sugi, Haruo; Yamaguchi, Maki; Ohno, Tetsuo; Kobayashi, Takakazu; Chaen, Shigeru; Okuyama, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

During muscle contraction, myosin heads (M) bound to actin (A) perform power stroke associated with reaction, AMADPPi → AM + ADP + Pi. In this scheme, A • M is believed to be a high-affinity complex after removal of ATP. Biochemical studies on extracted protein samples show that, in the AM complex, actin-binding sites are located at both sides of junctional peptide between 50K and 20K segments of myosin heavy chain. Recently, we found that a monoclonal antibody (IgG) to the junctional peptide had no effect on both in vitro actin-myosin sliding and skinned muscle fiber contraction, though it covers the actin-binding sites on myosin. It follows from this that, during muscle contraction, myosin heads do not pass through the static rigor AM configuration, determined biochemically and electron microscopically using extracted protein samples. To study the nature of AM and AMADP myosin heads, actually existing in muscle, we examined mechanical responses to ramp-shaped releases (0.5% of Lo, complete in 5ms) in single skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers in high-Ca (pCa, 4) and low-Ca (pCa, >9) rigor states. The fibers exhibited initial elastic tension drop and subsequent small but definite tension recovery to a steady level. The tension recovery was present over many minutes in high-Ca rigor fibers, while it tended to decrease quickly in low-Ca rigor fibers. EDTA (10mM, with MgCl2 removed) had no appreciable effect on the tension recovery in high-Ca rigor fibers, while it completely eliminated the tension recovery in low-Ca rigor fibers. These results suggest that the AMADP myosin heads in rigor muscle have long lifetimes and dynamic properties, which show up as the tension recovery following applied release. Possible AM linkage structure in muscle is discussed in connection with the X-ray diffraction pattern from contracting muscle, which is intermediate between resting and rigor muscles. PMID:27583360

Tension Recovery following Ramp-Shaped Release in High-Ca and Low-Ca Rigor Muscle Fibers: Evidence for the Dynamic State of AMADP Myosin Heads in the Absence of ATP.

PubMed

Sugi, Haruo; Yamaguchi, Maki; Ohno, Tetsuo; Kobayashi, Takakazu; Chaen, Shigeru; Okuyama, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

During muscle contraction, myosin heads (M) bound to actin (A) perform power stroke associated with reaction, AMADPPi → AM + ADP + Pi. In this scheme, A • M is believed to be a high-affinity complex after removal of ATP. Biochemical studies on extracted protein samples show that, in the AM complex, actin-binding sites are located at both sides of junctional peptide between 50K and 20K segments of myosin heavy chain. Recently, we found that a monoclonal antibody (IgG) to the junctional peptide had no effect on both in vitro actin-myosin sliding and skinned muscle fiber contraction, though it covers the actin-binding sites on myosin. It follows from this that, during muscle contraction, myosin heads do not pass through the static rigor AM configuration, determined biochemically and electron microscopically using extracted protein samples. To study the nature of AM and AMADP myosin heads, actually existing in muscle, we examined mechanical responses to ramp-shaped releases (0.5% of Lo, complete in 5ms) in single skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers in high-Ca (pCa, 4) and low-Ca (pCa, >9) rigor states. The fibers exhibited initial elastic tension drop and subsequent small but definite tension recovery to a steady level. The tension recovery was present over many minutes in high-Ca rigor fibers, while it tended to decrease quickly in low-Ca rigor fibers. EDTA (10mM, with MgCl2 removed) had no appreciable effect on the tension recovery in high-Ca rigor fibers, while it completely eliminated the tension recovery in low-Ca rigor fibers. These results suggest that the AMADP myosin heads in rigor muscle have long lifetimes and dynamic properties, which show up as the tension recovery following applied release. Possible AM linkage structure in muscle is discussed in connection with the X-ray diffraction pattern from contracting muscle, which is intermediate between resting and rigor muscles.

Analysis of the myosins encoded in the recently completed Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, A. S.; Day, I. S.

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND: Three types of molecular motors play an important role in the organization, dynamics and transport processes associated with the cytoskeleton. The myosin family of molecular motors move cargo on actin filaments, whereas kinesin and dynein motors move cargo along microtubules. These motors have been highly characterized in non-plant systems and information is becoming available about plant motors. The actin cytoskeleton in plants has been shown to be involved in processes such as transportation, signaling, cell division, cytoplasmic streaming and morphogenesis. The role of myosin in these processes has been established in a few cases but many questions remain to be answered about the number, types and roles of myosins in plants. RESULTS: Using the motor domain of an Arabidopsis myosin we identified 17 myosin sequences in the Arabidopsis genome. Phylogenetic analysis of the Arabidopsis myosins with non-plant and plant myosins revealed that all the Arabidopsis myosins and other plant myosins fall into two groups - class VIII and class XI. These groups contain exclusively plant or algal myosins with no animal or fungal myosins. Exon/intron data suggest that the myosins are highly conserved and that some may be a result of gene duplication. CONCLUSIONS: Plant myosins are unlike myosins from any other organisms except algae. As a percentage of the total gene number, the number of myosins is small overall in Arabidopsis compared with the other sequenced eukaryotic genomes. There are, however, a large number of class XI myosins. The function of each myosin has yet to be determined.

Probing muscle myosin motor action: x-ray (m3 and m6) interference measurements report motor domain not lever arm movement.

PubMed

Knupp, Carlo; Offer, Gerald; Ranatunga, K W; Squire, John M

2009-07-10

The key question in understanding how force and movement are produced in muscle concerns the nature of the cyclic interaction of myosin molecules with actin filaments. The lever arm of the globular head of each myosin molecule is thought in some way to swing axially on the actin-attached motor domain, thus propelling the actin filament past the myosin filament. Recent X-ray diffraction studies of vertebrate muscle, especially those involving the analysis of interference effects between myosin head arrays in the two halves of the thick filaments, have been claimed to prove that the lever arm moves at the same time as the sliding of actin and myosin filaments in response to muscle length or force steps. It was suggested that the sliding of myosin and actin filaments, the level of force produced and the lever arm angle are all directly coupled and that other models of lever arm movement will not fit the X-ray data. Here, we show that, in addition to interference across the A-band, which must be occurring, the observed meridional M3 and M6 X-ray intensity changes can all be explained very well by the changing diffraction effects during filament sliding caused by heads stereospecifically attached to actin moving axially relative to a population of detached or non-stereospecifically attached heads that remain fixed in position relative to the myosin filament backbone. Crucially, and contrary to previous interpretations, the X-ray interference results provide little direct information about the position of the myosin head lever arm; they are, in fact, reporting relative motor domain movements. The implications of the new interpretation are briefly assessed.

Force measurements by micromanipulation of a single actin filament by glass needles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishino, Akiyoshi; Yanagida, Toshio

1988-07-01

Single actin filaments (~7nm in diameter) labelled with fluorescent phalloidin can be clearly seen by video-fluorescence microscopy1. This technique has been used to observe motions of single filaments in solution and in several in vitro movement assays1-5. In a further development of the technique, we report here a method to catch and manipulate a single actin filament (F-actin) by glass microneedles under conditions in which external force on the filament can be applied and measured. Using this method, we directly measured the tensile strength of a filament (the force necessary to break the bond between two actin monomers) and the force required for a filament to be moved by myosin or its proteolytic fragment bound to a glass surface in the presence of ATP. The first result shows that the tensile strength of the F-actin-phalloidin complex is comparable with the average force exerted on a single thin filament in muscle fibres during isometric contraction. This force is increased only slightly by tropomyosin. The second measurement shows that the myosin head (subfragment-1) can produce the same ATP-dependent force as intact myosin. The magnitude of this force is comparable with that produced by each head of myosin in muscle during isometric contraction.

Nonmuscle myosin IIB as a therapeutic target for the prevention of relapse to methamphetamine use

PubMed Central

Young, Erica J.; Blouin, Ashley M.; Briggs, Sherri B.; Sillivan, Stephanie E.; Lin, Li; Cameron, Michael D.; Rumbaugh, Gavin; Miller, Courtney A.

2015-01-01

Memories associated with drug use increase vulnerability to relapse in substance use disorder (SUD) and there are no pharmacotherapies for the prevention of relapse. Previously, we reported a promising finding that storage of memories associated with methamphetamine (METH), but not memories for fear or food reward, is vulnerable to disruption by actin depolymerization in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLC). However, actin is not a viable therapeutic target because of its numerous functions throughout the body. Here we report the discovery of a viable therapeutic target, nonmuscle myosin II (NMIIB), a molecular motor that supports memory by directly driving synaptic actin polymerization. A single intra-BLC treatment with Blebbistatin, a small molecule inhibitor of class II myosin isoforms, including NMIIB, produced a long-lasting disruption of context-induced drug seeking (at least 30 days). Further, post-consolidation genetic knockdown of Myh10, the heavy chain of the most highly expressed NMII in the BLC, was sufficient to produce METH-associated memory loss. Blebbistatin was found to be highly brain penetrant. A single systemic injection of the compound selectively disrupted the storage of METH-associated memory and reversed the accompanying increase in BLC spine density. This effect was specific to METH-associated memory, as it had no effect on an auditory fear memory. The effect was also independent of retrieval, as METH-associated memory was disrupted twenty-four hours after a single systemic injection of Blebbistatin delivered in the home cage. Together, these results argue for the further development of small molecule inhibitors of nonmuscle myosin II as potential therapeutics for the prevention of SUD relapse triggered by drug associations. PMID:26239291

A WAVE2-Arp2/3 actin nucleator apparatus supports junctional tension at the epithelial zonula adherens.

PubMed

Verma, Suzie; Han, Siew Ping; Michael, Magdalene; Gomez, Guillermo A; Yang, Zhe; Teasdale, Rohan D; Ratheesh, Aparna; Kovacs, Eva M; Ali, Radiya G; Yap, Alpha S

2012-12-01

The epithelial zonula adherens (ZA) is a specialized adhesive junction where actin dynamics and myosin-driven contractility coincide. The junctional cytoskeleton is enriched in myosin II, which generates contractile force to support junctional tension. It is also enriched in dynamic actin filaments, which are replenished by ongoing actin assembly. In this study we sought to pursue the relationship between actin assembly and junctional contractility. We demonstrate that WAVE2-Arp2/3 is a major nucleator of actin assembly at the ZA and likely acts in response to junctional Rac signaling. Furthermore, WAVE2-Arp2/3 is necessary for junctional integrity and contractile tension at the ZA. Maneuvers that disrupt the function of either WAVE2 or Arp2/3 reduced junctional tension and compromised the ability of cells to buffer side-to-side forces acting on the ZA. WAVE2-Arp2/3 disruption depleted junctions of both myosin IIA and IIB, suggesting that dynamic actin assembly may support junctional tension by facilitating the local recruitment of myosin.

CRYO-EM STRUCTURES OF THE ACTIN:TROPOMYOSIN FILAMENT REVEAL THE MECHANISM FOR THE TRANSITION FROM C- TO M-STATE

PubMed Central

Sousa, Duncan R.; Stagg, Scott M.; Stroupe, M. Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Tropomyosin is a key factor in the molecular mechanisms that regulate the binding of myosin motors to actin filaments in most eukaryotic cells. This regulation is achieved by the azimuthal repositioning of tropomyosin along the actin:tropomyosin:troponin thin filament to block or expose myosin binding sites on actin. In striated muscle, including involuntary cardiac muscle, tropomyosin regulates muscle contraction by coupling Ca2+ binding to troponin with myosin binding to the thin filament. In smooth muscle, the switch is the post-translational modification of the myosin. Depending on the activation state of troponin and the binding state of myosin, tropomyosin can occupy the blocked, closed, or open position on actin. Using native cryogenic 3DEM, we have directly resolved and visualized cardiac and gizzard muscle tropomyosin on filamentous actin in the position that corresponds to the closed state. From the 8-Å resolution structure of the reconstituted Ac:Tm filament formed with gizzard-derived Tm we discuss two possible mechanisms for the transition from closed to open state and describe the role Tm plays in blocking myosin tight binding in the closed state position. PMID:24021812

Mechanical coupling in myosin V: a simulation study.

PubMed

Ovchinnikov, Victor; Trout, Bernhardt L; Karplus, Martin

2010-01-29

Myosin motor function depends on the interaction between different domains that transmit information from one part of the molecule to another. The interdomain coupling in myosin V is studied with restrained targeted molecular dynamics using an all-atom representation in explicit solvent. To elucidate the origin of the conformational change due to the binding of ATP, targeting forces are applied to small sets of atoms (the forcing sets, FSs) in the direction of their displacement from the rigor conformation, which has a closed actin-binding cleft, to the post-rigor conformation, in which the cleft is open. The "minimal" FS that results in extensive structural changes in the overall myosin conformation is composed of ATP, switch 1, and the nearby HF, HG, and HH helices. Addition of switch 2 to the FS is required to achieve a complete opening of the actin-binding cleft. The restrained targeted molecular dynamics simulations reveal the mechanical coupling pathways between (i) the nucleotide-binding pocket (NBP) and the actin-binding cleft, (ii) the NBP and the converter, and (iii) the actin-binding cleft and the converter. Closing of the NBP due to ATP binding is tightly coupled to the opening of the cleft and leads to the rupture of a key hydrogen bond (F441N/A684O) between switch 2 and the SH1 helix. The actin-binding cleft may mediate the rupture of this bond via a connection between the HW helix, the relay helix, and switch 2. The findings are consistent with experimental studies and a recent normal mode analysis. The present method is expected to be useful more generally in studies of interdomain coupling in proteins.

Chaperone-enhanced purification of unconventional myosin 15, a molecular motor specialized for stereocilia protein trafficking

PubMed Central

Bird, Jonathan E.; Takagi, Yasuharu; Billington, Neil; Strub, Marie-Paule; Sellers, James R.; Friedman, Thomas B.

2014-01-01

Unconventional myosin 15 is a molecular motor expressed in inner ear hair cells that transports protein cargos within developing mechanosensory stereocilia. Mutations of myosin 15 cause profound hearing loss in humans and mice; however, the properties of this motor and its regulation within the stereocilia organelle are unknown. To address these questions, we expressed a subfragment 1-like (S1) truncation of mouse myosin 15, comprising the predicted motor domain plus three light-chain binding sites. Following unsuccessful attempts to express functional myosin 15-S1 using the Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9)-baculovirus system, we discovered that coexpression of the muscle-myosin–specific chaperone UNC45B, in addition to the chaperone heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) significantly increased the yield of functional protein. Surprisingly, myosin 15-S1 did not bind calmodulin with high affinity. Instead, the IQ domains bound essential and regulatory light chains that are normally associated with class II myosins. We show that myosin 15-S1 is a barbed-end–directed motor that moves actin filaments in a gliding assay (∼430 nm·s−1 at 30 °C), using a power stroke of 7.9 nm. The maximum ATPase rate (kcat ∼6 s−1) was similar to the actin-detachment rate (kdet = 6.2 s−1) determined in single molecule optical trapping experiments, indicating that myosin 15-S1 was rate limited by transit through strongly actin-bound states, similar to other processive myosin motors. Our data further indicate that in addition to folding muscle myosin, UNC45B facilitates maturation of an unconventional myosin. We speculate that chaperone coexpression may be a simple method to optimize the purification of other myosin motors from Sf9 insect cells. PMID:25114250

Myosin V is a biological Brownian machine

PubMed Central

Fujita, Keisuke; Iwaki, Mitsuhiro

2014-01-01

Myosin V is a vesicle transporter that unidirectionally walks along cytoskeletal actin filaments by converting the chemical energy of ATP into mechanical work. Recently, it was found that myosin V force generation is a composition of two processes: a lever-arm swing, which involves a conformational change in the myosin molecule, and a Brownian search-and-catch, which involves a diffusive “search” by the motor domain that is followed by an asymmetric “catch” in the forward actin target such that Brownian motion is rectified. Here we developed a system that combines optical tweezers with DNA nano-material to show that the Brownian search-and-catch mechanism is the energetically dominant process at near stall force, providing 13 kBT of work compared to just 3 kBT by the lever-arm swing. Our result significantly reconsiders the lever-arm swinging model, which assumes the swing dominantly produces work (>10 kBT), and sheds light on the Brownian search-and-catch as a driving process. PMID:27493501

Kinetic mechanism of non-muscle myosin IIB: functional adaptations for tension generation and maintenance.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Kovacs, Mihaly; Hu, Aihua; Limouze, John; Harvey, Estelle V; Sellers, James R

2003-07-25

Besides driving contraction of various types of muscle tissue, conventional (class II) myosins serve essential cellular functions and are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. Three different isoforms in the human myosin complement have been identified as non-muscle class II myosins. Here we report the kinetic characterization of a human non-muscle myosin IIB subfragment-1 construct produced in the baculovirus expression system. Transient kinetic data show that most steps of the actomyosin ATPase cycle are slowed down compared with other class II myosins. The ADP affinity of subfragment-1 is unusually high even in the presence of actin filaments, and the rate of ADP release is close to the steady-state ATPase rate. Thus, non-muscle myosin IIB subfragment-1 spends a significantly higher proportion of its kinetic cycle strongly attached to actin than do the muscle myosins. This feature is even more pronounced at slightly elevated ADP levels, and it may be important in carrying out the cellular functions of this isoform working in small filamentous assemblies.

The Dynamic Actin Cytoskeleton in Smooth Muscle.

PubMed

Tang, Dale D

2018-01-01

Smooth muscle contraction requires both myosin activation and actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Actin cytoskeletal reorganization facilitates smooth muscle contraction by promoting force transmission between the contractile unit and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and by enhancing intercellular mechanical transduction. Myosin may be viewed to serve as an "engine" for smooth muscle contraction whereas the actin cytoskeleton may function as a "transmission system" in smooth muscle. The actin cytoskeleton in smooth muscle also undergoes restructuring upon activation with growth factors or the ECM, which controls smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. Abnormal smooth muscle contraction, cell proliferation, and motility contribute to the development of vascular and pulmonary diseases. A number of actin-regulatory proteins including protein kinases have been discovered to orchestrate actin dynamics in smooth muscle. In particular, Abelson tyrosine kinase (c-Abl) is an important molecule that controls actin dynamics, contraction, growth, and motility in smooth muscle. Moreover, c-Abl coordinates the regulation of blood pressure and contributes to the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness and vascular/airway remodeling in vivo. Thus, c-Abl may be a novel pharmacological target for the development of new therapy to treat smooth muscle diseases such as hypertension and asthma. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in actin structural transitions associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contraction

PubMed Central

Prochniewicz, Ewa; Spakowicz, Daniel; Thomas, David D.

2011-01-01

We have used transient phosphorescence anisotropy (TPA) to detect changes in actin structural dynamics associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contraction. Contractility of skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers was inhibited by treatment with 50 mM H2O2, which induced oxidative modifications in the myosin head and in actin, as previously reported. Using proteins purified from oxidized and unoxidized muscle, we used TPA to measure the effects of weakly (+ATP) and strongly (no ATP) bound myosin heads (S1) on the microsecond dynamics of actin labeled at Cys374 with erythrosine iodoacetamide. Oxidative modification of S1 had no effect on actin dynamics in the absence of ATP (strong binding complex), but restricted the dynamics in the presence of ATP (weakly bound complex). In contrast, oxidative modification of actin did not have a significant effect on the weak-to-strong transitions. Thus, we concluded that (1) the effects of oxidation on the dynamics of actin in the actomyosin complex are predominantly determined by oxidation-induced changes in S1, and (2) changes in weak-to-strong structural transitions in actin and myosin are coupled to each other and are associated with oxidative inhibition of muscle contractility. PMID:18855423

Myosin II Motor Activity in the Lateral Amygdala Is Required for Fear Memory Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, Cristin F.; Rubio, Maria D.; Young, Erica; Miller, Courtney; Rumbaugh, Gavin

2012-01-01

Learning induces dynamic changes to the actin cytoskeleton that are required to support memory formation. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate filamentous actin (F-actin) dynamics during learning and memory are poorly understood. Myosin II motors are highly expressed in actin-rich growth structures including dendritic spines, and we have…

A WAVE2–Arp2/3 actin nucleator apparatus supports junctional tension at the epithelial zonula adherens

PubMed Central

Verma, Suzie; Han, Siew Ping; Michael, Magdalene; Gomez, Guillermo A.; Yang, Zhe; Teasdale, Rohan D.; Ratheesh, Aparna; Kovacs, Eva M.; Ali, Radiya G.; Yap, Alpha S.

2012-01-01

The epithelial zonula adherens (ZA) is a specialized adhesive junction where actin dynamics and myosin-driven contractility coincide. The junctional cytoskeleton is enriched in myosin II, which generates contractile force to support junctional tension. It is also enriched in dynamic actin filaments, which are replenished by ongoing actin assembly. In this study we sought to pursue the relationship between actin assembly and junctional contractility. We demonstrate that WAVE2–Arp2/3 is a major nucleator of actin assembly at the ZA and likely acts in response to junctional Rac signaling. Furthermore, WAVE2–Arp2/3 is necessary for junctional integrity and contractile tension at the ZA. Maneuvers that disrupt the function of either WAVE2 or Arp2/3 reduced junctional tension and compromised the ability of cells to buffer side-to-side forces acting on the ZA. WAVE2–Arp2/3 disruption depleted junctions of both myosin IIA and IIB, suggesting that dynamic actin assembly may support junctional tension by facilitating the local recruitment of myosin. PMID:23051739

Auxotonic to isometric contraction transitioning in a beating heart causes myosin step-size to down shift

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaojing; Wang, Yihua; Ajtai, Katalin

2017-01-01

Myosin motors in cardiac ventriculum convert ATP free energy to the work of moving blood volume under pressure. The actin bound motor cyclically rotates its lever-arm/light-chain complex linking motor generated torque to the myosin filament backbone and translating actin against resisting force. Previous research showed that the unloaded in vitro motor is described with high precision by single molecule mechanical characteristics including unitary step-sizes of approximately 3, 5, and 8 nm and their relative step-frequencies of approximately 13, 50, and 37%. The 3 and 8 nm unitary step-sizes are dependent on myosin essential light chain (ELC) N-terminus actin binding. Step-size and step-frequency quantitation specifies in vitro motor function including duty-ratio, power, and strain sensitivity metrics. In vivo, motors integrated into the muscle sarcomere form the more complex and hierarchically functioning muscle machine. The goal of the research reported here is to measure single myosin step-size and step-frequency in vivo to assess how tissue integration impacts motor function. A photoactivatable GFP tags the ventriculum myosin lever-arm/light-chain complex in the beating heart of a live zebrafish embryo. Detected single GFP emission reports time-resolved myosin lever-arm orientation interpreted as step-size and step-frequency providing single myosin mechanical characteristics over the active cycle. Following step-frequency of cardiac ventriculum myosin transitioning from low to high force in relaxed to auxotonic to isometric contraction phases indicates that the imposition of resisting force during contraction causes the motor to down-shift to the 3 nm step-size accounting for >80% of all the steps in the near-isometric phase. At peak force, the ATP initiated actomyosin dissociation is the predominant strain inhibited transition in the native myosin contraction cycle. The proposed model for motor down-shifting and strain sensing involves ELC N-terminus actin

Actin Turnover-Mediated Gravity Response in Maize Root Apices

PubMed Central

Mancuso, Stefano; Barlow, Peter W; Volkmann, Dieter

2006-01-01

The dynamic actin cytoskeleton has been proposed to be linked to gravity sensing in plants but the mechanistic understanding of these processes remains unknown. We have performed detailed pharmacological analyses of the role of the dynamic actin cytoskeleton in gravibending of maize (Zea mays) root apices. Depolymerization of actin filaments with two drugs having different mode of their actions, cytochalasin D and latrunculin B, stimulated root gravibending. By contrast, drug-induced stimulation of actin polymerization and inhibition of actin turnover, using two different agents phalloidin and jasplakinolide, compromised the root gravibending. Importantly, all these actin drugs inhibited root growth to similar extents suggesting that high actin turnover is essential for the gravity-related growth responses rather than for the general growth process. Both latrunculin B and cytochalasin D treatments inhibited root growth but restored gravibending of the decapped root apices, indicating that there is a strong potential for effective actin-mediated gravity sensing outside the cap. This elusive gravity sensing outside the root cap is dependent not only on the high rate of actin turnover but also on weakening of myosin activities, as general inhibition of myosin ATPases induced stimulation of gravibending of the decapped root apices. Collectively, these data provide evidence for the actin turnover-mediated gravity sensing outside the root cap. PMID:19521476

Involvement of myosin VI immunoanalog in pinocytosis and phagocytosis in Amoeba proteus.

PubMed

Sobczak, Magdalena; Wasik, Anna; Kłopocka, Wanda; Redowicz, Maria Jolanta

2008-12-01

Recently, we found a 130-kDa myosin VI immunoanalog in amoeba, which bound to actin in an ATP-sensitive manner and in migrating amoebae colocalized to filamentous actin and dynamin II-containing vesicular structures. To further characterize this protein, we assessed its involvement in amoeba pinocytosis and phagocytosis. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy of immunogold-stained cells revealed that, in pinocytotic and phagocytotic amoebae, the myosin VI immunoanalog was visible throughout the cells, including pinocytotic channels and pinocytotic vesicles as well as phagosomes and emerging phagocytic cups. Blocking endogenous protein with anti-porcine myosin VI antibody (introduced into cells by means of microinjection) caused severe defects in pinocytosis and phagocytosis. In comparison with control cells, the treated amoebae formed ~75% less pinocytotic channels and phagocytosed ~65% less Tetrahymena cells. These data indicate that the myosin VI immunoanalog has an important role in pinocytosis and phagocytosis in Amoeba proteus (Pal.).

Force Exertion and Transmission in Cross-Linked Actin Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stam, Samantha

Cells are responsive to external cues in their environment telling them to proliferate or migrate within their surrounding tissue. Sensing of cues that are mechanical in nature, such stiffness of a tissue or forces transmitted from other cells, is believed to involve the cytoskeleton of a cell. The cytoskeleton is a complex network of proteins consisting of polymers that provide structural support, motor proteins that remodel these structures, and many others. We do not yet have a complete understanding of how cytoskeletal components respond to either internal or external mechanical force and stiffness. Such an understanding should involve mechanisms by which constituent molecules, such as motor proteins, are responsive to mechanics. Additionally, physical models of how forces are transmitted through biopolymer networks are necessary. My research has focused on networks formed by the cytoskeletal filament actin and the molecular motor protein myosin II. Actin filaments form networks and bundles that form a structural framework of the cell, and myosin II slides actin filaments. In this thesis, we show that stiffness of an elastic load that opposes myosin-generated actin sliding has a very sharp effect on the myosin force output in simulations. Secondly, we show that the stiffness and connectivity of cytoskeletal filaments regulates the contractility and anisotropy of network deformations that transmit force on material length scales. Together, these results have implications for predicting and interpreting the deformations and forces in biopolymeric active materials.

Mechanical coupling in myosin V: a simulation study

PubMed Central

Ovchinnikov, Victor; Trout, Bernhardt L.

2009-01-01

Myosin motor function depends on the interaction between different domains that transmit information from one part of the molecule to another. The inter-domain coupling in myosin V is studied with Restrained Targeted Molecular Dynamics (RTMD) using an all-atom representation in explicit solvent. To elucidate the origin of the conformational change due to the binding of ATP, targeting forces are applied to small sets of atoms (the forcing sets, FS) in the direction of their displacement from the rigor conformation, which has a closed actin-binding cleft, to the post-rigor conformation, in which the cleft is open. The ‘minimal’ FS that results in extensive structural changes in the overall myosin conformation is comprised of the ATP, Switch 1, and the nearby HF, HG and HH helices. Addition of switch 2 to the forcing set is required to achieve a complete opening of the actin-binding cleft. The RTMD simulations reveal the mechanical coupling pathways between (i) the nucleotide-binding pocket (NBP) and the actin-binding cleft, (ii) the NBP and the converter, and (iii) the actin-binding cleft and the converter. Closing of the NBP due to ATP binding is tightly coupled to the opening of the cleft, and leads to the rupture of a key hydrogen bond (F441N/A684O) between switch 2 and the SH1 helix. The actin-binding cleft may mediate the rupture of this bond via a connection between the HW helix, the Relay helix, and Switch 2. The findings are consistent with experimental studies and a recent normal mode analysis. The present method is expected to be useful more generally in studies of inter-domain coupling in proteins. PMID:19853615

Effects of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy mutations on power output by human β-cardiac myosin.

PubMed

Spudich, James A; Aksel, Tural; Bartholomew, Sadie R; Nag, Suman; Kawana, Masataka; Yu, Elizabeth Choe; Sarkar, Saswata S; Sung, Jongmin; Sommese, Ruth F; Sutton, Shirley; Cho, Carol; Adhikari, Arjun S; Taylor, Rebecca; Liu, Chao; Trivedi, Darshan; Ruppel, Kathleen M

2016-01-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most frequently occurring inherited cardiovascular disease, with a prevalence of more than one in 500 individuals worldwide. Genetically acquired dilated cardiomyopathy is a related disease that is less prevalent. Both are caused by mutations in the genes encoding the fundamental force-generating protein machinery of the cardiac muscle sarcomere, including human β-cardiac myosin, the motor protein that powers ventricular contraction. Despite numerous studies, most performed with non-human or non-cardiac myosin, there is no clear consensus about the mechanism of action of these mutations on the function of human β-cardiac myosin. We are using a recombinantly expressed human β-cardiac myosin motor domain along with conventional and new methodologies to characterize the forces and velocities of the mutant myosins compared with wild type. Our studies are extending beyond myosin interactions with pure actin filaments to include the interaction of myosin with regulated actin filaments containing tropomyosin and troponin, the roles of regulatory light chain phosphorylation on the functions of the system, and the possible roles of myosin binding protein-C and titin, important regulatory components of both cardiac and skeletal muscles. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Direct real-time detection of the structural and biochemical events in the myosin power stroke.

PubMed

Muretta, Joseph M; Rohde, John A; Johnsrud, Daniel O; Cornea, Sinziana; Thomas, David D

2015-11-17

A principal goal of molecular biophysics is to show how protein structural transitions explain physiology. We have developed a strategic tool, transient time-resolved FRET [(TR)(2)FRET], for this purpose and use it here to measure directly, with millisecond resolution, the structural and biochemical kinetics of muscle myosin and to determine directly how myosin's power stroke is coupled to the thermodynamic drive for force generation, actin-activated phosphate release, and the weak-to-strong actin-binding transition. We find that actin initiates the power stroke before phosphate dissociation and not after, as many models propose. This result supports a model for muscle contraction in which power output and efficiency are tuned by the distribution of myosin structural states. This technology should have wide application to other systems in which questions about the temporal coupling of allosteric structural and biochemical transitions remain unanswered.

[Changes in titin and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in skeletal muscles of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) after 12-day spaceflight].

PubMed

Okuneva, A D; Vikhliantsev, I M; Shpagina, M D; Rogachevskiĭ, V V; Khutsian, S S; Poddubnaia, Z A; Grigor'ev, A I

2012-01-01

Changes of titin and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in skeletal muscles (m. soleus, m. gastrocnemius, m. tibialis anterior, m. psoas major) in Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus ) were investigated after 12-day spaceflight on board of Russian space vehicle "Foton-M3". In m. psoas and m. soleus in the gerbils from "Flight" group the expected increase in the content of fast myosin heavy chain isoforms (IIxd and IIa, respectively) were observed. No significant differences were found in the content of IIxd and IIa isoforms of myosin heavy chain in m. tibialis anterior in the gerbils from control group as compared to that in "Flight" group. An unexpected increase in the content of slow myosin heavy chain I isoform and a decrease in the content of fast IIx/d isoform in m. gastrocnemius of the gerbils from "Flight" group were observed. In skeletal muscles of the gerbils from "Flight" group the relative content of titin N2A-isoform was reduced (by 1,2-1,7 times), although the content of its NT-isoform, which was revealed in striated muscles of mammals in our experiments earlier, remained the same. When the content of titin N2A-isoform was decreased, no predictable abnormalities in sarcomeric structure and contractile ability of skeletal muscles in the gerbils from "Flight" group were found. An assumption on the leading role of titin NT-isoform in maintenance of structural and functional properties of striated muscles of mammals was made.

Site-directed mutagenesis of the regulatory light-chain Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site and its role in hybrid myosins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinach, Fernando C.; Nagai, Kiyoshi; Kendrick-Jones, John

1986-07-01

The regulatory light chains, small polypeptides located on the myosin head, regulate the interaction of myosin with actin in response to either Ca2+ or phosphorylation. The demonstration that the regulatory light chains on scallop myosin can be replaced by light chains from other myosins has allowed us to compare the functional capabilities of different light chains1, but has not enabled us to probe the role of features, such as the Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site, that are common to all of them. Here, we describe the use of site-directed mutagenesis to study the function of that site. We synthesized the chicken skeletal myosin light chain in Escherichia coli and constructed mutants with substitutions within the Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site. When the aspartate residues at the first and sixth Ca2+ coordination positions are replaced by uncharged alanines, the light chains have a reduced Ca2+ binding capacity but still bind to scallop myosin with high affinity. Unlike the wild-type skeletal light chain which inhibits myosin interaction with actin, the mutants activate it. Thus, an intact Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site in the N-terminal region of the light chain is essential for regulating the interaction of myosin with actin.

The myosin converter domain modulates muscle performance.

PubMed

Swank, Douglas M; Knowles, Aileen F; Suggs, Jennifer A; Sarsoza, Floyd; Lee, Annie; Maughan, David W; Bernstein, Sanford I

2002-04-01

Myosin is the molecular motor that powers muscle contraction as a result of conformational changes during its mechanochemical cycle. We demonstrate that the converter, a compact structural domain that differs in sequence between Drosophila melanogaster myosin isoforms, dramatically influences the kinetic properties of myosin and muscle fibres. Transgenic replacement of the converter in the fast indirect flight muscle with the converter from an embryonic muscle slowed muscle kinetics, forcing a compensatory reduction in wing beat frequency to sustain flight. Conversely, replacing the embryonic converter with the flight muscle converter sped up muscle kinetics and increased maximum power twofold, compared to flight muscles expressing the embryonic myosin isoform. The substitutions also dramatically influenced in vitro actin sliding velocity, suggesting that the converter modulates a rate-limiting step preceding cross-bridge detachment. Our integrative analysis demonstrates that isoform-specific differences in the myosin converter allow different muscle types to meet their specific locomotion demands.

Biased Brownian motion mechanism for processivity and directionality of single-headed myosin-VI.

PubMed

Iwaki, Mitsuhiro; Iwane, Atsuko Hikikoshi; Ikebe, Mitsuo; Yanagida, Toshio

2008-01-01

Conventional form to function as a vesicle transporter is not a 'single molecule' but a coordinated 'two molecules'. The coordinated two molecules make it complicated to reveal its mechanism. To overcome the difficulty, we adopted a single-headed myosin-VI as a model protein. Myosin-VI is an intracellular vesicle and organelle transporter that moves along actin filaments in a direction opposite to most other known myosin classes. The myosin-VI was expected to form a dimer to move processively along actin filaments with a hand-over-hand mechanism like other myosin organelle transporters. However, wild-type myosin-VI was demonstrated to be monomer and single-headed, casting doubt on its processivity. Using single molecule techniques, we show that green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused single-headed myosin-VI does not move processively. However, when coupled to a 200 nm polystyrene bead (comparable to an intracellular vesicle in size) at a ratio of one head per bead, single-headed myosin-VI moves processively with large (40 nm) steps. Furthermore, we found that a single-headed myosin-VI-bead complex moved more processively in a high-viscous solution (40-fold higher than water) similar to cellular environment. Because diffusion of the bead is 60-fold slower than myosin-VI heads alone in water, we propose a model in which the bead acts as a diffusional anchor for the myosin-VI, enhancing the head's rebinding following detachment and supporting processive movement of the bead-monomer complex. This investigation will help us understand how molecular motors utilize Brownian motion in cells.

Nonmedially assembled F-actin cables incorporate into the actomyosin ring in fission yeast

PubMed Central

Huang, Junqi; Huang, Yinyi; Yu, Haochen; Subramanian, Dhivya; Padmanabhan, Anup; Thadani, Rahul; Tao, Yaqiong; Tang, Xie; Wedlich-Soldner, Roland

2012-01-01

In many eukaryotes, cytokinesis requires the assembly and constriction of an actomyosin-based contractile ring. Despite the central role of this ring in cytokinesis, the mechanism of F-actin assembly and accumulation in the ring is not fully understood. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of F-actin assembly during cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using lifeact as a probe to monitor actin dynamics. Previous work has shown that F-actin in the actomyosin ring is assembled de novo at the division site. Surprisingly, we find that a significant fraction of F-actin in the ring was recruited from formin-Cdc12p nucleated long actin cables that were generated at multiple nonmedial locations and incorporated into the ring by a combination of myosin II and myosin V activities. Our results, together with findings in animal cells, suggest that de novo F-actin assembly at the division site and directed transport of F-actin cables assembled elsewhere can contribute to ring assembly. PMID:23185032

State transitions of actin cortices in vitro and in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Tzer Han; Keren, Kinneret; Mackintosh, Fred; Schmidt, Christoph; Fakhri, Nikta

Most animal cells are enveloped by a thin layer of actin cortex which governs the cell mechanics. A functional cortex must be rigid to provide mechanical support while being flexible to allow for rapid restructuring events such as cell division. To satisfy these requirements, the actin cortex is highly dynamic with fast actin turnover and myosin-driven contractility. The regulatory mechanism responsible for the transition between a mechanically stable state and a restructuring state is not well understood. Here, we develop a technique to map the dynamics of reconstituted actin cortices in emulsion droplets using IR fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). By increasing crosslinker concentration, we find that a homogeneous cortex transitions to an intermediate state with broken rotational symmetry and a globally contractile state which further breaks translational symmetry. We apply this new dynamic mapping technique to cortices of live starfish oocytes in various developmental stages. To identify the regulatory mechanism for steady state transitions, we subject the oocytes to actin and myosin disrupting drugs.

Characterization of Blebbistatin Inhibition of Smooth Muscle Myosin and Nonmuscle Myosin-2.

PubMed

Zhang, Hai-Man; Ji, Huan-Hong; Ni, Tong; Ma, Rong-Na; Wang, Aibing; Li, Xiang-Dong

2017-08-15

Blebbistatin is a potent and specific inhibitor of the motor functions of class II myosins, including striated muscle myosin and nonmuscle myosin-2 (NM2). However, the blebbistatin inhibition of NM2c has not been assessed and remains controversial with respect to its efficacy with smooth muscle myosin (SmM), which is highly homologous to NM2. To clarify these issues, we analyzed the effects of blebbistatin on the motor activities of recombinant SmM and three NM2s (NM2a, -2b, and -2c). We found that blebbistatin potently inhibits the actin-activated ATPase activities of SmM and NM2s with following IC 50 values: 6.47 μM for SmM, 3.58 μM for NM2a, 2.30 μM for NM2b, and 1.57 μM for NM2c. To identify the blebbistatin-resistant myosin-2 mutant, we performed mutagenesis analysis of the conserved residues in the blebbistatin-binding site of SmM and NM2s. We found that the A456F mutation renders SmM and NM2s resistant to blebbistatin without greatly altering their motor activities or phosphorylation-dependent regulation, making A456F a useful mutant for investigating the cellular function of NM2s.

Myosin content of individual human muscle fibers isolated by laser capture microdissection.

PubMed

Stuart, Charles A; Stone, William L; Howell, Mary E A; Brannon, Marianne F; Hall, H Kenton; Gibson, Andrew L; Stone, Michael H

2016-03-01

Muscle fiber composition correlates with insulin resistance, and exercise training can increase slow-twitch (type I) fibers and, thereby, mitigate diabetes risk. Human skeletal muscle is made up of three distinct fiber types, but muscle contains many more isoforms of myosin heavy and light chains, which are coded by 15 and 11 different genes, respectively. Laser capture microdissection techniques allow assessment of mRNA and protein content in individual fibers. We found that specific human fiber types contain different mixtures of myosin heavy and light chains. Fast-twitch (type IIx) fibers consistently contained myosin heavy chains 1, 2, and 4 and myosin light chain 1. Type I fibers always contained myosin heavy chains 6 and 7 (MYH6 and MYH7) and myosin light chain 3 (MYL3), whereas MYH6, MYH7, and MYL3 were nearly absent from type IIx fibers. In contrast to cardiomyocytes, where MYH6 (also known as α-myosin heavy chain) is seen solely in fast-twitch cells, only slow-twitch fibers of skeletal muscle contained MYH6. Classical fast myosin heavy chains (MHC1, MHC2, and MHC4) were present in variable proportions in all fiber types, but significant MYH6 and MYH7 expression indicated slow-twitch phenotype, and the absence of these two isoforms determined a fast-twitch phenotype. The mixed myosin heavy and light chain content of type IIa fibers was consistent with its role as a transition between fast and slow phenotypes. These new observations suggest that the presence or absence of MYH6 and MYH7 proteins dictates the slow- or fast-twitch phenotype in skeletal muscle. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Myosin content of individual human muscle fibers isolated by laser capture microdissection

PubMed Central

Stone, William L.; Howell, Mary E. A.; Brannon, Marianne F.; Hall, H. Kenton; Gibson, Andrew L.; Stone, Michael H.

2015-01-01

Muscle fiber composition correlates with insulin resistance, and exercise training can increase slow-twitch (type I) fibers and, thereby, mitigate diabetes risk. Human skeletal muscle is made up of three distinct fiber types, but muscle contains many more isoforms of myosin heavy and light chains, which are coded by 15 and 11 different genes, respectively. Laser capture microdissection techniques allow assessment of mRNA and protein content in individual fibers. We found that specific human fiber types contain different mixtures of myosin heavy and light chains. Fast-twitch (type IIx) fibers consistently contained myosin heavy chains 1, 2, and 4 and myosin light chain 1. Type I fibers always contained myosin heavy chains 6 and 7 (MYH6 and MYH7) and myosin light chain 3 (MYL3), whereas MYH6, MYH7, and MYL3 were nearly absent from type IIx fibers. In contrast to cardiomyocytes, where MYH6 (also known as α-myosin heavy chain) is seen solely in fast-twitch cells, only slow-twitch fibers of skeletal muscle contained MYH6. Classical fast myosin heavy chains (MHC1, MHC2, and MHC4) were present in variable proportions in all fiber types, but significant MYH6 and MYH7 expression indicated slow-twitch phenotype, and the absence of these two isoforms determined a fast-twitch phenotype. The mixed myosin heavy and light chain content of type IIa fibers was consistent with its role as a transition between fast and slow phenotypes. These new observations suggest that the presence or absence of MYH6 and MYH7 proteins dictates the slow- or fast-twitch phenotype in skeletal muscle. PMID:26676053

Dictyostelium myosin I double mutants exhibit conditional defects in pinocytosis.

PubMed

Novak, K D; Peterson, M D; Reedy, M C; Titus, M A

1995-12-01

The functional relationship between three Dictyostelium myosin Is, myoA, myoB, and myoC, has been examined through the creation of double mutants. Two double mutants, myoA-/B- and myoB-/C-, exhibit similar conditional defects in fluid-phase pinocytosis. Double mutants grown in suspension culture are significantly impaired in their ability to take in nutrients from the medium, whereas they are almost indistinguishable from wild-type and single mutant strains when grown on a surface. The double mutants are also found to internalize gp126, a 116-kD membrane protein, at a slower rate than either the wild-type or single mutant cells. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that both double mutants possess numerous small vesicles, in contrast to the wild-type or myosin I single mutants that exhibit several large, clear vacuoles. The alterations in fluid and membrane internalization in the suspension-grown double mutants, coupled with the altered vesicular profile, suggest that these cells may be compromised during the early stages of pinocytosis, a process that has been proposed to occur via actin-based cytoskeletal rearrangements. Scanning electron microscopy and rhodamine-phalloidin staining indicates that the myosin I double mutants appear to extend a larger number of actin-filled structures, such as filopodia and crowns, than wild-type cells. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining of the F-actin cytoskeleton of these suspension-grown cells also reveals that the double mutant cells are delayed in the rearrangement of cortical actin-rich structures upon adhesion to a substrate. We propose that myoA, myoB, and myoC play roles in controlling F-actin filled membrane projections that are required for pinosome internalization in suspension.

Myosin Vb mediates Cu+ export in polarized hepatocytes

PubMed Central

Gupta, Arnab; Schell, Michael J.; Bhattacharjee, Ashima; Lutsenko, Svetlana; Hubbard, Ann L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The cellular machinery responsible for Cu+-stimulated delivery of the Wilson-disease-associated protein ATP7B to the apical domain of hepatocytes is poorly understood. We demonstrate that myosin Vb regulates the Cu+-stimulated delivery of ATP7B to the apical domain of polarized hepatic cells, and that disruption of the ATP7B-myosin Vb interaction reduces the apical surface expression of ATP7B. Overexpression of the myosin Vb tail, which competes for binding of subapical cargos to myosin Vb bound to subapical actin, disrupted the surface expression of ATP7B, leading to reduced cellular Cu+ export. The myosin-Vb-dependent targeting step occurred in parallel with hepatocyte-like polarity. If the myosin Vb tail was expressed acutely in cells just prior to the establishment of polarity, it appeared as part of an intracellular apical compartment, centered on γ-tubulin. ATP7B became selectively arrested in this compartment at high [Cu+] in the presence of myosin Vb tail, suggesting that these compartments are precursors of donor–acceptor transfer stations for apically targeted cargos of myosin Vb. Our data suggest that reduced hepatic Cu+ clearance in idiopathic non-Wilsonian types of disease might be associated with the loss of function of myosin Vb. PMID:26823605

Myosin VIIa, harmonin and cadherin 23, three Usher I gene products that cooperate to shape the sensory hair cell bundle

PubMed Central

Boëda, Batiste; El-Amraoui, Aziz; Bahloul, Amel; Goodyear, Richard; Daviet, Laurent; Blanchard, Stéphane; Perfettini, Isabelle; Fath, Karl R.; Shorte, Spencer; Reiners, Jan; Houdusse, Anne; Legrain, Pierre; Wolfrum, Uwe; Richardson, Guy; Petit, Christine

2002-01-01

Deaf-blindness in three distinct genetic forms of Usher type I syndrome (USH1) is caused by defects in myosin VIIa, harmonin and cadherin 23. Despite being critical for hearing, the functions of these proteins in the inner ear remain elusive. Here we show that harmonin, a PDZ domain-containing protein, and cadherin 23 are both present in the growing stereocilia and that they bind to each other. Moreover, we demonstrate that harmonin b is an F-actin-bundling protein, which is thus likely to anchor cadherin 23 to the stereocilia microfilaments, thereby identifying a novel anchorage mode of the cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, harmonin b interacts directly with myosin VIIa, and is absent from the disorganized hair bundles of myosin VIIa mutant mice, suggesting that myosin VIIa conveys harmonin b along the actin core of the developing stereocilia. We propose that the shaping of the hair bundle relies on a functional unit composed of myosin VIIa, harmonin b and cadherin 23 that is essential to ensure the cohesion of the stereocilia. PMID:12485990

Electrostatic origin of the unidirectionality of walking myosin V motors.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Shayantani; Warshel, Arieh

2013-10-22

Understanding the basis for the action of myosin motors and related molecular machines requires a quantitative energy-based description of the overall functional cycle. Previous theoretical attempts to do so have provided interesting insights on parts of the cycle but could not generate a structure-based free energy landscape for the complete cycle of myosin. In particular, a nonphenomenological structure/energy-based understanding of the unidirectional motion is still missing. Here we use a coarse-grained model of myosin V and generate a structure-based free energy surface of the largest conformational change, namely the transition from the post- to prepowerstroke movement. We also couple the observed energetics of ligand binding/hydrolysis and product release to that of the conformational surface and reproduce the energetics of the complete mechanochemical cycle. It is found that the release in electrostatic free energy upon changing the conformation of the lever arm and the convertor domain from its post- to prepowerstroke state provides the necessary energy to bias the system towards the unidirectional movement of myosin V on the actin filament. The free energy change of 11 kcal is also in the range of ∼2-3 pN, which is consistent with the experimentally observed stalling force required to stop the motor completely on its track. The conformational-chemical coupling generating a successful powerstroke cycle is believed to be conserved among most members of the myosin family, thus highlighting the importance of the previously unknown role of electrostatics free energy in guiding the functional cycle in other actin-based myosin motors.

Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C releases myosin heads from the surface of cardiac thick filaments

PubMed Central

Kensler, Robert W.; Craig, Roger; Moss, Richard L.

2017-01-01

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) has a key regulatory role in cardiac contraction, but the mechanism by which changes in phosphorylation of cMyBP-C accelerate cross-bridge kinetics remains unknown. In this study, we isolated thick filaments from the hearts of mice in which the three serine residues (Ser273, Ser282, and Ser302) that are phosphorylated by protein kinase A in the m-domain of cMyBP-C were replaced by either alanine or aspartic acid, mimicking the fully nonphosphorylated and the fully phosphorylated state of cMyBP-C, respectively. We found that thick filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-deficient hearts had highly ordered cross-bridge arrays, whereas the filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-mimetic hearts showed a strong tendency toward disorder. Our results support the hypothesis that dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C promotes or stabilizes the relaxed/superrelaxed quasi-helical ordering of the myosin heads on the filament surface, whereas phosphorylation weakens this stabilization and binding of the heads to the backbone. Such structural changes would modulate the probability of myosin binding to actin and could help explain the acceleration of cross-bridge interactions with actin when cMyBP-C is phosphorylated because of, for example, activation of β1-adrenergic receptors in myocardium. PMID:28167762

Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C releases myosin heads from the surface of cardiac thick filaments.

PubMed

Kensler, Robert W; Craig, Roger; Moss, Richard L

2017-02-21

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) has a key regulatory role in cardiac contraction, but the mechanism by which changes in phosphorylation of cMyBP-C accelerate cross-bridge kinetics remains unknown. In this study, we isolated thick filaments from the hearts of mice in which the three serine residues (Ser273, Ser282, and Ser302) that are phosphorylated by protein kinase A in the m-domain of cMyBP-C were replaced by either alanine or aspartic acid, mimicking the fully nonphosphorylated and the fully phosphorylated state of cMyBP-C, respectively. We found that thick filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-deficient hearts had highly ordered cross-bridge arrays, whereas the filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-mimetic hearts showed a strong tendency toward disorder. Our results support the hypothesis that dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C promotes or stabilizes the relaxed/superrelaxed quasi-helical ordering of the myosin heads on the filament surface, whereas phosphorylation weakens this stabilization and binding of the heads to the backbone. Such structural changes would modulate the probability of myosin binding to actin and could help explain the acceleration of cross-bridge interactions with actin when cMyBP-C is phosphorylated because of, for example, activation of β 1 -adrenergic receptors in myocardium.

Mutations in the β-myosin rod cause myosin storage myopathy via multiple mechanisms

PubMed Central

Armel, Thomas Z.; Leinwand, Leslie A.

2009-01-01

Myosin storage myopathy (MSM) is a congenital myopathy characterized by the presence of subsarcolemmal inclusions of myosin in the majority of type I muscle fibers, and has been linked to 4 mutations in the slow/cardiac muscle myosin, β-MyHC (MYH7). Although the majority of the >230 disease causing mutations in MYH7 are located in the globular head region of the molecule, those responsible for MSM are part of a subset of MYH7 mutations that are located in the α-helical coiled-coil tail. Mutations in the myosin head are thought to affect the ATPase and actin-binding properties of the molecule. To date, however, there are no reports of the molecular mechanism of pathogenesis for mutations in the rod region of muscle myosins. Here, we present analysis of 4 mutations responsible for MSM: L1793P, R1845W, E1886K, and H1901L. We show that each MSM mutation has a different molecular phenotype, suggesting that there are multiple mechanisms by which MSM can be caused. These mechanisms range from thermodynamic and functional irregularities of individual proteins (L1793P), to varying defects in the assembly and stability of filaments formed from the proteins (R1845W, E1886K, and H1901L). In addition to furthering our understanding of MSM, these observations provide the first insight into how mutations affect the rod region of muscle myosins, and provide a framework for future studies of disease-causing mutations in this region of the molecule. PMID:19336582

Actin as the generator of tension during muscle contraction.

PubMed Central

Schutt, C E; Lindberg, U

1992-01-01

We propose that the key structural feature in the conversion of chemical free energy into mechanical work by actomyosin is a myosin-induced change in the length of the actin filament. As reported earlier, there is evidence that helical actin filaments can untwist into ribbons having an increased intersubunit repeat. Regular patterns of actomyosin interactions arise when ribbons are aligned with myosin thick filaments, because the repeat distance of the myosin lattice (429 A) is an integral multiple of the subunit repeat in the ribbon (35.7 A). This commensurability property of the actomyosin lattice leads to a simple mechanism for controlling the sequence of events in chemical-mechanical transduction. A role for tropomyosin in transmitting the forces developed by actomyosin is proposed. In this paper, we describe how these transduction principles provide the basis for a theory of muscle contraction. Images PMID:1530888

In Vivo Orientation of Single Myosin Lever Arms in Zebrafish Skeletal Muscle

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaojing; Ekker, Stephen C.; Shelden, Eric A.; Takubo, Naoko; Wang, Yihua; Burghardt, Thomas P.

2014-01-01

Cardiac and skeletal myosin assembled in the muscle lattice power contraction by transducing ATP free energy into the mechanical work of moving actin. Myosin catalytic/lever-arm domains comprise the transduction/mechanical coupling machinery that move actin by lever-arm rotation. In vivo, myosin is crowded and constrained by the fiber lattice as side chains are mutated and otherwise modified under normal, diseased, or aging conditions that collectively define the native myosin environment. Single-myosin detection uniquely defines bottom-up characterization of myosin functionality. The marriage of in vivo and single-myosin detection to study zebrafish embryo models of human muscle disease is a multiscaled technology that allows one-to-one registration of a selected myosin molecular alteration with muscle filament-sarcomere-cell-fiber-tissue-organ- and organism level phenotypes. In vivo single-myosin lever-arm orientation was observed at superresolution using a photoactivatable-green-fluorescent-protein (PAGFP)-tagged myosin light chain expressed in zebrafish skeletal muscle. By simultaneous observation of multiphoton excitation fluorescence emission and second harmonic generation from myosin, we demonstrated tag specificity for the lever arm. Single-molecule detection used highly inclined parallel beam illumination and was verified by quantized photoactivation and photobleaching. Single-molecule emission patterns from relaxed muscle in vivo provided extensive superresolved dipole orientation constraints that were modeled using docking scenarios generated for the myosin (S1) and GFP crystal structures. The dipole orientation data provided sufficient constraints to estimate S1/GFP coordination. The S1/GFP coordination in vivo is rigid and the lever-arm orientation distribution is well-ordered in relaxed muscle. For comparison, single myosins in relaxed permeabilized porcine papillary muscle fibers indicated slightly differently oriented lever arms and rigid S1

IFT88 influences chondrocyte actin organization and biomechanics.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Wann, A K T; Thompson, C L; Hassen, A; Wang, W; Knight, M M

2016-03-01

Primary cilia are microtubule based organelles which control a variety of signalling pathways important in cartilage development, health and disease. This study examines the role of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) protein, IFT88, in regulating fundamental actin organisation and mechanics in articular chondrocytes. The study used an established chondrocyte cell line with and without hypomorphic mutation of IFT88 (IFT88(orpk)). Confocal microscopy was used to quantify F-actin and myosin IIB organisation. Viscoelastic cell and actin cortex mechanics were determined using micropipette aspiration with actin dynamics visualised in live cells transfected with LifeACT-GFP. IFT88(orpk) cells exhibited a significant increase in acto-myosin stress fibre organisation relative to wild-type (WT) cells in monolayer and an altered response to cytochalasin D. Rounded IFT88(orpk) cells cultured in suspension exhibited reduced cortical actin expression with reduced cellular equilibrium modulus. Micropipette aspiration resulted in reduced membrane bleb formation in IFT88(orpk) cells. Following membrane blebbing, IFT88(orpk) cells exhibited slower reformation of the actin cortex. IFT88(orpk) cells showed increased actin deformability and reduced cortical tension confirming that IFT regulates actin cortex mechanics. The reduced cortical tension is also consistent with the reduced bleb formation. This study demonstrates for the first time that the ciliary protein IFT88 regulates fundamental actin organisation and the stiffness of the actin cortex leading to alterations in cell deformation, mechanical properties and blebbing in an IFT88 chondrocyte cell line. This adds to the growing understanding of the role of primary cilia and IFT in regulating cartilage biology. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Myosin-1 inhibition by PClP affects membrane shape, cortical actin distribution and lipid droplet dynamics in early Zebrafish embryos

PubMed Central

Gupta, Prabuddha; Martin, René; Knölker, Hans-Joachim; Nihalani, Deepak; Kumar Sinha, Deepak

2017-01-01

Myosin-1 (Myo1) represents a mechanical link between the membrane and actin-cytoskeleton in animal cells. We have studied the effect of Myo1 inhibitor PClP in 1–8 cell Zebrafish embryos. Our results indicate a unique involvement of Myo1 in early development of Zebrafish embryos. Inhibition of Myo1 (by PClP) and Myo2 (by Blebbistatin) lead to arrest in cell division. While Myo1 isoforms appears to be important for both the formation and the maintenance of cleavage furrows, Myo2 is required only for the formation of furrows. We found that the blastodisc of the embryo, which contains a thick actin cortex (~13 μm), is loaded with cortical Myo1. Myo1 appears to be crucial for maintaining the blastodisc morphology and the actin cortex thickness. In addition to cell division and furrow formation, inhibition of Myo1 has a drastic effect on the dynamics and distribution of lipid droplets (LDs) in the blastodisc near the cleavage furrow. All these results above are effects of Myo1 inhibition exclusively; Myo2 inhibition by blebbistatin does not show such phenotypes. Therefore, our results demonstrate a potential role for Myo1 in the maintenance and formation of furrow, blastodisc morphology, cell-division and LD organization within the blastodisc during early embryogenesis. PMID:28678859

Myosin II activity is required for functional leading-edge cells and closure of epidermal sheets in fish skin ex vivo.

PubMed

Morita, Toshiyuki; Tsuchiya, Akiko; Sugimoto, Masazumi

2011-09-01

Re-epithelialization in skin wound healing is a process in which epidermal sheets grow and close the wound. Although the actin-myosin system is thought to have a pivotal role in re-epithelialization, its role is not clear. In fish skin, re-epithelialization occurs around 500 μm/h and is 50 times faster than in mammalian skin. We had previously reported that leading-edge cells of the epidermal outgrowth have both polarized large lamellipodia and "purse string"-like actin filament cables in the scale-skin culture system of medaka fish, Oryzias latipes (Cell Tissue Res, 2007). The actin purse-string (APS) is a supracellular contractile machinery in which adherens junctions (AJs) link intracellular myosin II-including actin cables between neighboring cells. In this study, we developed a modified "face-to-face" scale-skin culture system as an ex vivo model to study epidermal wound healing, and examined the role of the actin-myosin system in the rapid re-epithelialization using a myosin II ATPase inhibitor, blebbistatin. A low level of blebbistatin suppressed the formation of APS and induced the dissociation of keratocytes from the leading edge without attenuating the growth of the epidermal sheet or the migration rate of solitary keratocytes. AJs in the superficial layer showed no obvious changes elicited by blebbistatin. However, two epidermal sheets without APSs did not make a closure with each other, which was confirmed by inhibiting the connecting AJs between the superficial layers. These results suggest that myosin II activity is required for functional leading-edge cells and for epidermal closure.

Selective, retrieval-independent disruption of methamphetamine-associated memory by actin depolymerization.

PubMed

Young, Erica J; Aceti, Massimiliano; Griggs, Erica M; Fuchs, Rita A; Zigmond, Zachary; Rumbaugh, Gavin; Miller, Courtney A

2014-01-15

Memories associated with drugs of abuse, such as methamphetamine (METH), increase relapse vulnerability to substance use disorder. There is a growing consensus that memory is supported by structural and functional plasticity driven by F-actin polymerization in postsynaptic dendritic spines at excitatory synapses. However, the mechanisms responsible for the long-term maintenance of memories, after consolidation has occurred, are largely unknown. Conditioned place preference (n = 112) and context-induced reinstatement of self-administration (n = 19) were used to assess the role of F-actin polymerization and myosin II, a molecular motor that drives memory-promoting dendritic spine actin polymerization, in the maintenance of METH-associated memories and related structural plasticity. Memories formed through association with METH but not associations with foot shock or food reward were disrupted by a highly-specific actin cycling inhibitor when infused into the amygdala during the postconsolidation maintenance phase. This selective effect of depolymerization on METH-associated memory was immediate, persistent, and did not depend upon retrieval or strength of the association. Inhibition of non-muscle myosin II also resulted in a disruption of METH-associated memory. Thus, drug-associated memories seem to be actively maintained by a unique form of cycling F-actin driven by myosin II. This finding provides a potential therapeutic approach for the selective treatment of unwanted memories associated with psychiatric disorders that is both selective and does not rely on retrieval of the memory. The results further suggest that memory maintenance depends upon the preservation of polymerized actin. Copyright © 2014 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Active turnover regulates pattern formation and stress transmission in disordered acto-myosin networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCall, Patrick; Stam, Samantha; Kovar, David; Gardel, Margaret

The shape and mechanics of animal cells are controlled by a dynamic, thin network of semiflexible actin filaments and myosin-II motor proteins called the actomyosin cortex. Motor-generated stresses in the cortex drive changes in cell shape during cell division and morphogenesis, while dynamic turnover of actin filaments dissipates stress. The relative effects that force generation, force dissipation, and disassembly and reassembly of material have on motion in these networks are unknown. We find that cross-linked actin networks in vitro contract under myosin-generated stresses, resulting in partial filament disassembly, the formation of asters, and clustering of myosin motors. We observe a rapid restoration of uniform polymer density in the presence of the assembly factors which catalyze network turnover through elongation of severed actin filaments. When severing is accelerated further by the addition of a severing protein, network contraction and motor clustering are dramatically suppressed. We test the relative effects of material regeneration and force transmission using image analysis, and conclude that the dominant mechanism for this effect is relatively short-lived stresses that do not propagate over considerable distance or push network deformation into the nonlinear contractile regime we have previously characterized. Our results present a framework to understand cytoskeletal active matter that are influenced by a complex interplay between stress generation, network reorganization, and polymer turnover.

Reciprocal and dynamic polarization of planar cell polarity core components and myosin

PubMed Central

Newman-Smith, Erin; Kourakis, Matthew J; Reeves, Wendy; Veeman, Michael; Smith, William C

2015-01-01

The Ciona notochord displays planar cell polarity (PCP), with anterior localization of Prickle (Pk) and Strabismus (Stbm). We report that a myosin is polarized anteriorly in these cells and strongly colocalizes with Stbm. Disruption of the actin/myosin machinery with cytochalasin or blebbistatin disrupts polarization of Pk and Stbm, but not of myosin complexes, suggesting a PCP-independent aspect of myosin localization. Wash out of cytochalasin restored Pk polarization, but not if done in the presence of blebbistatin, suggesting an active role for myosin in core PCP protein localization. On the other hand, in the pk mutant line, aimless, myosin polarization is disrupted in approximately one third of the cells, indicating a reciprocal action of core PCP signaling on myosin localization. Our results indicate a complex relationship between the actomyosin cytoskeleton and core PCP components in which myosin is not simply a downstream target of PCP signaling, but also required for PCP protein localization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05361.001 PMID:25866928

Rho Kinase (ROCK) collaborates with Pak to Regulate Actin Polymerization and Contraction in Airway Smooth Muscle.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenwu; Bhetwal, Bhupal P; Gunst, Susan J

2018-05-10

The mechanisms by which Rho kinase (ROCK) regulates airway smooth muscle contraction were determined in tracheal smooth muscle tissues. ROCK may mediate smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphatase. ROCK can also regulate F-actin dynamics during cell migration, and actin polymerization is critical for airway smooth muscle contraction. Our results show that ROCK does not regulate airway smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting myosin RLC phosphatase or by stimulating myosin RLC phosphorylation. We find that ROCK regulates airway smooth muscle contraction by activating the serine-threonine kinase Pak, which mediates the activation of Cdc42 and Neuronal-Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (N-WASp). N-WASP transmits signals from cdc42 to the Arp2/3 complex for the nucleation of actin filaments. These results demonstrate a novel molecular function for ROCK in the regulation of Pak and cdc42 activation that is critical for the processes of actin polymerization and contractility in airway smooth muscle. Rho kinase (ROCK), a RhoA GTPase effector, can regulate the contraction of airway and other smooth muscle tissues. In some tissues, ROCK can inhibit myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphatase, which increases the phosphorylation of myosin RLC and promotes smooth muscle contraction. ROCK can also regulate cell motility and migration by affecting F-actin dynamics. Actin polymerization is stimulated by contractile agonists in airway smooth muscle tissues and is required for contractile tension development in addition to myosin RLC phosphorylation. We investigated the mechanisms by which ROCK regulates the contractility of tracheal smooth muscle tissues by expressing a kinase inactive mutant of ROCK, ROCK-K121G, in the tissues or by treating them with the ROCK inhibitor, H-1152P. Our results show no role for ROCK in the regulation of non-muscle or smooth muscle myosin RLC phosphorylation during contractile stimulation in this tissue

Mechanics of composite actin networks: in vitro and cellular perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyaya, Arpita

2014-03-01

Actin filaments and associated actin binding proteins play an essential role in governing the mechanical properties of eukaryotic cells. Even though cells have multiple actin binding proteins (ABPs) that exist simultaneously to maintain the structural and mechanical integrity of the cellular cytoskeleton, how these proteins work together to determine the properties of actin networks is not well understood. The ABP, palladin, is essential for the integrity of cell morphology and movement during development. Palladin coexists with alpha-actinin in stress fibers and focal adhesions and binds to both actin and alpha-actinin. To obtain insight into how mutually interacting actin crosslinking proteins modulate the properties of actin networks, we have characterized the micro-structure and mechanics of actin networks crosslinked with palladin and alpha-actinin. Our studies on composite networks of alpha-actinin/palladin/actin show that palladin and alpha-actinin synergistically determine network viscoelasticity. We have further examined the role of palladin in cellular force generation and mechanosensing. Traction force microscopy revealed that TAFs are sensitive to substrate stiffness as they generate larger forces on substrates of increased stiffness. Contrary to expectations, knocking down palladin increased the forces generated by cells, and also inhibited the ability to sense substrate stiffness for very stiff gels. This was accompanied by significant differences in the actin organization and adhesion dynamics of palladin knock down cells. Perturbation experiments also suggest altered myosin activity in palladin KD cells. Our results suggest that the actin crosslinkers such as palladin and myosin motors coordinate for optimal cell function and to prevent aberrant behavior as in cancer metastasis.

Amnioserosa cell constriction but not epidermal actin cable tension autonomously drives dorsal closure.

PubMed

Pasakarnis, Laurynas; Frei, Erich; Caussinus, Emmanuel; Affolter, Markus; Brunner, Damian

2016-11-01

Tissue morphogenesis requires coordination of multiple force-producing components. During dorsal closure in fly embryogenesis, an epidermis opening closes. A tensioned epidermal actin/MyosinII cable, which surrounds the opening, produces a force that is thought to combine with another MyosinII force mediating apical constriction of the amnioserosa cells that fill the opening. A model proposing that each force could autonomously drive dorsal closure was recently challenged by a model in which the two forces combine in a ratchet mechanism. Acute force elimination via selective MyosinII depletion in one or the other tissue shows that the amnioserosa tissue autonomously drives dorsal closure while the actin/MyosinII cable cannot. These findings exclude both previous models, although a contribution of the ratchet mechanism at dorsal closure onset remains likely. This shifts the current view of dorsal closure being a combinatorial force-component system to a single tissue-driven closure event.

Coupling fission and exit of RAB6 vesicles at Golgi hotspots through kinesin-myosin interactions.

PubMed

Miserey-Lenkei, Stéphanie; Bousquet, Hugo; Pylypenko, Olena; Bardin, Sabine; Dimitrov, Ariane; Bressanelli, Gaëlle; Bonifay, Raja; Fraisier, Vincent; Guillou, Catherine; Bougeret, Cécile; Houdusse, Anne; Echard, Arnaud; Goud, Bruno

2017-11-01

The actin and microtubule cytoskeletons play important roles in Golgi structure and function, but how they are connected remain poorly known. In this study, we investigated whether RAB6 GTPase, a Golgi-associated RAB involved in the regulation of several transport steps at the Golgi level, and two of its effectors, Myosin IIA and KIF20A participate in the coupling between actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. We have previously shown that RAB6-Myosin IIA interaction is critical for the fission of RAB6-positive transport carriers from Golgi/TGN membranes. Here we show that KIF20A is also involved in the fission process and serves to anchor RAB6 on Golgi/TGN membranes near microtubule nucleating sites. We provide evidence that the fission events occur at a limited number of hotspots sites. Our results suggest that coupling between actin and microtubule cytoskeletons driven by Myosin II and KIF20A ensures the spatial coordination between RAB6-positive vesicles fission from Golgi/TGN membranes and their exit along microtubules.

Stochastic dynamics and mechanosensitivity of myosin II minifilaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Philipp J.; Erdmann, Thorsten; Schwarz, Ulrich S.

2014-09-01

Tissue cells are in a state of permanent mechanical tension that is maintained mainly by myosin II minifilaments, which are bipolar assemblies of tens of myosin II molecular motors contracting actin networks and bundles. Here we introduce a stochastic model for myosin II minifilaments as two small myosin II motor ensembles engaging in a stochastic tug-of-war. Each of the two ensembles is described by the parallel cluster model that allows us to use exact stochastic simulations and at the same time to keep important molecular details of the myosin II cross-bridge cycle. Our simulation and analytical results reveal a strong dependence of myosin II minifilament dynamics on environmental stiffness that is reminiscent of the cellular response to substrate stiffness. For small stiffness, minifilaments form transient crosslinks exerting short spikes of force with negligible mean. For large stiffness, minifilaments form near permanent crosslinks exerting a mean force which hardly depends on environmental elasticity. This functional switch arises because dissociation after the power stroke is suppressed by force (catch bonding) and because ensembles can no longer perform the power stroke at large forces. Symmetric myosin II minifilaments perform a random walk with an effective diffusion constant which decreases with increasing ensemble size, as demonstrated for rigid substrates with an analytical treatment.

Centripetal myosin redistribution in thrombin-stimulated platelets. Relationship to platelet Factor 4 secretion.

PubMed

Painter, R G; Ginsberg, M H

1984-11-01

We have examined the F-actin and myosin distribution in resting and thrombin-activated platelets by double label immunofluorescence microscopy. In resting, discoid platelets, F-actin and myosin staining was distributed in a diffuse pattern throughout the interior of the cell with slight accentuation at the cell periphery. In contrast, platelet factor 4 antigen (PF4) was more centrally localized in a fine punctate distribution which is consistent with its localization in alpha-granules. Within 5 sec after thrombin stimulation both F-actin and myosin staining were increased at the periphery of the now spherical platelets. Subsequently, a myosin-containing spherical structure decreased in diameter closely surrounding a phase-dense central zone. In contrast, F-actin staining continued to be accentuated at the cell periphery and was prominent in filopodia and blebs. As previously shown, PF4 staining was localized after 30 sec within large intracellular masses that corresponded to closed vacuolar structures at the ultrastructural level. Morphometric analysis of electron micrographs showed that formation of these vacuolar structures kinetically paralleled alpha-granule disappearance and preceded PF4 release. These PF4-containing structures translocated to the cell periphery after 1-3 min, where they appeared to fuse with the plasma membrane. Ultrastructural analysis of thin sections showed that the myosin-rich spherical structure spatially and temporally correlated with a band of microfilaments that closely surrounded the organelle-rich central zone of the cell. Morphometric analysis of these micrographs showed that the absolute volume of this central zone decreased with time after thrombin addition, showing a significant change after 15 sec and reaching a maximum value after 3-5 min. Changes in the volume of this compartment kinetically preceded PF4 release. On the basis of these data, we propose that an actomyosin contractile force is generated which centripetally

Dynamics at Lys-553 of the acto-myosin interface in the weakly and strongly bound states.

PubMed Central

MacLean, J J; Chrin, L R; Berger, C L

2000-01-01

Lys-553 of skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1 (S1) was specifically labeled with the fluorescent probe FHS (6-[fluorescein-5(and 6)-carboxamido]hexanoic acid succinimidyl ester) and fluorescence quenching experiments were carried out to determine the accessibility of this probe at Lys-553 in both the strongly and weakly actin-bound states of the MgATPase cycle. Solvent quenchers of varying charge [nitromethane, (2,2,6, 6-tetramethyl-1-piperinyloxy) (TEMPO), iodide (I(-)), and thallium (Tl(+))] were used to assess both the steric and electrostatic accessibilities of the FHS probe at Lys-553. In the strongly bound rigor (nucleotide-free) and MgADP states, actin offered no protection from solvent quenching of FHS by nitromethane, TEMPO, or thallium, but did decrease the Stern-Volmer constant by almost a factor of two when iodide was used as the quencher. The protection from iodide quenching was almost fully reversed with the addition of 150 mM KCl, suggesting this effect is ionic in nature rather than steric. Conversely, actin offered no protection from iodide quenching at low ionic strength during steady-state ATP hydrolysis, even with a significant fraction of the myosin heads bound to actin. Thus, the lower 50 kD subdomain of myosin containing Lys-553 appears to interact differently with actin in the weakly and strongly bound states. PMID:10692329

Electron Microscopic Recording of the Power and Recovery Strokes of Individual Myosin Heads Coupled with ATP Hydrolysis: Facts and Implications.

PubMed

Sugi, Haruo; Chaen, Shigeru; Akimoto, Tsuyoshi

2018-05-04

The most straightforward way to get information on the performance of individual myosin heads producing muscle contraction may be to record their movement, coupled with ATP hydrolysis, electron-microscopically using the gas environmental chamber (EC). The EC enables us to visualize and record ATP-induced myosin head movement in hydrated skeletal muscle myosin filaments. When actin filaments are absent, myosin heads fluctuate around a definite neutral position, so that their time-averaged mean position remains unchanged. On application of ATP, myosin heads are found to move away from, but not towards, the bare region, indicating that myosin heads perform a recovery stroke (average amplitude, 6 nm). After exhaustion of ATP, myosin heads return to their neutral position. In the actin⁻myosin filament mixture, myosin heads form rigor actin myosin linkages, and on application of ATP, they perform a power stroke by stretching adjacent elastic structures because of a limited amount of applied ATP ≤ 10 µM. The average amplitude of the power stroke is 3.3 nm and 2.5 nm at the distal and the proximal regions of the myosin head catalytic domain (CAD), respectively. The power stroke amplitude increases appreciably at low ionic strength, which is known to enhance Ca 2+ -activated force in muscle. In both the power and recovery strokes, myosin heads return to their neutral position after exhaustion of ATP.

Unrevealed part of myosin's powerstroke accounts for high efficiency of muscle contraction.

PubMed

Bibó, András; Károlyi, György; Kovács, Mihály

2017-09-01

Myosin II, the motor protein driving muscle contraction, uses energy of ATP hydrolysis to produce movement along actin. The key step of energy transduction is the powerstroke, involving rotation of myosin's lever while myosin is attached to actin. Macroscopic measurements indicated high thermodynamic efficiency for energy conversion. However, single-molecule experiments indicated lower efficiency, provoking a long-standing discrepancy. Based on the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem, we built a sufficiently detailed but low degree-of-freedom model reconstructing the entire mechanoenzymatic cycle. We show that a high axial stiffness of the lever during an initial, experimentally yet unrevealed part of the powerstroke results in a short-time, ratchet-like Kramers effect, and is responsible for the missing efficiency. The second part of the powerstroke is an Eyring-like relaxation that dominantly contributes to lever rotation, but produces only a minor part of the work. The model reveals the structural background of myosin's capability to function as a robust molecular engine and a very precise load sensor as well. Our model also suggests an explanation for the malfunction of myosins harboring mutations that lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathies with most severe clinical prognosis. The model explains how a force-transmitting device within a biological motor can enable high energetic efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

F-actin clustering and cell dysmotility induced by the pathological W148R missense mutation of filamin B at the actin-binding domain.

PubMed

Zhao, Yongtong; Shapiro, Sandor S; Eto, Masumi

2016-01-01

Filamin B (FLNB) is a dimeric actin-binding protein that orchestrates the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Congenital mutations of FLNB at the actin-binding domain (ABD) are known to cause abnormalities of skeletal development, such as atelosteogenesis types I and III and Larsen's syndrome, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, using fluorescence microscopy, we characterized the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in cells expressing each of six pathological FLNB mutants that have been linked to skeletal abnormalities. The subfractionation assay showed a greater accumulation of the FLNB ABD mutants W148R and E227K than the wild-type protein to the cytoskeleton. Ectopic expression of FLNB-W148R and, to a lesser extent, FLNB-E227K induced prominent F-actin accumulations and the consequent rearrangement of focal adhesions, myosin II, and septin filaments and results in a delayed directional migration of the cells. The W148R protein-induced cytoskeletal rearrangement was partially attenuated by the inhibition of myosin II, p21-activated protein kinase, or Rho-associated protein kinase. The expression of a single-head ABD fragment with the mutations partially mimicked the rearrangement induced by the dimer. The F-actin clustering through the interaction with the mutant FLNB ABD may limit the cytoskeletal reorganization, preventing normal skeletal development. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Intermicrotubular actin filaments in the transalar cytoskeletal arrays of Drosophila.

PubMed

Mogensen, M M; Tucker, J B

1988-11-01

Rabbit muscle myosin subfragment S1 decorates 6 nm diameter filaments in Drosophila wing epidermal cells in the arrowhead fashion characteristic of the binding of subfragment S1 to actin filaments. The filaments in question are concentrated between microtubules that are mostly composed of 15 protofilaments and form cell surface-associated transcellular bundles. There are indications that the majority of the actin filaments have the same polarity and that, like the microtubules, they may elongate from sites at the apical surfaces of the cells. The bundles of F actin and microtubules occur in dorsal and ventral epidermal cell layers of a wing blade. They are joined in dorso-ventral pairs by attachment desmosomes. These transalar cytoskeletal arrays may provide an example of a situation where actin filaments operate as stiffeners rather than active generators of force in conjunction with myosin. The arrays probably function as noncontractile pillars to maintain basal cell extensions and keep haemocoelic spaces open in the highly folded and expanding wing blades of late pupae.

The role of a Sertoli cell actin-myosin system in sperm bundle formation in the ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei (Chondrichthyes, Holocephali).

PubMed

Stanley, H P; Lambert, C C

1985-11-01

Sertoli cells in the ratfish entirely surround a clone of spermatids to form a spermatocyst. As spermiogenesis proceeds within the cyst cavity, the acrosome areas become apposed to the Sertoli cell plasma membrane lining the spermatocyst. The spermatids elongate and are gathered into an increasingly compact bundle oriented with acrosomal tips directed toward the Sertoli cell base. As all acrosome areas move closer together, Sertoli cell microfilaments oriented parallel to the long spermatid axis appear and increase in concentration. Actin and myosin were demonstrated in the microfilament area with fluorescent antibodies and NBD-Phallacidin. Simultaneously, endocytosis of Sertoli cell membrane between spermatid attachment sites removes the intervening membrane and allows the latter sites to approach each other. Sertoli cell endocytosis is spatially and temporally related to a unique projection at the basal rim of each acrosome. During midspermiogenesis, structured intercellular material appears between the Sertoli cell and the acrosomal region of each spermatid. Its periodicity is closely related to periodic arrangement of Sertoli cell actin and material within the spermatids. These attachment sites move together upon endocytosis, gathering a clone of spermatids into a closely packed bundle.

Structural dynamics of F-actin: I. Changes in the C terminus.

PubMed

Orlova, A; Egelman, E H

1995-02-03

The biochemical properties of G-actin, and the kinetics of polymerization of G-actin into F-actin, are dependent upon whether Mg2+ or Ca2+ is bound at the high-affinity metal-binding site in actin. Three-dimensional reconstructions from electron micrographs show that a bridge of density, that we interpret as arising from a major shift of the C terminus, exists between the two strands of the filament in Ca(2+)-actin that is absent in Mg(2+)-actin. This bridge is also absent in models of F-actin built from an atomic structure of G-Ca(2+)-actin. The cleavage of the DNase I-binding loop in actin between residues 42 and 43, with the non-covalent association of the 42 cleaved residues with the remainder of the actin, induces an even larger bridge of density between the two strands. When the bridge is absent, the two C-terminal residues in F-actin are easily cleaved by trypsin, while these residues become increasingly resistant to tryptic cleavage as the bridge becomes more prominent. Conversely, cleavage of the two C-terminal residues leads to a conformational change in the DNase I-binding loop. Since both the DNase I-binding loop and the metal-binding site are quite distant from the C terminus, large allosteric effects must exist in F-actin. The conformational change in F-actin that results from the creation of this bridge may be induced by myosin binding, since this movement generates changes in actin's diffraction that are very similar to the changes in the muscle X-ray pattern during activation that are associated with the binding of myosin to the thin filament.

Minimum number of myosin motors accounting for shortening velocity under zero load in skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Fusi, Luca; Percario, Valentina; Brunello, Elisabetta; Caremani, Marco; Bianco, Pasquale; Powers, Joseph D; Reconditi, Massimo; Lombardi, Vincenzo; Piazzesi, Gabriella

2017-02-15

Myosin filament mechanosensing determines the efficiency of the contraction by adapting the number of switched ON motors to the load. Accordingly, the unloaded shortening velocity (V 0 ) is already set at the end of latency relaxation (LR), ∼10 ms after the start of stimulation, when the myosin filament is still in the OFF state. Here the number of actin-attached motors per half-myosin filament (n) during V 0 shortening imposed either at the end of LR or at the plateau of the isometric contraction is estimated from the relation between half-sarcomere compliance and force during the force redevelopment after shortening. The value of n decreases progressively with shortening and, during V 0 shortening starting at the end of LR, is 1-4. Reduction of n is accounted for by a constant duty ratio of 0.05 and a parallel switching OFF of motors, explaining the very low rate of ATP utilization found during unloaded shortening. The maximum velocity at which a skeletal muscle can shorten (i.e. the velocity of sliding between the myosin filament and the actin filament under zero load, V 0 ) is already set at the end of the latency relaxation (LR) preceding isometric force generation, ∼10 ms after the start of electrical stimulation in frog muscle fibres at 4°C. At this time, Ca 2+ -induced activation of the actin filament is maximal, while the myosin filament is in the OFF state characterized by most of the myosin motors lying on helical tracks on the filament surface, making them unavailable for actin binding and ATP hydrolysis. Here, the number of actin-attached motors per half-thick filament during V 0 shortening (n) is estimated by imposing, on tetanized single fibres from Rana esculenta (at 4°C and sarcomere length 2.15 μm), small 4 kHz oscillations and determining the relation between half-sarcomere (hs) compliance and force during the force development following V 0 shortening. When V 0 shortening is superimposed on the maximum isometric force T 0 , n

Actin cable distribution and dynamics arising from cross-linking, motor pulling, and filament turnover

PubMed Central

Tang, Haosu; Laporte, Damien; Vavylonis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

The growth of fission yeast relies on the polymerization of actin filaments nucleated by formin For3p, which localizes at tip cortical sites. These actin filaments bundle to form actin cables that span the cell and guide the movement of vesicles toward the cell tips. A big challenge is to develop a quantitative understanding of these cellular actin structures. We used computer simulations to study the spatial and dynamical properties of actin cables. We simulated individual actin filaments as semiflexible polymers in three dimensions composed of beads connected with springs. Polymerization out of For3p cortical sites, bundling by cross-linkers, pulling by type V myosin, and severing by cofilin are simulated as growth, cross-linking, pulling, and turnover of the semiflexible polymers. With the foregoing mechanisms, the model generates actin cable structures and dynamics similar to those observed in live-cell experiments. Our simulations reproduce the particular actin cable structures in myoVΔ cells and predict the effect of increased myosin V pulling. Increasing cross-linking parameters generates thicker actin cables. It also leads to antiparallel and parallel phases with straight or curved cables, consistent with observations of cells overexpressing α-actinin. Finally, the model predicts that clustering of formins at cell tips promotes actin cable formation. PMID:25103242

Regulatory light chain mutants linked to heart disease modify the cardiac myosin lever arm.

PubMed

Burghardt, Thomas P; Sikkink, Laura A

2013-02-19

Myosin is the chemomechanical energy transducer in striated heart muscle. The myosin cross-bridge applies impulsive force to actin while consuming ATP chemical energy to propel myosin thick filaments relative to actin thin filaments in the fiber. Transduction begins with ATP hydrolysis in the cross-bridge driving rotary movement of a lever arm converting torque into linear displacement. Myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) binds to the lever arm and modifies its ability to translate actin. Gene sequencing implicated several RLC mutations in heart disease, and three of them are investigated here using photoactivatable GFP-tagged RLC (RLC-PAGFP) exchanged into permeabilized papillary muscle fibers. A single-lever arm probe orientation is detected in the crowded environment of the muscle fiber by using RLC-PAGFP with dipole orientation deduced from the three-spatial dimension fluorescence emission pattern of the single molecule. Symmetry and selection rules locate dipoles in their half-sarcomere, identify those at the minimal free energy, and specify active dipole contraction intermediates. Experiments were performed in a microfluidic chamber designed for isometric contraction, total internal reflection fluorescence detection, and two-photon excitation second harmonic generation to evaluate sarcomere length. The RLC-PAGFP reports apparently discretized lever arm orientation intermediates in active isometric fibers that on average produce the stall force. Disease-linked mutants introduced into RLC move intermediate occupancy further down the free energy gradient, implying lever arms rotate more to reach stall force because mutant RLC increases lever arm shear strain. A lower free energy intermediate occupancy involves a lower energy conversion efficiency in the fiber relating a specific myosin function modification to the disease-implicated mutant.

Myosin Storage Myopathy in C. elegans and Human Cultured Muscle Cells

PubMed Central

Dahl-Halvarsson, Martin; Pokrzywa, Malgorzata; Rauthan, Manish; Pilon, Marc

2017-01-01

Myosin storage myopathy is a protein aggregate myopathy associated with the characteristic subsarcolemmal accumulation of myosin heavy chain in muscle fibers. Despite similar histological findings, the clinical severity and age of onset are highly variable, ranging from no weakness to severe impairment of ambulation, and usually childhood-onset to onset later in life. Mutations located in the distal end of the tail of slow/ß-cardiac myosin heavy chain are associated with myosin storage myopathy. Four missense mutations (L1793P, R1845W, E1883K and H1901L), two of which have been reported in several unrelated families, are located within or closed to the assembly competence domain. This location is critical for the proper assembly of sarcomeric myosin rod filaments. To assess the mechanisms leading to protein aggregation in myosin storage myopathy and to evaluate the impact of these mutations on myosin assembly and muscle function, we expressed mutated myosin proteins in cultured human muscle cells and in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. While L1793P mutant myosin protein efficiently incorporated into the sarcomeric thick filaments, R1845W and H1901L mutants were prone to formation of myosin aggregates without assembly into striated sarcomeric thick filaments in cultured muscle cells. In C. elegans, mutant alleles of the myosin heavy chain gene unc-54 corresponding to R1845W, E1883K and H1901L, were as effective as the wild-type myosin gene in rescuing the null mutant worms, indicating that they retain functionality. Taken together, our results suggest that the basis for the pathogenic effect of the R1845W and H1901L mutations are primarily structural rather than functional. Further analyses are needed to identify the primary trigger for the histological changes seen in muscle biopsies of patients with L1793P and E1883K mutations. PMID:28125727

Myosin Storage Myopathy in C. elegans and Human Cultured Muscle Cells.

PubMed

Dahl-Halvarsson, Martin; Pokrzywa, Malgorzata; Rauthan, Manish; Pilon, Marc; Tajsharghi, Homa

2017-01-01

Myosin storage myopathy is a protein aggregate myopathy associated with the characteristic subsarcolemmal accumulation of myosin heavy chain in muscle fibers. Despite similar histological findings, the clinical severity and age of onset are highly variable, ranging from no weakness to severe impairment of ambulation, and usually childhood-onset to onset later in life. Mutations located in the distal end of the tail of slow/ß-cardiac myosin heavy chain are associated with myosin storage myopathy. Four missense mutations (L1793P, R1845W, E1883K and H1901L), two of which have been reported in several unrelated families, are located within or closed to the assembly competence domain. This location is critical for the proper assembly of sarcomeric myosin rod filaments. To assess the mechanisms leading to protein aggregation in myosin storage myopathy and to evaluate the impact of these mutations on myosin assembly and muscle function, we expressed mutated myosin proteins in cultured human muscle cells and in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. While L1793P mutant myosin protein efficiently incorporated into the sarcomeric thick filaments, R1845W and H1901L mutants were prone to formation of myosin aggregates without assembly into striated sarcomeric thick filaments in cultured muscle cells. In C. elegans, mutant alleles of the myosin heavy chain gene unc-54 corresponding to R1845W, E1883K and H1901L, were as effective as the wild-type myosin gene in rescuing the null mutant worms, indicating that they retain functionality. Taken together, our results suggest that the basis for the pathogenic effect of the R1845W and H1901L mutations are primarily structural rather than functional. Further analyses are needed to identify the primary trigger for the histological changes seen in muscle biopsies of patients with L1793P and E1883K mutations.

Cell migration without a lamellipodium: translation of actin dynamics into cell movement mediated by tropomyosin.

PubMed

Gupton, Stephanie L; Anderson, Karen L; Kole, Thomas P; Fischer, Robert S; Ponti, Aaron; Hitchcock-DeGregori, Sarah E; Danuser, Gaudenz; Fowler, Velia M; Wirtz, Denis; Hanein, Dorit; Waterman-Storer, Clare M

2005-02-14

The actin cytoskeleton is locally regulated for functional specializations for cell motility. Using quantitative fluorescent speckle microscopy (qFSM) of migrating epithelial cells, we previously defined two distinct F-actin networks based on their F-actin-binding proteins and distinct patterns of F-actin turnover and movement. The lamellipodium consists of a treadmilling F-actin array with rapid polymerization-dependent retrograde flow and contains high concentrations of Arp2/3 and ADF/cofilin, whereas the lamella exhibits spatially random punctae of F-actin assembly and disassembly with slow myosin-mediated retrograde flow and contains myosin II and tropomyosin (TM). In this paper, we microinjected skeletal muscle alphaTM into epithelial cells, and using qFSM, electron microscopy, and immunolocalization show that this inhibits functional lamellipodium formation. Cells with inhibited lamellipodia exhibit persistent leading edge protrusion and rapid cell migration. Inhibition of endogenous long TM isoforms alters protrusion persistence. Thus, cells can migrate with inhibited lamellipodia, and we suggest that TM is a major regulator of F-actin functional specialization in migrating cells.

Smooth muscle myosin isoform expression and LC20 phosphorylation in innate rat airway hyperresponsiveness.

PubMed

Gil, Fulvio R; Zitouni, Nedjma B; Azoulay, Eric; Maghni, Karim; Lauzon, Anne-Marie

2006-11-01

Four smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC) isoforms are generated by alternative mRNA splicing of a single gene. Two of these isoforms differ by the presence [(+)insert] or absence [(-)insert] of a 7-amino acid insert in the motor domain. The rate of actin filament propulsion of the (+)insert SMMHC isoform, as measured in the in vitro motility assay, is twofold greater than that of the (-)insert isoform. We hypothesized that a greater expression of the (+)insert SMMHC isoform and greater regulatory light chain (LC(20)) phosphorylation contribute to airway hyperresponsiveness. We measured airway responsiveness to methacholine in Fischer hyperresponsive and Lewis normoresponsive rats and determined SMMHC isoform mRNA and protein expression, as well as essential light chain (LC(17)) isoforms, h-caldesmon, and alpha-actin protein expression in their tracheae. We also measured tracheal muscle strip contractility in response to methacholine and corresponding LC(20) phosphorylation. We found Fischer rats have more (+)insert mRNA (69.4 +/- 2.0%) (mean +/- SE) than Lewis rats (53.0 +/- 2.4%; P < 0.05) and a 44% greater content of (+)insert isoform relative to total myosin protein. No difference was found for LC(17) isoform, h-caldesmon, and alpha-actin expression. The contractility experiments revealed a greater isometric force for Fischer trachealis segments (4.2 +/- 0.8 mN) than Lewis (1.9 +/- 0.4 mN; P < 0.05) and greater LC(20) phosphorylation level in Fischer (55.1 +/- 6.4) than in Lewis (41.4 +/- 6.1; P < 0.05) rats. These results further support the contention that innate airway hyperresponsiveness is a multifactorial disorder in which increased expression of the fast (+)insert SMMHC isoform and greater activation of LC(20) lead to smooth muscle hypercontractility.

In vivo myosin step-size from zebrafish skeletal muscle

PubMed Central

Ajtai, Katalin; Sun, Xiaojing; Takubo, Naoko; Wang, Yihua

2016-01-01

Muscle myosins transduce ATP free energy into actin displacement to power contraction. In vivo, myosin side chains are modified post-translationally under native conditions, potentially impacting function. Single myosin detection provides the ‘bottom-up’ myosin characterization probing basic mechanisms without ambiguities inherent to ensemble observation. Macroscopic muscle physiological experimentation provides the definitive ‘top-down’ phenotype characterizations that are the concerns in translational medicine. In vivo single myosin detection in muscle from zebrafish embryo models for human muscle fulfils ambitions for both bottom-up and top-down experimentation. A photoactivatable green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged myosin light chain expressed in transgenic zebrafish skeletal muscle specifically modifies the myosin lever-arm. Strychnine induces the simultaneous contraction of the bilateral tail muscles in a live embryo, causing them to be isometric while active. Highly inclined thin illumination excites the GFP tag of single lever-arms and its super-resolution orientation is measured from an active isometric muscle over a time sequence covering many transduction cycles. Consecutive frame lever-arm angular displacement converts to step-size by its product with the estimated lever-arm length. About 17% of the active myosin steps that fall between 2 and 7 nm are implicated as powerstrokes because they are beyond displacements detected from either relaxed or ATP-depleted (rigor) muscle. PMID:27249818

Structural basis for drug-induced allosteric changes to human β-cardiac myosin motor activity

PubMed Central

Winkelmann, Donald A.; Forgacs, Eva; Miller, Matthew T.; Stock, Ann M.

2015-01-01

Omecamtiv Mecarbil (OM) is a small molecule allosteric effector of cardiac myosin that is in clinical trials for treatment of systolic heart failure. A detailed kinetic analysis of cardiac myosin has shown that the drug accelerates phosphate release by shifting the equilibrium of the hydrolysis step towards products, leading to a faster transition from weak to strong actin-bound states. The structure of the human β-cardiac motor domain (cMD) with OM bound reveals a single OM-binding site nestled in a narrow cleft separating two domains of the human cMD where it interacts with the key residues that couple lever arm movement to the nucleotide state. In addition, OM induces allosteric changes in three strands of the β-sheet that provides the communication link between the actin-binding interface and the nucleotide pocket. The OM-binding interactions and allosteric changes form the structural basis for the kinetic and mechanical tuning of cardiac myosin. PMID:26246073

Isolation, properties and P content of the human brain myosin.

PubMed

Fazekas, S; Ováry, I; Horváth, E; Székessy-Hermann, V; Juhász, P

1982-01-01

KCl-, and NaCl-myosins were prepared from different parts of the central nervous system (CNS). Throughout these experiments P and lipid contents were higher in NaCl-myosins than in KCl-preparations. Both KCl-, and NaCl-myosins have increased lipid and P contents compared with skeletal muscle myosins. When the specimens were separated by a molecular sieve, it was found by chromatographic technique on Sepharose 4B column that the cerebral and cerebellar myosins were composed of two fractions of different molecular mass while the brain stem and spinal cord myosins revealed only a single peak. The myosin fractions' Ca-ATPase activity could be augmented by rabbit muscle actin. The myosin preparations developed filamentous systems and aggregates which could be shown by scanning electron microscopy. All the CNS-myosin preparations could be phosphorylated; however, they were saturated to a different degree and were influenced by the presence or absence of serotonin. The kinetic studies revealed that the phosphate saturation of the brain stem, cerebellar and cerebral myosins depended on the ATP concentration and incubation time. The alkaline hydrolysates of lipid-free human brain myosin preparations contained amino acid phosphates, P-Arg, P-Lys and P-His in different amounts depending on their sources. In response to a phosphorylating mixture only the amount of P-Arg was elevated in the cerebral myosins, P-Arg and P-His in the brain stem preparations, and P-Arg, P-His and the amounts of unidentified compounds in the cerebellar ones.

Xenopus egg cytoplasm with intact actin.

PubMed

Field, Christine M; Nguyen, Phuong A; Ishihara, Keisuke; Groen, Aaron C; Mitchison, Timothy J

2014-01-01

We report optimized methods for preparing Xenopus egg extracts without cytochalasin D, that we term "actin-intact egg extract." These are undiluted egg cytoplasm that contains abundant organelles, and glycogen which supplies energy, and represents the least perturbed cell-free cytoplasm preparation we know of. We used this system to probe cell cycle regulation of actin and myosin-II dynamics (Field et al., 2011), and to reconstitute the large, interphase asters that organize early Xenopus embryos (Mitchison et al., 2012; Wühr, Tan, Parker, Detrich, & Mitchison, 2010). Actin-intact Xenopus egg extracts are useful for analysis of actin dynamics, and interaction of actin with other cytoplasmic systems, in a cell-free system that closely mimics egg physiology, and more generally for probing the biochemistry and biophysics of the egg, zygote, and early embryo. Detailed protocols are provided along with assays used to check cell cycle state and tips for handling and storing undiluted egg extracts. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Balance between cell-substrate adhesion and myosin contraction determines the frequency of motility initiation in fish keratocytes.

PubMed

Barnhart, Erin; Lee, Kun-Chun; Allen, Greg M; Theriot, Julie A; Mogilner, Alex

2015-04-21

Cells are dynamic systems capable of spontaneously switching among stable states. One striking example of this is spontaneous symmetry breaking and motility initiation in fish epithelial keratocytes. Although the biochemical and mechanical mechanisms that control steady-state migration in these cells have been well characterized, the mechanisms underlying symmetry breaking are less well understood. In this work, we have combined experimental manipulations of cell-substrate adhesion strength and myosin activity, traction force measurements, and mathematical modeling to develop a comprehensive mechanical model for symmetry breaking and motility initiation in fish epithelial keratocytes. Our results suggest that stochastic fluctuations in adhesion strength and myosin localization drive actin network flow rates in the prospective cell rear above a critical threshold. Above this threshold, high actin flow rates induce a nonlinear switch in adhesion strength, locally switching adhesions from gripping to slipping and further accelerating actin flow in the prospective cell rear, resulting in rear retraction and motility initiation. We further show, both experimentally and with model simulations, that the global levels of adhesion strength and myosin activity control the stability of the stationary state: The frequency of symmetry breaking decreases with increasing adhesion strength and increases with increasing myosin contraction. Thus, the relative strengths of two opposing mechanical forces--contractility and cell-substrate adhesion--determine the likelihood of spontaneous symmetry breaking and motility initiation.

Sarcomere-length dependence of myosin filament structure in skeletal muscle fibres of the frog.

PubMed

Reconditi, Massimo; Brunello, Elisabetta; Fusi, Luca; Linari, Marco; Martinez, Manuel Fernandez; Lombardi, Vincenzo; Irving, Malcolm; Piazzesi, Gabriella

2014-03-01

X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded at beamline ID02 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility from small bundles of skeletal muscle fibres from Rana esculenta at sarcomere lengths between 2.1 and 3.5 μm at 4°C. The intensities of the X-ray reflections from resting fibres associated with the quasi-helical order of the myosin heads and myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C) decreased in the sarcomere length range 2.6-3.0 μm but were constant outside it, suggesting that an OFF conformation of the thick filament is maintained by an interaction between MyBP-C and the thin filaments. During active isometric contraction the intensity of the M3 reflection from the regular repeat of the myosin heads along the filaments decreased in proportion to the overlap between thick and thin filaments, with no change in its interference fine structure. Thus, myosin heads in the regions of the thick filaments that do not overlap with thin filaments are highly disordered during isometric contraction, in contrast to their quasi-helical order at rest. Heads in the overlap region that belong to two-headed myosin molecules that are fully detached from actin are also highly disordered, in contrast to the detached partners of actin-attached heads. These results provide strong support for the concept of a regulatory structural transition in the thick filament involving changes in both the organisation of the myosin heads on its surface and the axial periodicity of the myosin tails in its backbone, mediated by an interaction between MyBP-C and the thin filaments.

Sarcomere-length dependence of myosin filament structure in skeletal muscle fibres of the frog

PubMed Central

Reconditi, Massimo; Brunello, Elisabetta; Fusi, Luca; Linari, Marco; Martinez, Manuel Fernandez; Lombardi, Vincenzo; Irving, Malcolm; Piazzesi, Gabriella

2014-01-01

X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded at beamline ID02 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility from small bundles of skeletal muscle fibres from Rana esculenta at sarcomere lengths between 2.1 and 3.5 μm at 4°C. The intensities of the X-ray reflections from resting fibres associated with the quasi-helical order of the myosin heads and myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C) decreased in the sarcomere length range 2.6–3.0 μm but were constant outside it, suggesting that an OFF conformation of the thick filament is maintained by an interaction between MyBP-C and the thin filaments. During active isometric contraction the intensity of the M3 reflection from the regular repeat of the myosin heads along the filaments decreased in proportion to the overlap between thick and thin filaments, with no change in its interference fine structure. Thus, myosin heads in the regions of the thick filaments that do not overlap with thin filaments are highly disordered during isometric contraction, in contrast to their quasi-helical order at rest. Heads in the overlap region that belong to two-headed myosin molecules that are fully detached from actin are also highly disordered, in contrast to the detached partners of actin-attached heads. These results provide strong support for the concept of a regulatory structural transition in the thick filament involving changes in both the organisation of the myosin heads on its surface and the axial periodicity of the myosin tails in its backbone, mediated by an interaction between MyBP-C and the thin filaments. PMID:24344169

STEF/TIAM2-mediated Rac1 activity at the nuclear envelope regulates the perinuclear actin cap.

PubMed

Woroniuk, Anna; Porter, Andrew; White, Gavin; Newman, Daniel T; Diamantopoulou, Zoi; Waring, Thomas; Rooney, Claire; Strathdee, Douglas; Marston, Daniel J; Hahn, Klaus M; Sansom, Owen J; Zech, Tobias; Malliri, Angeliki

2018-05-29

The perinuclear actin cap is an important cytoskeletal structure that regulates nuclear morphology and re-orientation during front-rear polarisation. The mechanisms regulating the actin cap are currently poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that STEF/TIAM2, a Rac1 selective guanine nucleotide exchange factor, localises at the nuclear envelope, co-localising with the key perinuclear proteins Nesprin-2G and Non-muscle myosin IIB (NMMIIB), where it regulates perinuclear Rac1 activity. We show that STEF depletion reduces apical perinuclear actin cables (a phenotype rescued by targeting active Rac1 to the nuclear envelope), increases nuclear height and impairs nuclear re-orientation. STEF down-regulation also reduces perinuclear pMLC and decreases myosin-generated tension at the nuclear envelope, suggesting that STEF-mediated Rac1 activity regulates NMMIIB activity to promote stabilisation of the perinuclear actin cap. Finally, STEF depletion decreases nuclear stiffness and reduces expression of TAZ-regulated genes, indicating an alteration in mechanosensing pathways as a consequence of disruption of the actin cap.

Cellular chirality arising from the self-organization of the actin cytoskeleton.

PubMed

Tee, Yee Han; Shemesh, Tom; Thiagarajan, Visalatchi; Hariadi, Rizal Fajar; Anderson, Karen L; Page, Christopher; Volkmann, Niels; Hanein, Dorit; Sivaramakrishnan, Sivaraj; Kozlov, Michael M; Bershadsky, Alexander D

2015-04-01

Cellular mechanisms underlying the development of left-right asymmetry in tissues and embryos remain obscure. Here, the development of a chiral pattern of actomyosin was revealed by studying actin cytoskeleton self-organization in cells with isotropic circular shape. A radially symmetrical system of actin bundles consisting of α-actinin-enriched radial fibres (RFs) and myosin-IIA-enriched transverse fibres (TFs) evolved spontaneously into the chiral system as a result of the unidirectional tilting of all RFs, which was accompanied by a tangential shift in the retrograde movement of TFs. We showed that myosin-IIA-dependent contractile stresses within TFs drive their movement along RFs, which grow centripetally in a formin-dependent fashion. The handedness of the chiral pattern was shown to be regulated by α-actinin-1. Computational modelling demonstrated that the dynamics of the RF-TF system can explain the pattern transition from radial to chiral. Thus, actin cytoskeleton self-organization provides built-in machinery that potentially allows cells to develop left-right asymmetry.

Cold-sensitive mutants G680V and G691C of Dictyostelium myosin II confer dramatically different biochemical defects.

PubMed

Patterson, B; Ruppel, K M; Wu, Y; Spudich, J A

1997-10-31

Cold-sensitive myosin mutants represent powerful tools for dissecting discrete deficiencies in myosin function. Biochemical characterization of two such mutants, G680V and G691C, has allowed us to identify separate facets of myosin motor function perturbed by each alteration. Compared with wild type, the G680V myosin exhibits a substantially enhanced affinity for several nucleotides, decreased ATPase activity, and overoccupancy or creation of a novel strongly actin-binding state. The properties of the novel strong binding state are consistent with a partial arrest or pausing at the onset of the mechanical stroke. The G691C mutant, on the other hand, exhibits an elevated basal ATPase indicative of premature phosphate release. By releasing phosphate without a requirement for actin binding, the G691C can bypass the part of the cycle involving the mechanical stroke. The two mutants, despite having alterations in glycine residues separated by only 11 residues, have dramatically different consequences on the mechanochemical cycle.

Omecamtiv mercabil and blebbistatin modulate cardiac contractility by perturbing the regulatory state of the myosin filament.

PubMed

Kampourakis, Thomas; Zhang, Xuemeng; Sun, Yin-Biao; Irving, Malcolm

2018-01-01

Omecamtiv mecarbil and blebbistatin perturb the regulatory state of the thick filament in heart muscle. Omecamtiv mecarbil increases contractility at low levels of activation by stabilizing the ON state of the thick filament. Omecamtiv mecarbil decreases contractility at high levels of activation by disrupting the acto-myosin ATPase cycle. Blebbistatin reduces contractility by stabilizing the thick filament OFF state and inhibiting acto-myosin ATPase. Thick filament regulation is a promising target for novel therapeutics in heart disease. Contraction of heart muscle is triggered by a transient rise in intracellular free calcium concentration linked to a change in the structure of the actin-containing thin filaments that allows the head or motor domains of myosin from the thick filaments to bind to them and induce filament sliding. It is becoming increasingly clear that cardiac contractility is also regulated through structural changes in the thick filaments, although the molecular mechanisms underlying thick filament regulation are still relatively poorly understood. Here we investigated those mechanisms using small molecules - omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) and blebbistatin (BS) - that bind specifically to myosin and respectively activate or inhibit contractility in demembranated cardiac muscle cells. We measured isometric force and ATP utilization at different calcium and small-molecule concentrations in parallel with in situ structural changes determined using fluorescent probes on the myosin regulatory light chain in the thick filaments and on troponin C in the thin filaments. The results show that BS inhibits contractility and actin-myosin ATPase by stabilizing the OFF state of the thick filament in which myosin head domains are more parallel to the filament axis. In contrast, OM stabilizes the ON state of the thick filament, but inhibits contractility at high intracellular calcium concentration by disrupting the actin-myosin ATPase pathway. The effects of BS and OM

Kinetics of Binding of Caldesmon to Actin*

PubMed Central

Chalovich, Joseph M.; Chen, Yi-der; Dudek, Ronald; Luo, Hai

2005-01-01

The time course of interaction of caldesmon with actin may be monitored by fluorescence changes that occur upon the binding of 12-(N-methyl-N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-l,3-diazol-4-yl))-labeled caldesmon to actin or to acrylodan actin. The concentration dependence of the observed rate of caldesmon-actin binding was analyzed to a first approximation as a single-step reaction using a Monte Carlo simulation. The derived association and dissociation rates were 107 m−1 s−1 and 18.2 s−1, respectively. Smooth muscle tropomyosin enhances the binding of caldesmon to actin, and this was found to be due to a reduction in the rate of dissociation to 6.3 s −1. There is no evidence from this study for a different mechanism of binding in the presence of tropomyosin. The fluorescence changes that occurred with the binding of 12-(N-methyl-N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-l,3-diazol-4-yl))-labeled caldesmon to actin or actin-tropomyosin were reversed by the addition of myosin subfragment 1 as predicted by a competitive binding mechanism. PMID:7730374

Human deafness mutation E385D disrupts the mechanochemical coupling and subcellular targeting of myosin-1a.

PubMed

Yengo, Christopher M; Ananthanarayanan, Shobana K; Brosey, Chris A; Mao, Suli; Tyska, Matthew J

2008-01-15

Missense mutations in the membrane-binding actin-based motor protein, myosin-1a (Myo1a), have recently been linked to sensorineural deafness in humans. One of these mutations, E385D, impacts a residue in the switch II region of the motor domain that is present in virtually all members of the myosin superfamily. We sought to examine the impact of E385D on the function of Myo1a, both in terms of mechanochemical activity and ability to target to actin-rich microvilli in polarized epithelial cells. While E385D-Myo1a demonstrated actin-activated ATPase activity, the V(MAX) was reduced threefold relative to wild-type. Despite maintaining an active mechanochemical cycle, E385D-Myo1a was unable to move actin in the sliding filament assay. Intriguingly, when an enhanced-green-fluorescent-protein-tagged form of E385D-Myo1a was stably expressed in polarized epithelial cells, this mutation abolished the microvillar targeting normally demonstrated by wild-type Myo1a. Notably, these data are the first to suggest that mechanical activity is essential for proper localization of Myo1a in microvilli. These studies also provide a unique example of how even the most mild substitution of invariant switch II residues can effectively uncouple enzymatic and mechanical activity of the myosin motor domain.

Drosophila non-muscle myosin II motor activity determines the rate of tissue folding

PubMed Central

Vasquez, Claudia G; Heissler, Sarah M; Billington, Neil; Sellers, James R; Martin, Adam C

2016-01-01

Non-muscle cell contractility is critical for tissues to adopt shape changes. Although, the non-muscle myosin II holoenzyme (myosin) is a molecular motor that powers contraction of actin cytoskeleton networks, recent studies have questioned the importance of myosin motor activity cell and tissue shape changes. Here, combining the biochemical analysis of enzymatic and motile properties for purified myosin mutants with in vivo measurements of apical constriction for the same mutants, we show that in vivo constriction rate scales with myosin motor activity. We show that so-called phosphomimetic mutants of the Drosophila regulatory light chain (RLC) do not mimic the phosphorylated RLC state in vitro. The defect in the myosin motor activity in these mutants is evident in developing Drosophila embryos where tissue recoil following laser ablation is decreased compared to wild-type tissue. Overall, our data highlights that myosin activity is required for rapid cell contraction and tissue folding in developing Drosophila embryos. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20828.001 PMID:28035903

Fetal myosin immunoreactivity in human dystrophic muscle.

PubMed

Schiaffino, S; Gorza, L; Dones, I; Cornelio, F; Sartore, S

1986-01-01

We report immunofluorescence observations on normal and dystrophic human muscle using an antibody (anti-bF) raised against bovine fetal myosin and specific for fetal myosin heavy chains. In rat skeletal muscle, anti-bF was previously found to react selectively with myosin isoforms expressed during fetal and early postnatal development and in regenerating muscles. Anti-bF stained most fibers in human fetal and neonatal muscle, whereas only nuclear chain fibers of muscle spindles were labeled in normal adult muscle. In muscle biopsies from patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, numerous extrafusal fibers were stained: some were small regenerating fibers, others were larger fibers presumably resulting from previous regenerative events. Fetal myosin immunoreactivity in Duchenne's dystrophy appears to reflect the reexpression of fetal-specific myosin isoforms and provides a new valuable tool for identifying regenerating fibers and following their destiny in dystrophic muscle.

Toxoplasma Actin Is Required for Efficient Host Cell Invasion.

PubMed

Drewry, Lisa L; Sibley, L David

2015-06-16

Apicomplexan parasites actively invade host cells using a mechanism predicted to be powered by a parasite actin-dependent myosin motor. In the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii, inducible knockout of the actin gene, ACT1, was recently demonstrated to limit but not completely abolish invasion. This observation has led to the provocative suggestion that T. gondii possesses alternative, ACT1-independent invasion pathways. Here, we dissected the residual invasive ability of Δact1 parasites. Surprisingly, we were able to detect residual ACT1 protein in inducible Δact1 parasites as long as 5 days after ACT1 deletion. We further found that the longer Δact1 parasites were propagated after ACT1 deletion, the more severe an invasion defect was observed. Both findings are consistent with the quantity of residual ACT1 retained in Δact1 parasites being responsible for their invasive ability. Furthermore, invasion by the Δact1 parasites was also sensitive to the actin polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin D. Finally, there was no clear defect in attachment to host cells or moving junction formation by Δact1 parasites. However, Δact1 parasites often exhibited delayed entry into host cells, suggesting a defect specific to the penetration stage of invasion. Overall, our results support a model where residual ACT1 protein retained in inducible Δact1 parasites facilitates their limited invasive ability and confirm that parasite actin is essential for efficient penetration into host cells during invasion. The prevailing model for apicomplexan invasion has recently been suggested to require major revision, based on studies where core components of the invasion machinery were genetically disrupted using a Cre-Lox-based inducible knockout system. For the myosin component of the motor thought to power invasion, an alternative parasite myosin was recently demonstrated to functionally compensate for loss of the primary myosin involved in invasion. Here, we highlight a second

Adult fast myosin pattern and Ca2+-induced slow myosin pattern in primary skeletal muscle culture

PubMed Central

Kubis, Hans-Peter; Haller, Ernst-August; Wetzel, Petra; Gros, Gerolf

1997-01-01

A primary muscle cell culture derived from newborn rabbit muscle and growing on microcarriers in suspension was established. When cultured for several weeks, the myotubes in this model develop the completely adult pattern of fast myosin light and heavy chains. When Ca2+ ionophore is added to the culture medium on day 11, raising intracellular [Ca2+] about 10-fold, the myotubes develop to exhibit properties of an adult slow muscle by day 30, expressing slow myosin light as well as heavy chains, elevated citrate synthase, and reduced lactate dehydrogenase. The remarkable plasticity of these myotubes becomes apparent, when 8 days after withdrawal of the ionophore a marked slow-to-fast transition, as judged from the expression of isomyosins and metabolic enzymes, occurs. PMID:9108130

Identification of a Second Myosin-II in Schizosaccharomyces pombe:

PubMed Central

Bezanilla, Magdalena; Forsburg, Susan L.; Pollard, Thomas D.

1997-01-01

As in many eukaryotic cells, fission yeast cytokinesis depends on the assembly of an actin ring. We cloned myp2+, a myosin-II in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, conditionally required for cytokinesis. myp2+, the second myosin-II identified in S. pombe, does not completely overlap in function with myo2+. The catalytic domain of Myp2p is highly homologous to known myosin-IIs, and phylogenetic analysis places Myp2p in the myosin-II family. The Myp2p sequence contains well-conserved ATP- and actin-binding motifs, as well as two IQ motifs. However, the tail sequence is unusual, since it is predicted to form two long coiled-coils separated by a stretch of sequence containing 19 prolines. Disruption of myp2+ is not lethal but under nutrient limiting conditions cells lacking myp2+ function are multiseptated, elongated, and branched, indicative of a defect in cytokinesis. The presence of salt enhances these morphological defects. Additionally, Δmyp2 cells are cold sensitive in high salt, failing to form colonies at 17°C. Thus, myp2+ is required under conditions of stress, possibly linking extracellular growth conditions to efficient cytokinesis and cell growth. GFP-Myp2p localizes to a ring in the middle of late mitotic cells, consistent with a role in cytokinesis. Additionally, we constructed double mutants of Δmyp2 with temperature-sensitive mutant strains defective in cytokinesis. We observed synthetic lethal interactions between Δmyp2 and three alleles of cdc11ts, as well as more modest synthetic interactions with cdc14ts and cdc16ts, implicating myp2+ function for efficient cytokinesis under normal conditions. PMID:9398685

Myosin Light Chain Kinase Is Necessary for Tonic Airway Smooth Muscle Contraction*

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wen-Cheng; Peng, Ya-Jing; Zhang, Gen-Sheng; He, Wei-Qi; Qiao, Yan-Ning; Dong, Ying-Ying; Gao, Yun-Qian; Chen, Chen; Zhang, Cheng-Hai; Li, Wen; Shen, Hua-Hao; Ning, Wen; Kamm, Kristine E.; Stull, James T.; Gao, Xiang; Zhu, Min-Sheng

2010-01-01

Different interacting signaling modules involving Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase, Ca2+-independent regulatory light chain phosphorylation, myosin phosphatase inhibition, and actin filament-based proteins are proposed as specific cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. However, the relative importance of specific modules is not well defined. By using tamoxifen-activated and smooth muscle-specific knock-out of myosin light chain kinase in mice, we analyzed its role in tonic airway smooth muscle contraction. Knock-out of the kinase in both tracheal and bronchial smooth muscle significantly reduced contraction and myosin phosphorylation responses to K+-depolarization and acetylcholine. Kinase-deficient mice lacked bronchial constrictions in normal and asthmatic airways, whereas the asthmatic inflammation response was not affected. These results indicate that myosin light chain kinase acts as a central participant in the contractile signaling module of tonic smooth muscle. Importantly, contractile airway smooth muscles are necessary for physiological and asthmatic airway resistance. PMID:20018858

The fraction of myosin motors that participate in isometric contraction of rabbit muscle fibers at near-physiological temperature.

PubMed

Tsaturyan, Andrey K; Bershitsky, Sergey Y; Koubassova, Natalia A; Fernandez, Manuel; Narayanan, Theyencheri; Ferenczi, Michael A

2011-07-20

The duty ratio, or the part of the working cycle in which a myosin molecule is strongly attached to actin, determines motor processivity and is required to evaluate the force generated by each molecule. In muscle, it is equal to the fraction of myosin heads that are strongly, or stereospecifically, bound to the thin filaments. Estimates of this fraction during isometric contraction based on stiffness measurements or the intensities of the equatorial or meridional x-ray reflections vary significantly. Here, we determined this value using the intensity of the first actin layer line, A1, in the low-angle x-ray diffraction patterns of permeable fibers from rabbit skeletal muscle. We calibrated the A1 intensity by considering that the intensity in the relaxed and rigor states corresponds to 0% and 100% of myosin heads bound to actin, respectively. The fibers maximally activated with Ca(2+) at 4°C were heated to 31-34°C with a Joule temperature jump (T-jump). Rigor and relaxed-state measurements were obtained on the same fibers. The intensity of the inner part of A1 during isometric contraction compared with that in rigor corresponds to 41-43% stereospecifically bound myosin heads at near-physiological temperature, or an average force produced by a head of ~6.3 pN. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cell Elasticity Is Regulated by the Tropomyosin Isoform Composition of the Actin Cytoskeleton

PubMed Central

Jalilian, Iman; Heu, Celine; Cheng, Hong; Freittag, Hannah; Desouza, Melissa; Stehn, Justine R.; Bryce, Nicole S.; Whan, Renee M.; Hardeman, Edna C.

2015-01-01

The actin cytoskeleton is the primary polymer system within cells responsible for regulating cellular stiffness. While various actin binding proteins regulate the organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, the proteins responsible for regulating the mechanical properties of cells are still not fully understood. In the present study, we have addressed the significance of the actin associated protein, tropomyosin (Tpm), in influencing the mechanical properties of cells. Tpms belong to a multi-gene family that form a co-polymer with actin filaments and differentially regulate actin filament stability, function and organization. Tpm isoform expression is highly regulated and together with the ability to sort to specific intracellular sites, result in the generation of distinct Tpm isoform-containing actin filament populations. Nanomechanical measurements conducted with an Atomic Force Microscope using indentation in Peak Force Tapping in indentation/ramping mode, demonstrated that Tpm impacts on cell stiffness and the observed effect occurred in a Tpm isoform-specific manner. Quantitative analysis of the cellular filamentous actin (F-actin) pool conducted both biochemically and with the use of a linear detection algorithm to evaluate actin structures revealed that an altered F-actin pool does not absolutely predict changes in cell stiffness. Inhibition of non-muscle myosin II revealed that intracellular tension generated by myosin II is required for the observed increase in cell stiffness. Lastly, we show that the observed increase in cell stiffness is partially recapitulated in vivo as detected in epididymal fat pads isolated from a Tpm3.1 transgenic mouse line. Together these data are consistent with a role for Tpm in regulating cell stiffness via the generation of specific populations of Tpm isoform-containing actin filaments. PMID:25978408

Class XI Myosins Move Specific Organelles in Pollen Tubes and Are Required for Normal Fertility and Pollen Tube Growth in Arabidopsis1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Madison, Stephanie L.; Buchanan, Matthew L.; Glass, Jeremiah D.; McClain, Tarah F.; Park, Eunsook; Nebenführ, Andreas

2015-01-01

Pollen tube growth is an essential aspect of plant reproduction because it is the mechanism through which nonmotile sperm cells are delivered to ovules, thus allowing fertilization to occur. A pollen tube is a single cell that only grows at the tip, and this tip growth has been shown to depend on actin filaments. It is generally assumed that myosin-driven movements along these actin filaments are required to sustain the high growth rates of pollen tubes. We tested this conjecture by examining seed set, pollen fitness, and pollen tube growth for knockout mutants of five of the six myosin XI genes expressed in pollen of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Single mutants had little or no reduction in overall fertility, whereas double mutants of highly similar pollen myosins had greater defects in pollen tube growth. In particular, myo11c1 myo11c2 pollen tubes grew more slowly than wild-type pollen tubes, which resulted in reduced fitness compared with the wild type and a drastic reduction in seed set. Golgi stack and peroxisome movements were also significantly reduced, and actin filaments were less organized in myo11c1 myo11c2 pollen tubes. Interestingly, the movement of yellow fluorescent protein-RabA4d-labeled vesicles and their accumulation at pollen tube tips were not affected in the myo11c1 myo11c2 double mutant, demonstrating functional specialization among myosin isoforms. We conclude that class XI myosins are required for organelle motility, actin organization, and optimal growth of pollen tubes. PMID:26358416

Hes6 is required for actin cytoskeletal organization in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malone, Caroline M.P.; Domaschenz, Renae; Amagase, Yoko

Hes6 is a member of the hairy-enhancer-of-split family of transcription factors that regulate proliferating cell fate in development and is known to be expressed in developing muscle. Here we investigate its function in myogenesis in vitro. We show that Hes6 is a direct transcriptional target of the myogenic transcription factors MyoD and Myf5, indicating that it is integral to the myogenic transcriptional program. The localization of Hes6 protein changes during differentiation, becoming predominantly nuclear. Knockdown of Hes6 mRNA levels by siRNA has no effect on cell cycle exit or induction of myosin heavy chain expression in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts, butmore » F-actin filament formation is disrupted and both cell motility and myoblast fusion are reduced. The knockdown phenotype is rescued by expression of Hes6 cDNA resistant to siRNA. These results define a novel role for Hes6 in actin cytoskeletal dynamics in post mitotic myoblasts.« less

Diversification of caldesmon-linked actin cytoskeleton in cell motility

PubMed Central

Mayanagi, Taira

2011-01-01

The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in regulating cell motility. Caldesmon (CaD) is an actin-linked regulatory protein found in smooth muscle and non-muscle cells that is conserved among a variety of vertebrates. It binds and stabilizes actin filaments, as well as regulating actin-myosin interaction in a calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin (CaM)- and/or phosphorylation-dependent manner. CaD function is regulated qualitatively by Ca2+/CaM and by its phosphorylation state and quantitatively at the mRNA level, by three different transcriptional regulation of the CALD1 gene. CaD has numerous functions in cell motility, such as migration, invasion and proliferation, exerted via the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Here we will outline recent findings regarding CaD's structural features and functions. PMID:21350330

Course 6: Physics of Composite Cell Membrane and Actin Based Cytoskeleton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sackmann, E.; Bausch, A. R.; Vonna, L.

1 Architecture of composite cell membranes 1.1 The lipid/protein bilayer is a multicomponent smectic phase with mosaic like architecture 1.2 The spectrin/actin cytoskeleton as hyperelastic cell stabilizer 1.3 The actin cortex: Architecture and function 2 Physics of the actin based cytoskeleton 2.1 Actin is a living semiflexible polymer 2.2 Actin network as viscoelastic body 2.3 Correlation between macroscopic viscoelasticity and molecular 3 Heterogeneous actin gels in cells and biological function 3.1 Manipulation of actin gels 3.2 Control of organization and function of actin cortex by cell signalling 4 Micromechanics and microrheometry of cells 5 Activation of endothelial cells: On the possibility of formation of stress fibers as phase transition of actin-network triggered by cell signalling pathways 6 On cells as adaptive viscoplastic bodies 7 Controll of cellular protrusions controlled by actin/myosin cortex

A novel MYH7 mutation links congenital fiber type disproportion and myosin storage myopathy.

PubMed

Ortolano, Saida; Tarrío, Rosa; Blanco-Arias, Patricia; Teijeira, Susana; Rodríguez-Trelles, Francisco; García-Murias, María; Delague, Valerie; Lévy, Nicolas; Fernández, José M; Quintáns, Beatriz; Millán, Beatriz San; Carracedo, Angel; Navarro, Carmen; Sobrido, María-Jesús

2011-04-01

This study aimed to identify the genetic defect in a multigenerational family presenting an autosomal dominant myopathy with histological features of congenital fiber type disproportion. Linkage analysis and genetic sequencing identified, in all affected members of the family, the c.5807A>G heterozygous mutation in MYH7, which encodes the slow/β-cardiac myosin heavy chain. This mutation causes skeletal but not cardiac involvement. Myosin heavy chain expression pattern was also characterized by immunohistochemistry, western blot and q-PCR in muscle biopsies from two patients aged 25 and 62, respectively. While only congenital fiber type disproportion was observed in the younger patient, older patient's biopsy presented aggregates of slow myosin heavy chains, in fiber sub-sarcolemmal region. These clinico-pathologic findings suggest a novel phenotype within the emerging group of hereditary myosin myopathies, which in this family presents typical characteristics of congenital fiber type disproportion in early stages and later evolves to myosin storage myopathy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inter-dependent apical microtubule and actin dynamics orchestrate centrosome retention and neuronal delamination

PubMed Central

Kasioulis, Ioannis

2017-01-01

Detachment of newborn neurons from the neuroepithelium is required for correct neuronal architecture and functional circuitry. This process, also known as delamination, involves adherens-junction disassembly and acto-myosin-mediated abscission, during which the centrosome is retained while apical/ciliary membranes are shed. Cell-biological mechanisms mediating delamination are, however, poorly understood. Using live-tissue and super-resolution imaging, we uncover a centrosome-nucleated wheel-like microtubule configuration, aligned with the apical actin cable and adherens-junctions within chick and mouse neuroepithelial cells. These microtubules maintain adherens-junctions while actin maintains microtubules, adherens-junctions and apical end-foot dimensions. During neuronal delamination, acto-myosin constriction generates a tunnel-like actin-microtubule configuration through which the centrosome translocates. This movement requires inter-dependent actin and microtubule activity, and we identify drebrin as a potential coordinator of these cytoskeletal dynamics. Furthermore, centrosome compromise revealed that this organelle is required for delamination. These findings identify new cytoskeletal configurations and regulatory relationships that orchestrate neuronal delamination and may inform mechanisms underlying pathological epithelial cell detachment. PMID:29058679

Agrobacterium-delivered virulence protein VirE2 is trafficked inside host cells via a myosin XI-K–powered ER/actin network

PubMed Central

Yang, Qinghua; Li, Xiaoyang; Tu, Haitao; Pan, Shen Q.

2017-01-01

Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall tumors on various plants by delivering transferred DNA (T-DNA) and virulence proteins into host plant cells. Under laboratory conditions, the bacterium is widely used as a vector to genetically modify a wide range of organisms, including plants, yeasts, fungi, and algae. Various studies suggest that T-DNA is protected inside host cells by VirE2, one of the virulence proteins. However, it is not clear how Agrobacterium-delivered factors are trafficked through the cytoplasm. In this study, we monitored the movement of Agrobacterium-delivered VirE2 inside plant cells by using a split-GFP approach in real time. Agrobacterium-delivered VirE2 trafficked via the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and F-actin network inside plant cells. During this process, VirE2 was aggregated as filamentous structures and was present on the cytosolic side of the ER. VirE2 movement was powered by myosin XI-K. Thus, exogenously produced and delivered VirE2 protein can use the endogenous host ER/actin network for movement inside host cells. The A. tumefaciens pathogen hijacks the conserved host infrastructure for virulence trafficking. Well-conserved infrastructure may be useful for Agrobacterium to target a wide range of recipient cells and achieve a high efficiency of transformation. PMID:28242680

An isoform of myosin XI is responsible for the translocation of endoplasmic reticulum in tobacco cultured BY-2 cells.

PubMed

Yokota, Etsuo; Ueda, Shunpei; Tamura, Kentaro; Orii, Hidefumi; Uchi, Satoko; Sonobe, Seiji; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Shimmen, Teruo

2009-01-01

The involvement of myosin XI in generating the motive force for cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells is becoming evident. For a comprehensive understanding of the physiological roles of myosin XI isoforms, it is necessary to elucidate the properties and functions of each isoform individually. In tobacco cultured BY-2 cells, two types of myosins, one composed of 175 kDa heavy chain (175 kDa myosin) and the other of 170 kDa heavy chain (170 kDa myosin), have been identified biochemically and immunocytochemically. From sequence analyses of cDNA clones encoding heavy chains of 175 kDa and 170 kDa myosin, both myosins have been classified as myosin XI. Immunocytochemical studies using a polyclonal antibody against purified 175 kDa myosin heavy chain showed that the 175 kDa myosin is distributed throughout the cytoplasm as fine dots in interphase BY-2 cells. During mitosis, some parts of 175 kDa myosin were found to accumulate in the pre-prophase band (PPB), spindle, the equatorial plane of a phragmoplast and on the circumference of daughter nuclei. In transgenic BY-2 cells, in which an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-specific retention signal, HDEL, tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) was stably expressed, ER showed a similar behaviour to that of 175 kDa myosin. Furthermore, this myosin was co-fractionated with GFP-ER by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. From these findings, it was suggested that the 175 kDa myosin is a molecular motor responsible for translocating ER in BY-2 cells.

CALIX[4]ARENE C-99 INHIBITS MYOSIN ATPase ACTIVITY AND CHANGES THE ORGANIZATION OF CONTRACTILE FILAMENTS OF MYOMETRIUM.

PubMed

Labyntseva, R D; Bevza, A A; Lul'ko, A O; Cherenok, S O; Kalchenko, V I; Kosterin, S O

2015-01-01

Calix[4]arenes are cup-like macrocyclic (polyphenolic) compounds, they are regarded as promising molecular "platforms" for the design of new physiologically active compounds. We have earlier found that calix[4]arene C-99 inhibits the ATPase activity of actomyosin and myosin subfragment-1 of pig uterus in vitro. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction of calix[4]arene C-99 with myosin from rat uterine myocytes. It was found that the ATPase activity of myosin prepared from pre-incubated with 100 mM of calix[4]arene C-99 myocytes was almost 50% lower than in control. Additionally, we have revealed the effect of calix[4]arene C-99 on the subcellular distribution of actin and myosin in uterus myocytes by the method of confocal microscopy. This effect can be caused by reorganization of the structure of the contractile smooth muscle cell proteins due to their interaction with calix[4]arene. The obtained results demonstrate the ability of calix[4]arene C-99 to penetrate into the uterus muscle cells and affect not only the myosin ATPase activity, but also the structure of the actin and myosin filaments in the myometrial cells. Demonstrated ability of calix[4]arene C-99 can be used for development of new pharmacological agents for efficient normalization of myometrial contractile hyperfunction.

The association of peroxisomes with the developing cell plate in dividing onion root cells depends on actin microfilaments and myosin.

PubMed

Collings, David A; Harper, John D I; Vaughn, Kevin C

2003-12-01

We have investigated changes in the distribution of peroxisomes through the cell cycle in onion ( Allium cepa L.) root meristem cells with immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and in leek ( Allium porrum L.) epidermal cells with immunofluorescence and peroxisomal-targeted green fluorescent protein. During interphase and mitosis, peroxisomes distribute randomly throughout the cytoplasm, but beginning late in anaphase, they accumulate at the division plane. Initially, peroxisomes occur within the microtubule phragmoplast in two zones on either side of the developing cell plate. However, as the phragmoplast expands outwards to form an annulus, peroxisomes redistribute into a ring immediately inside the location of the microtubules. Peroxisome aggregation depends on actin microfilaments and myosin. Peroxisomes first accumulate in the division plane prior to the formation of the microtubule phragmoplast, and throughout cytokinesis, always co-localise with microfilaments. Microfilament-disrupting drugs (cytochalasin and latrunculin), and a putative inhibitor of myosin (2,3-butanedione monoxime), inhibit aggregation. We propose that aggregated peroxisomes function in the formation of the cell plate, either by regulating hydrogen peroxide production within the developing cell plate, or by their involvement in recycling of excess membranes from secretory vesicles via the beta-oxidation pathway. Differences in aggregation, a phenomenon which occurs in onion, some other monocots and to a lesser extent in tobacco BY-2 suspension cells, but which is not obvious in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., may reflect differences within the primary cell walls of these plants.

Load-dependent ADP binding to myosins V and VI: Implications for subunit coordination and function

PubMed Central

Oguchi, Yusuke; Mikhailenko, Sergey V.; Ohki, Takashi; Olivares, Adrian O.; De La Cruz, Enrique M.; Ishiwata, Shin'ichi

2008-01-01

Dimeric myosins V and VI travel long distances in opposite directions along actin filaments in cells, taking multiple steps in a “hand-over-hand” fashion. The catalytic cycles of both myosins are limited by ADP dissociation, which is considered a key step in the walking mechanism of these motors. Here, we demonstrate that external loads applied to individual actomyosin V or VI bonds asymmetrically affect ADP affinity, such that ADP binds weaker under loads assisting motility. Model-based analysis reveals that forward and backward loads modulate the kinetics of ADP binding to both myosins, although the effect is less pronounced for myosin VI. ADP dissociation is modestly accelerated by forward loads and inhibited by backward loads. Loads applied in either direction slow ADP binding to myosin V but accelerate binding to myosin VI. We calculate that the intramolecular load generated during processive stepping is ≈2 pN for both myosin V and myosin VI. The distinct load dependence of ADP binding allows these motors to perform different cellular functions. PMID:18509050

Actin-myosin–based contraction is responsible for apoptotic nuclear disintegration

PubMed Central

Croft, Daniel R.; Coleman, Mathew L.; Li, Shuixing; Robertson, David; Sullivan, Teresa; Stewart, Colin L.; Olson, Michael F.

2005-01-01

Membrane blebbing during the apoptotic execution phase results from caspase-mediated cleavage and activation of ROCK I. Here, we show that ROCK activity, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, MLC ATPase activity, and an intact actin cytoskeleton, but not microtubular cytoskeleton, are required for disruption of nuclear integrity during apoptosis. Inhibition of ROCK or MLC ATPase activity, which protect apoptotic nuclear integrity, does not affect caspase-mediated degradation of nuclear proteins such as lamins A, B1, or C. The conditional activation of ROCK I was sufficient to tear apart nuclei in lamin A/C null fibroblasts, but not in wild-type fibroblasts. Thus, apoptotic nuclear disintegration requires actin-myosin contractile force and lamin proteolysis, making apoptosis analogous to, but distinct from, mitosis where nuclear disintegration results from microtubule-based forces and from lamin phosphorylation and depolymerization. PMID:15657395

Towards a molecular understanding of the apicomplexan actin motor: on a road to novel targets for malaria remedies?

PubMed

Kumpula, Esa Pekka; Kursula, Inari

2015-05-01

Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria-causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one third of the world's population. These parasites share a common form of gliding motility which relies on an actin-myosin motor. The components of this motor and the actin-regulatory proteins in Apicomplexa have unique features compared with all other eukaryotes. This, together with the crucial roles of these proteins, makes them attractive targets for structure-based drug design. In recent years, several structures of glideosome components, in particular of actins and actin regulators from apicomplexan parasites, have been determined, which will hopefully soon allow the creation of a complete molecular picture of the parasite actin-myosin motor and its regulatory machinery. Here, current knowledge of the function of this motor is reviewed from a structural perspective.

Actin dynamics, architecture, and mechanics in cell motility.

PubMed

Blanchoin, Laurent; Boujemaa-Paterski, Rajaa; Sykes, Cécile; Plastino, Julie

2014-01-01

Tight coupling between biochemical and mechanical properties of the actin cytoskeleton drives a large range of cellular processes including polarity establishment, morphogenesis, and motility. This is possible because actin filaments are semi-flexible polymers that, in conjunction with the molecular motor myosin, can act as biological active springs or "dashpots" (in laymen's terms, shock absorbers or fluidizers) able to exert or resist against force in a cellular environment. To modulate their mechanical properties, actin filaments can organize into a variety of architectures generating a diversity of cellular organizations including branched or crosslinked networks in the lamellipodium, parallel bundles in filopodia, and antiparallel structures in contractile fibers. In this review we describe the feedback loop between biochemical and mechanical properties of actin organization at the molecular level in vitro, then we integrate this knowledge into our current understanding of cellular actin organization and its physiological roles.

Kinesins and Myosins: Molecular Motors that Coordinate Cellular Functions in Plants.

PubMed

Nebenführ, Andreas; Dixit, Ram

2018-04-29

Kinesins and myosins are motor proteins that can move actively along microtubules and actin filaments, respectively. Plants have evolved a unique set of motors that function as regulators and organizers of the cytoskeleton and as drivers of long-distance transport of various cellular components. Recent progress has established the full complement of motors encoded in plant genomes and has revealed valuable insights into the cellular functions of many kinesin and myosin isoforms. Interestingly, several of the motors were found to functionally connect the two cytoskeletal systems and thereby to coordinate their activities. In this review, we discuss the available genetic, cell biological, and biochemical data for each of the plant kinesin and myosin families from the context of their subcellular mechanism of action as well as their physiological function in the whole plant. We particularly emphasize work that illustrates mechanisms by which kinesins and myosins coordinate the activities of the cytoskeletal system.

Enhancement of force generated by individual myosin heads in skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers at low ionic strength.

PubMed

Sugi, Haruo; Abe, Takahiro; Kobayashi, Takakazu; Chaen, Shigeru; Ohnuki, Yoshiki; Saeki, Yasutake; Sugiura, Seiryo

2013-01-01

Although evidence has been presented that, at low ionic strength, myosin heads in relaxed skeletal muscle fibers form linkages with actin filaments, the effect of low ionic strength on contraction characteristics of Ca(2+)-activated muscle fibers has not yet been studied in detail. To give information about the mechanism of muscle contraction, we have examined the effect of low ionic strength on the mechanical properties and the contraction characteristics of skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers in both relaxed and maximally Ca(2+)-activated states. By progressively decreasing KCl concentration from 125 mM to 0 mM (corresponding to a decrease in ionic strength μ from 170 mM to 50 mM), relaxed fibers showed changes in mechanical response to sinusoidal length changes and ramp stretches, which are consistent with the idea of actin-myosin linkage formation at low ionic strength. In maximally Ca(2+)-activated fibers, on the other hand, the maximum isometric force increased about twofold by reducing KCl concentration from 125 to 0 mM. Unexpectedly, determination of the force-velocity curves indicated that, the maximum unloaded shortening velocity Vmax, remained unchanged at low ionic strength. This finding indicates that the actin-myosin linkages, which has been detected in relaxed fibers at low ionic strength, are broken quickly on Ca(2+) activation, so that the linkages in relaxed fibers no longer provide any internal resistance against fiber shortening. The force-velocity curves, obtained at various levels of steady Ca(2+)-activated isometric force, were found to be identical if they are normalized with respect to the maximum isometric force. The MgATPase activity of muscle fibers during isometric force generation was found not to change appreciably at low ionic strength despite the two-fold increase in Ca(2+)-activated isometric force. These results can be explained in terms of enhancement of force generated by individual myosin heads, but not by any changes in

Enhancement of Force Generated by Individual Myosin Heads in Skinned Rabbit Psoas Muscle Fibers at Low Ionic Strength

PubMed Central

Sugi, Haruo; Abe, Takahiro; Kobayashi, Takakazu; Chaen, Shigeru; Ohnuki, Yoshiki; Saeki, Yasutake; Sugiura, Seiryo

2013-01-01

Although evidence has been presented that, at low ionic strength, myosin heads in relaxed skeletal muscle fibers form linkages with actin filaments, the effect of low ionic strength on contraction characteristics of Ca2+-activated muscle fibers has not yet been studied in detail. To give information about the mechanism of muscle contraction, we have examined the effect of low ionic strength on the mechanical properties and the contraction characteristics of skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers in both relaxed and maximally Ca2+-activated states. By progressively decreasing KCl concentration from 125 mM to 0 mM (corresponding to a decrease in ionic strength μ from 170 mM to 50 mM), relaxed fibers showed changes in mechanical response to sinusoidal length changes and ramp stretches, which are consistent with the idea of actin-myosin linkage formation at low ionic strength. In maximally Ca2+-activated fibers, on the other hand, the maximum isometric force increased about twofold by reducing KCl concentration from 125 to 0 mM. Unexpectedly, determination of the force-velocity curves indicated that, the maximum unloaded shortening velocity Vmax, remained unchanged at low ionic strength. This finding indicates that the actin-myosin linkages, which has been detected in relaxed fibers at low ionic strength, are broken quickly on Ca2+ activation, so that the linkages in relaxed fibers no longer provide any internal resistance against fiber shortening. The force-velocity curves, obtained at various levels of steady Ca2+-activated isometric force, were found to be identical if they are normalized with respect to the maximum isometric force. The MgATPase activity of muscle fibers during isometric force generation was found not to change appreciably at low ionic strength despite the two-fold increase in Ca2+-activated isometric force. These results can be explained in terms of enhancement of force generated by individual myosin heads, but not by any changes in kinetic properties

Some distinctive features of zebrafish myogenesis based on unexpected distributions of the muscle cytoskeletal proteins actin, myosin, desmin, alpha-actinin, troponin and titin.

PubMed

Costa, Manoel L; Escaleira, Roberta C; Rodrigues, Viviane B; Manasfi, Muhamed; Mermelstein, Claudia S

2002-08-01

The current myofibrillogenesis model is based mostly on in vitro cell cultures and on avian and mammalian embryos in situ. We followed the expression of actin, myosin, desmin, alpha-actinin, titin, and troponin using immunofluorescence microscopy of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. We could see young mononucleated myoblasts with sharp striations. The striations were positive for all the sarcomeric proteins. Desmin distribution during muscle maturation changes from dispersed aggregates to a perinuclear concentration to striated afterwards. We could not observe desmin-positive, myofibrillar-proteins-negative cells, and we could not find any non-striated distribution of sarcomeric proteins, such as stress fiber-like structures. Some steps, like fusion before striation, seem to be different in the zebrafish when compared with the previously described myogenesis sequences.

Novel roles for actin in mitochondrial fission

PubMed Central

Hatch, Anna L.; Gurel, Pinar S.; Higgs, Henry N.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Mitochondrial dynamics, including fusion, fission and translocation, are crucial to cellular homeostasis, with roles in cellular polarity, stress response and apoptosis. Mitochondrial fission has received particular attention, owing to links with several neurodegenerative diseases. A central player in fission is the cytoplasmic dynamin-related GTPase Drp1, which oligomerizes at the fission site and hydrolyzes GTP to drive membrane ingression. Drp1 recruitment to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) is a key regulatory event, which appears to require a pre-constriction step in which the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrion interact extensively, a process termed ERMD (ER-associated mitochondrial division). It is unclear how ER–mitochondrial contact generates the force required for pre-constriction or why pre-constriction leads to Drp1 recruitment. Recent results, however, show that ERMD might be an actin-based process in mammals that requires the ER-associated formin INF2 upstream of Drp1, and that myosin II and other actin-binding proteins might be involved. In this Commentary, we present a mechanistic model for mitochondrial fission in which actin and myosin contribute in two ways; firstly, by supplying the force for pre-constriction and secondly, by serving as a coincidence detector for Drp1 binding. In addition, we discuss the possibility that multiple fission mechanisms exist in mammals. PMID:25217628

[Cytoskeletal actin and its associated proteins. Some examples in Protista].

PubMed

Guillén, N; Carlier, M F; Brugerolle, G; Tardieux, I; Ausseil, J

1998-06-01

Many processes, cell motility being an example, require cells to remodel the actin cytoskeleton in response to both intracellular and extracellular signals. Reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton involves the rapid disassembly and reassembly of actin filaments, a phenomenon regulated by the action of particular actin-binding proteins. In recent years, an interest in studying actin regulation in unicellular organisms has arisen. Parasitic protozoan are among these organisms and studies of the cytoskeleton functions of these protozoan are relevant related to either cell biology or pathogenicity. To discuss recent data in this field, a symposium concerning "Actin and actin-binding proteins in protists" was held on May 8-11 in Paris, France, during the XXXV meeting of the French Society of Protistology. As a brief summary of the symposium we report here findings concerning the in vitro actin dynamic assembly, as well as the characterization of several actin-binding proteins from the parasitic protozoan Entamoeba histolytica, Trichomonas vaginalis and Plasmodium knowlesi. In addition, localization of actin in non-pathogen protists such as Prorocentrum micans and Crypthecodinium cohnii is also presented. The data show that some actin-binding proteins facilitate organization of filaments into higher order structures as pseudopods, while others have regulatory functions, indicating very particular roles for actin-binding proteins. One of the proteins discussed during the symposium, the actin depolymerizing factor ADF, was shown to enhance the treadmilling rate of actin filaments. In vitro, ADF binds to the ADP-bound forms of G-actin and F-actin, thereby participating in and changing the rate of actin assembly. Biochemical approaches allowed the identification of a protein complex formed by HSP/C70-cap32-34 which might also be involved in depolymerization of F-actin in P. knowlesi. Molecular and cellular approaches were used to identify proteins such as ABP-120 and myosin

Unexpectedly low mutation rates in beta-myosin heavy chain and cardiac myosin binding protein genes in Italian patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Roncarati, Roberta; Latronico, Michael V G; Musumeci, Beatrice; Aurino, Stefania; Torella, Annalaura; Bang, Marie-Louise; Jotti, Gloria Saccani; Puca, Annibale A; Volpe, Massimo; Nigro, Vincenzo; Autore, Camillo; Condorelli, Gianluigi

2011-11-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic cardiac disease. Fourteen sarcomeric and sarcomere-related genes have been implicated in HCM etiology, those encoding β-myosin heavy chain (MYH7) and cardiac myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) reported as the most frequently mutated: in fact, these account for around 50% of all cases related to sarcomeric gene mutations, which are collectively responsible for approximately 70% of all HCM cases. Here, we used denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography followed by bidirectional sequencing to screen the coding regions of MYH7 and MYBPC3 in a cohort (n = 125) of Italian patients presenting with HCM. We found 6 MHY7 mutations in 9/125 patients and 18 MYBPC3 mutations in 19/125 patients. Of the three novel MYH7 mutations found, two were missense, and one was a silent mutation; of the eight novel MYBPC3 mutations, one was a substitution, three were stop codons, and four were missense mutations. Thus, our cohort of Italian HCM patients did not harbor the high frequency of mutations usually found in MYH7 and MYBPC3. This finding, coupled to the clinical diversity of our cohort, emphasizes the complexity of HCM and the need for more inclusive investigative approaches in order to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Dictyostelium Carmil Protein Links Capping Protein and the Arp2/3 Complex to Type I Myosins through Their Sh3 Domains

PubMed Central

Jung, Goeh; Remmert, Kirsten; Wu, Xufeng; Volosky, Joanne M.; III, John A. Hammer

2001-01-01

Fusion proteins containing the Src homology (SH)3 domains of Dictyostelium myosin IB (myoB) and IC (myoC) bind a 116-kD protein (p116), plus nine other proteins identified as the seven member Arp2/3 complex, and the α and β subunits of capping protein. Immunoprecipitation reactions indicate that myoB and myoC form a complex with p116, Arp2/3, and capping protein in vivo, that the myosins bind to p116 through their SH3 domains, and that capping protein and the Arp2/3 complex in turn bind to p116. Cloning of p116 reveals a protein dominated by leucine-rich repeats and proline-rich sequences, and indicates that it is a homologue of Acan 125. Studies using p116 fusion proteins confirm the location of the myosin I SH3 domain binding site, implicate NH2-terminal sequences in binding capping protein, and show that a region containing a short sequence found in several G-actin binding proteins, as well as an acidic stretch, can activate Arp2/3-dependent actin nucleation. p116 localizes along with the Arp2/3 complex, myoB, and myoC in dynamic actin-rich cellular extensions, including the leading edge of cells undergoing chemotactic migration, and dorsal, cup-like, macropinocytic extensions. Cells lacking p116 exhibit a striking defect in the formation of these macropinocytic structures, a concomitant reduction in the rate of fluid phase pinocytosis, a significant decrease in the efficiency of chemotactic aggregation, and a decrease in cellular F-actin content. These results identify a complex that links key players in the nucleation and termination of actin filament assembly with a ubiquitous barbed end–directed motor, indicate that the protein responsible for the formation of this complex is physiologically important, and suggest that previously reported myosin I mutant phenotypes in Dictyostelium may be due, at least in part, to defects in the assembly state of actin. We propose that p116 and Acan 125, along with homologues identified in Caenorhabditis elegans

Immobile myosin-II plays a scaffolding role during cytokinesis in budding yeast

PubMed Central

Wloka, Carsten; Vallen, Elizabeth A.; Thé, Lydia; Fang, Xiaodong; Oh, Younghoon

2013-01-01

Core components of cytokinesis are conserved from yeast to human, but how these components are assembled into a robust machine that drives cytokinesis remains poorly understood. In this paper, we show by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis that Myo1, the sole myosin-II in budding yeast, was mobile at the division site before anaphase and became immobilized shortly before cytokinesis. This immobility was independent of actin filaments or the motor domain of Myo1 but required a small region in the Myo1 tail that is thought to be involved in higher-order assembly. As expected, proteins involved in actin ring assembly (tropomyosin and formin) and membrane trafficking (myosin-V and exocyst) were dynamic during cytokinesis. Strikingly, proteins involved in septum formation (the chitin synthase Chs2) and/or its coordination with the actomyosin ring (essential light chain, IQGAP, F-BAR, etc.) displayed Myo1-dependent immobility during cytokinesis, suggesting that Myo1 plays a scaffolding role in the assembly of a cytokinesis machine. PMID:23358243

Harmonic force spectroscopy reveals a force-velocity curve from a single human beta cardiac myosin motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Jongmin; Nag, Suman; Vestergaard, Christian; Mortensen, Kim; Flyvbjerg, Henrik; Spudich, James

2014-03-01

A muscle contracts rapidly under low load, but slowly under high load. Its molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated, however. During contraction, myosins in thick filaments interact with actin in thin filaments in the sarcomere, cycling between a strongly bound (force producing) state and a weakly bound (relaxed) state. Huxley et al. have previously proposed that the transition from the strong to the weak interaction can be modulated by a load. We use a new method we call ``harmonic force spectroscopy'' to extract a load-velocity curve from a single human beta cardiac myosin II motor. With a dual-beam optical trap, we hold an actin dumbbell over a myosin molecule anchored to the microscope stage that oscillates sinusoidally. Upon binding, the motor experiences an oscillatory load with a mean that is directed forward or backward, depending on binding location We find that the bound time at saturating [ATP] is exponentially correlated with the mean load, which is explained by Arrhenius transition theory. With a stroke size measurement, we obtained a load-velocity curve from a single myosin. We compare the curves for wild-type motors with mutants that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, to understand the effects on the contractile cycle

Increased expression of Myosin binding protein H in the skeletal muscle of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Conti, Antonio; Riva, Nilo; Pesca, Mariasabina; Iannaccone, Sandro; Cannistraci, Carlo V; Corbo, Massimo; Previtali, Stefano C; Quattrini, Angelo; Alessio, Massimo

2014-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe and fatal neurodegenerative disease of still unknown pathogenesis. Recent findings suggest that the skeletal muscle may play an active pathogenetic role. To investigate ALS's pathogenesis and to seek diagnostic markers, we analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies with the differential expression proteomic approach. We studied skeletal muscle biopsies from healthy controls (CN), sporadic ALS (sALS), motor neuropathies (MN) and myopathies (M). Pre-eminently among several differentially expressed proteins, Myosin binding protein H (MyBP-H) expression in ALS samples was anomalously high. MyBP-H is a component of the thick filaments of the skeletal muscle and has strong affinity for myosin, but its function is still unclear. High MyBP-H expression level was associated with abnormal expression of Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2), LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) and cofilin2, that might affect the actin-myosin interaction. We propose that MyBP-H expression level serves, as a putative biomarker in the skeletal muscle, to discriminate ALS from motor neuropathies, and that it signals the onset of dysregulation in actin-myosin interaction; this in turn might contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Myosin storage myopathy: a rare subtype of protein aggregate myopathies].

PubMed

Kiphuth, I C; Neuen-Jacob, E; Struffert, T; Wehner, M; Wallefeld, W; Laing, N; Schröder, R

2010-04-01

Myopathies with pathological protein aggregates comprise a numerically significant group of sporadic and hereditary muscle disorders. A rare disease entity within the group of protein aggregate myopathies is the myosin storage myopathy, which is caused by heterozygous mutations in the MYH7 gene which encodes the slow/beta-myosin heavy chain. We report the clinical, myopathological and MRI findings in the first German patient suffering from a myosin storage myopathy due to a heterozygous R 1845W missense mutation.

Expanding Actin Rings Zipper the Mouse Embryo for Blastocyst Formation.

PubMed

Zenker, Jennifer; White, Melanie D; Gasnier, Maxime; Alvarez, Yanina D; Lim, Hui Yi Grace; Bissiere, Stephanie; Biro, Maté; Plachta, Nicolas

2018-04-19

Transformation from morula to blastocyst is a defining event of preimplantation embryo development. During this transition, the embryo must establish a paracellular permeability barrier to enable expansion of the blastocyst cavity. Here, using live imaging of mouse embryos, we reveal an actin-zippering mechanism driving this embryo sealing. Preceding blastocyst stage, a cortical F-actin ring assembles at the apical pole of the embryo's outer cells. The ring structure forms when cortical actin flows encounter a network of polar microtubules that exclude F-actin. Unlike stereotypical actin rings, the actin rings of the mouse embryo are not contractile, but instead, they expand to the cell-cell junctions. Here, they couple to the junctions by recruiting and stabilizing adherens and tight junction components. Coupling of the actin rings triggers localized myosin II accumulation, and it initiates a tension-dependent zippering mechanism along the junctions that is required to seal the embryo for blastocyst formation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The importance of subfragment 2 and C-terminus of myosin heavy chain for thick filament assembly in skeletal muscle cells.

PubMed

Ojima, Koichi; Oe, Mika; Nakajima, Ikuyo; Shibata, Masahiro; Muroya, Susumu; Chikuni, Koichi; Hattori, Akihito; Nishimura, Takanori

2015-04-01

In skeletal muscle cells, myofibrillar proteins are highly organized into sarcomeres in which thick filaments interdigitate with thin filaments to generate contractile force. The size of thick filaments, which consist mainly of myosin molecules, is strictly controlled. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which myosin molecules assemble into thick filaments. Here, we assessed the ability of each domain of myosin heavy chain (Myh) to form thick filaments. We showed that exogenously expressed subfragment 2 (S2) + light meromyosin (LMM) of Myh was efficiently incorporated into thick filaments in muscle cells, although neither solely expressed S2 nor LMM targeted to thick filaments properly. In nonmuscle COS7 cells, S2+LMM formed more enlarged filaments/speckles than LMM. These results suggest that Myh filament formation is induced by S2 accompanying LMM. We further examined the effects of Myh C-terminus on thick filament assembly. C-terminal deletion mutants were incorporated not into entire thick filaments but rather into restricted regions of thick filaments. Our findings suggest that the elongation of myosin filaments to form thick filaments is regulated by S2 as well as C-terminus of LMM. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

The Globular Tail Domain of Myosin-5a Functions as a Dimer in Regulating the Motor Activity.

PubMed

Zhang, Wen-Bo; Yao, Lin-Lin; Li, Xiang-Dong

2016-06-24

Myosin-5a contains two heavy chains, which are dimerized via the coiled-coil regions. Thus, myosin-5a comprises two heads and two globular tail domains (GTDs). The GTD is the inhibitory domain that binds to the head and inhibits its motor function. Although the two-headed structure is essential for the processive movement of myosin-5a along actin filaments, little is known about the role of GTD dimerization. Here, we investigated the effect of GTD dimerization on its inhibitory activity. We found that the potent inhibitory activity of the GTD is dependent on its dimerization by the preceding coiled-coil regions, indicating synergistic interactions between the two GTDs and the two heads of myosin-5a. Moreover, we found that alanine mutations of the two conserved basic residues at N-terminal extension of the GTD not only weaken the inhibitory activity of the GTD but also enhance the activation of myosin-5a by its cargo-binding protein melanophilin (Mlph). These results are consistent with the GTD forming a head to head dimer, in which the N-terminal extension of the GTD interacts with the Mlph-binding site in the counterpart GTD. The Mlph-binding site at the GTD-GTD interface must be exposed prior to the binding of Mlph. We therefore propose that the inhibited Myo5a is equilibrated between the folded state, in which the Mlph-binding site is buried, and the preactivated state, in which the Mlph-binding site is exposed, and that Mlph is able to bind to the Myo5a in preactivated state and activates its motor function. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Covalent and non-covalent chemical engineering of actin for biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Kumar, Saroj; Mansson, Alf

2017-11-15

The cytoskeletal filaments are self-assembled protein polymers with 8-25nm diameters and up to several tens of micrometres length. They have a range of pivotal roles in eukaryotic cells, including transportation of intracellular cargoes (primarily microtubules with dynein and kinesin motors) and cell motility (primarily actin and myosin) where muscle contraction is one example. For two decades, the cytoskeletal filaments and their associated motor systems have been explored for nanotechnological applications including miniaturized sensor systems and lab-on-a-chip devices. Several developments have also revolved around possible exploitation of the filaments alone without their motor partners. Efforts to use the cytoskeletal filaments for applications often require chemical or genetic engineering of the filaments such as specific conjugation with fluorophores, antibodies, oligonucleotides or various macromolecular complexes e.g. nanoparticles. Similar conjugation methods are also instrumental for a range of fundamental biophysical studies. Here we review methods for non-covalent and covalent chemical modifications of actin filaments with focus on critical advantages and challenges of different methods as well as critical steps in the conjugation procedures. We also review potential uses of the engineered actin filaments in nanotechnological applications and in some key fundamental studies of actin and myosin function. Finally, we consider possible future lines of investigation that may be addressed by applying chemical conjugation of actin in new ways. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of myofibrillar proteins and transcripts in adult skeletal muscles of the American lobster Homarus americanus: variable expression of myosins, actin and troponins in fast, slow-twitch and slow-tonic fibres.

PubMed

Medler, Scott; Mykles, Donald L

2003-10-01

Skeletal muscles are diverse in their contractile properties, with many of these differences being directly related to the assemblages of myofibrillar isoforms characteristic of different fibers. Crustacean muscles are similar to other muscles in this respect, although the majority of information about differences in muscle organization comes from vertebrate species. In the present study, we examined the correlation between myofibrillar protein isoforms and the patterns of myofibrillar gene expression in fast, slow-phasic (S(1)) and slow-tonic (S(2)) fibers of the American lobster Homarus americanus. SDS-PAGE and western blotting were used to identify isoform assemblages of myosin heavy chain (MHC), P75, troponin T (TnT) and troponin I (TnI). RT-PCR was used to monitor expression of fast and slow (S(1)) MHC, P75 and actin in different fiber types, and the MHC and actin levels were quantified by real-time PCR. Fast and slow fibers from the claw closers predominantly expressed fast and S(1) MHC, respectively, but also lower levels of the alternate MHC. By contrast, fast fibers from the deep abdominal muscle expressed fast MHC exclusively. In addition, slow muscles expressed significantly higher levels of actin than fast fibers. A distal bundle of fibers in the cutter claw closer muscle was found to be composed of a mixture of S(1) and S(2) fibers, many of which possessed a mixture of S(1) and S(2) MHC isoforms. This pattern supports the idea that S(1) and S(2) fibers represent extremes in a continuum of slow muscle phenotype. Overall, these patterns demonstrate that crustacean skeletal muscles cannot be strictly categorized into discrete fiber types, but a muscle's properties probably represent a point on a continuum of fiber types. This trend may result from differences in innervation pattern, as each muscle is controlled by a unique combination of phasic, tonic or both phasic and tonic motor nerves. In this respect, future studies examining how muscle phenotype

The minus-end actin capping protein, UNC-94/tropomodulin, regulates development of the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine

PubMed Central

Cox-Paulson, Elisabeth; Cannataro, Vincent; Gallagher, Thomas; Hoffman, Corey; Mantione, Gary; McIntosh, Matthew; Silva, Malan; Vissichelli, Nicole; Walker, Rachel; Simske, Jeffrey; Ono, Shoichiro; Hoops, Harold

2014-01-01

Background Tropomodulins are actin capping proteins that regulate the stability of the slow growing, minus-ends of actin filaments. The C. elegans tropomodulin homolog, UNC-94 has sequence and functional similarity to vertebrate tropomodulins. We investigated the role of UNC-94 in C. elegans intestinal morphogenesis. Results In the embryonic C. elegans intestine, UNC-94 localizes to the terminal web, an actin and intermediate filament rich structure that underlies the apical membrane. Loss of UNC-94 function results in areas of flattened intestinal lumen. In worms homozygous for the strong loss-of-function allele, unc-94(tm724), the terminal web is thinner and the amount of F-actin is reduced, pointing to a role for UNC-94 in regulating the structure of the terminal web. The non-muscle myosin, NMY-1, also localizes to the terminal web; and we present evidence that increasing actomyosin contractility by depleting the myosin phosphatase regulatory subunit, mel-11, can rescue the flattened lumen phenotype of unc-94 mutants. Conclusions The data support a model in which minus-end actin capping by UNC-94 promotes proper F-actin structure and contraction in the terminal web, yielding proper shape of the intestinal lumen. This establishes a new role for a tropomodulin in regulating lumen shape during tubulogenesis. PMID:24677443

Non-Straub type actin from molluscan catch muscle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shelud'ko, Nikolay S., E-mail: sheludko@stl.ru; Girich, Ulyana V.; Lazarev, Stanislav S.

We have developed a method of obtaining natural actin from smooth muscles of the bivalves on the example of the Crenomytilus grayanus catch muscle. The muscles were previously rigorized to prevent a loss of thin filaments during homogenization and washings. Thin filaments were isolated with a low ionic strength solution in the presence of ATP and sodium pyrophosphate. Surface proteins of thin filaments-tropomyosin, troponin, calponin and some minor actin-binding proteins-were dissociated from actin filaments by increasing the ionic strength to 0.6 M KCL. Natural fibrillar actin obtained in that way depolymerizes easily in low ionic strength solutions commonly used for themore » extraction of Straub-type actin from acetone powder. Purification of natural actin was carried out by the polymerization–depolymerization cycle. The content of inactivated actin remaining in the supernatant is much less than at a similar purification of Straub-type actin. A comparative investigation was performed between the natural mussel actin and the Straub-type rabbit skeletal actin in terms of the key properties of actin: polymerization, activation of Mg-ATPase activity of myosin, and the electron-microscopic structure of actin polymers. -- Highlights: •We developed method of repolymerizable invertebrate smooth muscle actin obtaining. •Our method does not involve use of denaturating agents, which could modify proteins. •Viscosity and polymerization rate of actin, gained that way, is similar to Straub one. •Electron microscopy showed that repolymerized mussel actin is similar to Straub one. •Repolymerized mussel actin has greater ATPase activating capacity, than Straub actin.« less

Myosin heavy chain profile of equine gluteus medius muscle following prolonged draught-exercise training and detraining.

PubMed

Serrano, A L; Rivero, J L

2000-04-01

Fourteen 4-year old Andalusian mares were used to examine the plasticity of myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition in horse skeletal muscle with heavy draught-exercise training and detraining. Seven horses underwent a training programme based on carriage exercises for 8 months. Afterwards, they were kept in paddocks for 3 months. The remaining seven animals were used as control horses. Three gluteus medius muscle biopsies were removed at depths of 20, 40 and 60 mm from each horse before (month 0), during the training (months 3 and 8) and after detraining (month 11). Myosin heavy chain composition was analysed by electrophoresis and immunohistochemically with anti-MHC monoclonal antibodies. Fibre areas, oxidative capacity and capillaries were studied histochemically. After 8 months of training, MHC-IIX and IIX fibres decreased whereas MHC-I and type I and I + IIA fibres increased. Neither MHC-IIA nor the percentage of IIA fibres changed when the data were considered as a whole, but the proportion of MHC-IIA increased in the superficial region of the muscle after 8 months of training. Mean areas of type II fibres were not affected by training and detraining, but the cross-sectional of type I fibres increased after 3 month of training and not further increases were recorded afterward. The percentage of high-oxidative capacity fibres and the number of capillaries per mm2 increased with training. Most of these muscular adaptations reverted after detraining. These results indicate that long term draught-exercise training induces a reversible transition of MHC composition in equine muscle in the order IIX --> IIA --> I. The physiological implication of these changes is an impact on the velocity of shortening and fatigue resistance of muscle fibres.

Bud detachment in hydra requires activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor and a Rho–ROCK–myosin II signaling pathway to ensure formation of a basal constriction

PubMed Central

Holz, Oliver; Apel, David; Steinmetz, Patrick; Lange, Ellen; Hopfenmüller, Simon; Ohler, Kerstin; Sudhop, Stefanie

2017-01-01

Background: Hydra propagates asexually by exporting tissue into a bud, which detaches 4 days later as a fully differentiated young polyp. Prerequisite for detachment is activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling. The mechanism which enables constriction and tissue separation within the monolayered ecto‐ and endodermal epithelia is unknown. Results: Histological sections and staining of F‐actin by phalloidin revealed conspicuous cell shape changes at the bud detachment site indicating a localized generation of mechanical forces and the potential enhancement of secretory functions in ectodermal cells. By gene expression analysis and pharmacological inhibition, we identified a candidate signaling pathway through Rho, ROCK, and myosin II, which controls bud base constriction and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Specific regional myosin phosphorylation suggests a crucial role of ectodermal cells at the detachment site. Inhibition of FGFR, Rho, ROCK, or myosin II kinase activity is permissive for budding, but represses myosin phosphorylation, rearrangement of F‐actin and constriction. The young polyp remains permanently connected to the parent by a broad tissue bridge. Conclusions: Our data suggest an essential role of FGFR and a Rho‐ROCK‐myosin II pathway in the control of cell shape changes required for bud detachment. Developmental Dynamics 246:502–516, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists PMID:28411398

Direct observation of the actin filament by tip-scan atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Narita, Akihiro; Usukura, Eiji; Yagi, Akira; Tateyama, Kiyohiko; Akizuki, Shogo; Kikumoto, Mahito; Matsumoto, Tomoharu; Maéda, Yuichiro; Ito, Shuichi; Usukura, Jiro

2016-01-01

Actin filaments, the actin–myosin complex and the actin–tropomyosin complex were observed by a tip-scan atomic force microscope (AFM), which was recently developed by Olympus as the AFM part of a correlative microscope. This newly developed AFM uses cantilevers of similar size as stage-scan AFMs to improve substantially the spatial and temporal resolution. Such an approach has previously never been possible by a tip-scan system, in which a cantilever moves in the x, y and z directions. We evaluated the performance of this developed tip-scan AFM by observing the molecular structure of actin filaments and the actin–tropomyosin complex. In the image of the actin filament, the molecular interval of the actin subunits (∼5.5 nm) was clearly observed as stripes. From the shape of the stripes, the polarity of the actin filament was directly determined and the results were consistent with the polarity determined by myosin binding. In the image of the actin–tropomyosin complex, each tropomyosin molecule (∼2 nm in diameter) on the actin filament was directly observed without averaging images of different molecules. Each tropomyosin molecule on the actin filament has never been directly observed by AFM or electron microscopy. Thus, our developed tip-scan AFM offers significant potential in observing purified proteins and cellular structures at nanometer resolution. Current results represent an important step in the development of a new correlative microscope to observe nm-order structures at an acceptable frame rate (∼10 s/frame) by AFM at the position indicated by the fluorescent dye observed under a light microscope. PMID:27242058

The structural effects of mutations can aid in differential phenotype prediction of beta-myosin heavy chain (Myosin-7) missense variants.

PubMed

Al-Numair, Nouf S; Lopes, Luis; Syrris, Petros; Monserrat, Lorenzo; Elliott, Perry; Martin, Andrew C R

2016-10-01

High-throughput sequencing platforms are increasingly used to screen patients with genetic disease for pathogenic mutations, but prediction of the effects of mutations remains challenging. Previously we developed SAAPdap (Single Amino Acid Polymorphism Data Analysis Pipeline) and SAAPpred (Single Amino Acid Polymorphism Predictor) that use a combination of rule-based structural measures to predict whether a missense genetic variant is pathogenic. Here we investigate whether the same methodology can be used to develop a differential phenotype predictor, which, once a mutation has been predicted as pathogenic, is able to distinguish between phenotypes-in this case the two major clinical phenotypes (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, HCM and dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM) associated with mutations in the beta-myosin heavy chain (MYH7) gene product (Myosin-7). A random forest predictor trained on rule-based structural analyses together with structural clustering data gave a Matthews' correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.53 (accuracy, 75%). A post hoc removal of machine learning models that performed particularly badly, increased the performance (MCC = 0.61, Acc = 79%). This proof of concept suggests that methods used for pathogenicity prediction can be extended for use in differential phenotype prediction. Analyses were implemented in Perl and C and used the Java-based Weka machine learning environment. Please contact the authors for availability. andrew@bioinf.org.uk or andrew.martin@ucl.ac.uk Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Actin-associated protein palladin is required for migration behavior and differentiation potential of C2C12 myoblast cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Ngoc Uyen Nhi; Liang, Vincent Roderick; Wang, Hao-Ven, E-mail: hvwang@mail.ncku.edu.tw

2014-09-26

Highlights: • Palladin is involved in myogenesis in vitro. • Palladin knockdown by siRNA increases myoblast proliferation, viability and differentiation. • Palladin knockdown decreases C2C12 myoblast migration ability. - Abstract: The actin-associated protein palladin has been shown to be involved in differentiation processes in non-muscle tissues. However, but its function in skeletal muscle has rarely been studied. Palladin plays important roles in the regulation of diverse actin-related signaling in a number of cell types. Since intact actin-cytoskeletal remodeling is necessary for myogenesis, in the present study, we pursue to investigate the role of actin-associated palladin in skeletal muscle differentiation. Palladinmore » in C2C12 myoblasts is knocked-down using specific small interfering RNA (siRNA). The results show that down-regulation of palladin decreased migratory activity of mouse skeletal muscle C2C12 myoblasts. Furthermore, the depletion of palladin enhances C2C12 vitality and proliferation. Of note, the loss of palladin promotes C2C12 to express the myosin heavy chain, suggesting that palladin has a role in the modulation of C2C12 differentiation. It is thus proposed that palladin is required for normal C2C12 myogenesis in vitro.« less

Molecular determinants of force production in human skeletal muscle fibers: effects of myosin isoform expression and cross-sectional area.

PubMed

Miller, Mark S; Bedrin, Nicholas G; Ades, Philip A; Palmer, Bradley M; Toth, Michael J

2015-03-15

Skeletal muscle contractile performance is governed by the properties of its constituent fibers, which are, in turn, determined by the molecular interactions of the myofilament proteins. To define the molecular determinants of contractile function in humans, we measured myofilament mechanics during maximal Ca(2+)-activated and passive isometric conditions in single muscle fibers with homogenous (I and IIA) and mixed (I/IIA and IIA/X) myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms from healthy, young adult male (n = 5) and female (n = 7) volunteers. Fibers containing only MHC II isoforms (IIA and IIA/X) produced higher maximal Ca(2+)-activated forces over the range of cross-sectional areas (CSAs) examined than MHC I fibers, resulting in higher (24-42%) specific forces. The number and/or stiffness of the strongly bound myosin-actin cross bridges increased in the higher force-producing MHC II isoforms and, in all isoforms, better predicted force than CSA. In men and women, cross-bridge kinetics, in terms of myosin attachment time and rate of myosin force production, were independent of CSA, although women had faster (7-15%) kinetics. The relative proportion of cross bridges and/or their stiffness was reduced as fiber size increased, causing a decline in specific force. Results from our examination of molecular mechanisms across the range of physiological CSAs explain the variation in specific force among the different fiber types in human skeletal muscle, which may have relevance to understanding how various physiological and pathophysiological conditions modulate single-fiber and whole muscle contractility. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Molecular determinants of force production in human skeletal muscle fibers: effects of myosin isoform expression and cross-sectional area

PubMed Central

Bedrin, Nicholas G.; Ades, Philip A.; Palmer, Bradley M.; Toth, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Skeletal muscle contractile performance is governed by the properties of its constituent fibers, which are, in turn, determined by the molecular interactions of the myofilament proteins. To define the molecular determinants of contractile function in humans, we measured myofilament mechanics during maximal Ca2+-activated and passive isometric conditions in single muscle fibers with homogenous (I and IIA) and mixed (I/IIA and IIA/X) myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms from healthy, young adult male (n = 5) and female (n = 7) volunteers. Fibers containing only MHC II isoforms (IIA and IIA/X) produced higher maximal Ca2+-activated forces over the range of cross-sectional areas (CSAs) examined than MHC I fibers, resulting in higher (24–42%) specific forces. The number and/or stiffness of the strongly bound myosin-actin cross bridges increased in the higher force-producing MHC II isoforms and, in all isoforms, better predicted force than CSA. In men and women, cross-bridge kinetics, in terms of myosin attachment time and rate of myosin force production, were independent of CSA, although women had faster (7–15%) kinetics. The relative proportion of cross bridges and/or their stiffness was reduced as fiber size increased, causing a decline in specific force. Results from our examination of molecular mechanisms across the range of physiological CSAs explain the variation in specific force among the different fiber types in human skeletal muscle, which may have relevance to understanding how various physiological and pathophysiological conditions modulate single-fiber and whole muscle contractility. PMID:25567808

Myosin XI-dependent formation of tubular structures from endoplasmic reticulum isolated from tobacco cultured BY-2 cells.

PubMed

Yokota, Etsuo; Ueda, Haruko; Hashimoto, Kohsuke; Orii, Hidefumi; Shimada, Tomoo; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Shimmen, Teruo

2011-05-01

The reticular network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of tubular and lamellar elements and is arranged in the cortical region of plant cells. This network constantly shows shape change and remodeling motion. Tubular ER structures were formed when GTP was added to the ER vesicles isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultured BY-2 cells expressing ER-localized green fluorescent protein. The hydrolysis of GTP during ER tubule formation was higher than that under conditions in which ER tubule formation was not induced. Furthermore, a shearing force, such as the flow of liquid, was needed for the elongation/extension of the ER tubule. The shearing force was assumed to correspond to the force generated by the actomyosin system in vivo. To confirm this hypothesis, the S12 fraction was prepared, which contained both cytosol and microsome fractions, including two classes of myosins, XI (175-kD myosin) and VIII (BY-2 myosin VIII-1), and ER-localized green fluorescent protein vesicles. The ER tubules and their mesh-like structures were arranged in the S12 fraction efficiently by the addition of ATP, GTP, and exogenous filamentous actin. The tubule formation was significantly inhibited by the depletion of 175-kD myosin from the S12 fraction but not BY-2 myosin VIII-1. Furthermore, a recombinant carboxyl-terminal tail region of 175-kD myosin also suppressed ER tubule formation. The tips of tubules moved along filamentous actin during tubule elongation. These results indicated that the motive force generated by the actomyosin system contributes to the formation of ER tubules, suggesting that myosin XI is responsible not only for the transport of ER in cytoplasm but also for the reticular organization of cortical ER.

Arabidopsis Myosins XI1, XI2, and XIK Are Crucial for Gravity-Induced Bending of Inflorescence Stems

PubMed Central

Talts, Kristiina; Ilau, Birger; Ojangu, Eve-Ly; Tanner, Krista; Peremyslov, Valera V.; Dolja, Valerian V.; Truve, Erkki; Paves, Heiti

2016-01-01

Myosins and actin filaments in the actomyosin system act in concert in regulating cell structure and dynamics and are also assumed to contribute to plant gravitropic response. To investigate the role of the actomyosin system in the inflorescence stem gravitropism, we used single and multiple mutants affecting each of the 17 Arabidopsis myosins of class VIII and XI. We show that class XI but not class VIII myosins are required for stem gravitropism. Simultaneous loss of function of myosins XI1, XI2, and XIK leads to impaired gravitropic bending that is correlated with altered growth, stiffness, and insufficient sedimentation of gravity sensing amyloplasts in stem endodermal cells. The gravitropic defect of the corresponding triple mutant xi1 xi2 xik could be rescued by stable expression of the functional XIK:YFP in the mutant background, indicating a role of class XI myosins in this process. Altogether, our results emphasize the critical contributions of myosins XI in stem gravitropism of Arabidopsis. PMID:28066484

Myosin storage myopathy mutations yield defective myosin filament assembly in vitro and disrupted myofibrillar structure and function in vivo.

PubMed

Viswanathan, Meera C; Tham, Rick C; Kronert, William A; Sarsoza, Floyd; Trujillo, Adriana S; Cammarato, Anthony; Bernstein, Sanford I

2017-12-15

Myosin storage myopathy (MSM) is a congenital skeletal muscle disorder caused by missense mutations in the β-cardiac/slow skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain rod. It is characterized by subsarcolemmal accumulations of myosin that have a hyaline appearance. MSM mutations map near or within the assembly competence domain known to be crucial for thick filament formation. Drosophila MSM models were generated for comprehensive physiological, structural, and biochemical assessment of the mutations' consequences on muscle and myosin structure and function. L1793P, R1845W, and E1883K MSM mutant myosins were expressed in an indirect flight (IFM) and jump muscle myosin null background to study the effects of these variants without confounding influences from wild-type myosin. Mutant animals displayed highly compromised jump and flight ability, disrupted muscle proteostasis, and severely perturbed IFM structure. Electron microscopy revealed myofibrillar disarray and degeneration with hyaline-like inclusions. In vitro assembly assays demonstrated a decreased ability of mutant myosin to polymerize, with L1793P filaments exhibiting shorter lengths. In addition, limited proteolysis experiments showed a reduced stability of L1793P and E1883K filaments. We conclude that the disrupted hydropathy or charge of residues in the heptad repeat of the mutant myosin rods likely alters interactions that stabilize coiled-coil dimers and thick filaments, causing disruption in ordered myofibrillogenesis and/or myofibrillar integrity, and the consequent myosin aggregation. Our Drosophila models are the first to recapitulate the human MSM phenotype with ultrastructural inclusions, suggesting that the diminished ability of the mutant myosin to form stable thick filaments contributes to the dystrophic phenotype observed in afflicted subjects. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Force and number of myosin motors during muscle shortening and the coupling with the release of the ATP hydrolysis products

PubMed Central

Caremani, Marco; Melli, Luca; Dolfi, Mario; Lombardi, Vincenzo; Linari, Marco

2015-01-01

The chemo-mechanical cycle of the myosin II–actin reaction in situ has been investigated in Ca2+-activated skinned fibres from rabbit psoas, by determining the number and strain (s) of myosin motors interacting during steady shortening at different velocities (V) and the effect of raising inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration. It was found that in control conditions (no added Pi), shortening at V ≤ 350 nm s–1 per half-sarcomere, corresponding to force (T) greater than half the isometric force (T0), decreases the number of myosin motors in proportion to the reduction of T, so that s remains practically constant and similar to the T0 value independent of V. At higher V the number of motors decreases less than in proportion to T, so that s progressively decreases. Raising Pi concentration by 10 mm, which reduces T0 and the number of motors by 40–50%, does not influence the dependence on V of number and strain. A model simulation of the myosin–actin reaction in which the structural transitions responsible for the myosin working stroke and the release of the hydrolysis products are orthogonal explains the results assuming that Pi and then ADP are released with rates that increase as the motor progresses through the working stroke. The rate of ADP release from the conformation at the end of the working stroke is also strain-sensitive, further increasing by one order of magnitude within a few nanometres of negative strain. These results provide the molecular explanation of the relation between the rate of energy liberation and the load during muscle contraction. Key points Muscle contraction is due to cyclical ATP-driven working strokes in the myosin motors while attached to the actin filament. Each working stroke is accompanied by the release of the hydrolysis products, orthophosphate and ADP. The rate of myosin–actin interactions increases with the increase in shortening velocity. We used fast half-sarcomere mechanics on skinned muscle fibres to

Orientation of the N-terminal lobe of the myosin regulatory light chain in skeletal muscle fibers.

PubMed

Romano, Daniela; Brandmeier, Birgit D; Sun, Yin-Biao; Trentham, David R; Irving, Malcolm

2012-03-21

The orientation of the N-terminal lobe of the myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) in demembranated fibers of rabbit psoas muscle was determined by polarized fluorescence. The native RLC was replaced by a smooth muscle RLC with a bifunctional rhodamine probe attached to its A, B, C, or D helix. Fiber fluorescence data were interpreted using the crystal structure of the head domain of chicken skeletal myosin in the nucleotide-free state. The peak angle between the lever axis of the myosin head and the fiber or actin filament axis was 100-110° in relaxation, isometric contraction, and rigor. In each state the hook helix was at an angle of ∼40° to the lever/filament plane. The in situ orientation of the RLC D and E helices, and by implication of its N- and C-lobes, was similar in smooth and skeletal RLC isoforms. The angle between these two RLC lobes in rigor fibers was different from that in the crystal structure. These results extend previous crystallographic evidence for bending between the two lobes of the RLC to actin-attached myosin heads in muscle fibers, and suggest that such bending may have functional significance in contraction and regulation of vertebrate striated muscle. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of novel mutations on the structure and enzymatic activity of unconventional myosins associated with autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss.

PubMed

Kwon, Tae-Jun; Oh, Se-Kyung; Park, Hong-Joon; Sato, Osamu; Venselaar, Hanka; Choi, Soo Young; Kim, SungHee; Lee, Kyu-Yup; Bok, Jinwoong; Lee, Sang-Heun; Vriend, Gert; Ikebe, Mitsuo; Kim, Un-Kyung; Choi, Jae Young

2014-07-01

Mutations in five unconventional myosin genes have been associated with genetic hearing loss (HL). These genes encode the motor proteins myosin IA, IIIA, VI, VIIA and XVA. To date, most mutations in myosin genes have been found in the Caucasian population. In addition, only a few functional studies have been performed on the previously reported myosin mutations. We performed screening and functional studies for mutations in the MYO1A and MYO6 genes in Korean cases of autosomal dominant non-syndromic HL. We identified four novel heterozygous mutations in MYO6. Three mutations (p.R825X, p.R991X and Q918fsX941) produce a premature truncation of the myosin VI protein. Another mutation, p.R205Q, was associated with diminished actin-activated ATPase activity and actin gliding velocity of myosin VI in an in vitro analysis. This finding is consistent with the results of protein modelling studies and corroborates the pathogenicity of this mutation in the MYO6 gene. One missense variant, p.R544W, was found in the MYO1A gene, and in silico analysis suggested that this variant has deleterious effects on protein function. This finding is consistent with the results of protein modelling studies and corroborates the pathogenic effect of this mutation in the MYO6 gene.

The effect of novel mutations on the structure and enzymatic activity of unconventional myosins associated with autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss

PubMed Central

Kwon, Tae-Jun; Oh, Se-Kyung; Park, Hong-Joon; Sato, Osamu; Venselaar, Hanka; Choi, Soo Young; Kim, SungHee; Lee, Kyu-Yup; Bok, Jinwoong; Lee, Sang-Heun; Vriend, Gert; Ikebe, Mitsuo; Kim, Un-Kyung; Choi, Jae Young

2014-01-01

Mutations in five unconventional myosin genes have been associated with genetic hearing loss (HL). These genes encode the motor proteins myosin IA, IIIA, VI, VIIA and XVA. To date, most mutations in myosin genes have been found in the Caucasian population. In addition, only a few functional studies have been performed on the previously reported myosin mutations. We performed screening and functional studies for mutations in the MYO1A and MYO6 genes in Korean cases of autosomal dominant non-syndromic HL. We identified four novel heterozygous mutations in MYO6. Three mutations (p.R825X, p.R991X and Q918fsX941) produce a premature truncation of the myosin VI protein. Another mutation, p.R205Q, was associated with diminished actin-activated ATPase activity and actin gliding velocity of myosin VI in an in vitro analysis. This finding is consistent with the results of protein modelling studies and corroborates the pathogenicity of this mutation in the MYO6 gene. One missense variant, p.R544W, was found in the MYO1A gene, and in silico analysis suggested that this variant has deleterious effects on protein function. This finding is consistent with the results of protein modelling studies and corroborates the pathogenic effect of this mutation in the MYO6 gene. PMID:25080041

Actin retrograde flow and actomyosin II arc contraction drive receptor cluster dynamics at the immunological synapse in Jurkat T cells

PubMed Central

Yi, Jason; Wu, Xufeng S.; Crites, Travis; Hammer, John A.

2012-01-01

Actin retrograde flow and actomyosin II contraction have both been implicated in the inward movement of T cell receptor (TCR) microclusters and immunological synapse formation, but no study has integrated and quantified their relative contributions. Using Jurkat T cells expressing fluorescent myosin IIA heavy chain and F-tractin—a novel reporter for F-actin—we now provide direct evidence that the distal supramolecular activation cluster (dSMAC) and peripheral supramolecular activation cluster (pSMAC) correspond to lamellipodial (LP) and lamellar (LM) actin networks, respectively, as hypothesized previously. Our images reveal concentric and contracting actomyosin II arcs/rings at the LM/pSMAC. Moreover, the speeds of centripetally moving TCR microclusters correspond very closely to the rates of actin retrograde flow in the LP/dSMAC and actomyosin II arc contraction in the LM/pSMAC. Using cytochalasin D and jasplakinolide to selectively inhibit actin retrograde flow in the LP/dSMAC and blebbistatin to selectively inhibit actomyosin II arc contraction in the LM/pSMAC, we demonstrate that both forces are required for centripetal TCR microcluster transport. Finally, we show that leukocyte function–associated antigen 1 clusters accumulate over time at the inner aspect of the LM/pSMAC and that this accumulation depends on actomyosin II contraction. Thus actin retrograde flow and actomyosin II arc contraction coordinately drive receptor cluster dynamics at the immunological synapse. PMID:22219382

Transgenic mouse α- and β-cardiac myosins containing the R403Q mutation show isoform-dependent transient kinetic differences.

PubMed

Lowey, Susan; Bretton, Vera; Gulick, James; Robbins, Jeffrey; Trybus, Kathleen M

2013-05-24

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is a major cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. The discovery in 1990 that a point mutation at residue 403 (R403Q) in the β-myosin heavy chain (MHC) caused a severe form of FHC was the first of many demonstrations linking FHC to mutations in muscle proteins. A mouse model for FHC has been widely used to study the mechanochemical properties of mutated cardiac myosin, but mouse hearts express α-MHC, whereas the ventricles of larger mammals express predominantly β-MHC. To address the role of the isoform backbone on function, we generated a transgenic mouse in which the endogenous α-MHC was partially replaced with transgenically encoded β-MHC or α-MHC. A His6 tag was cloned at the N terminus, along with R403Q, to facilitate isolation of myosin subfragment 1 (S1). Stopped flow kinetics were used to measure the equilibrium constants and rates of nucleotide binding and release for the mouse S1 isoforms bound to actin. For the wild-type isoforms, we found that the affinity of MgADP for α-S1 (100 μM) is ~ 4-fold weaker than for β-S1 (25 μM). Correspondingly, the MgADP release rate for α-S1 (350 s(-1)) is ~3-fold greater than for β-S1 (120 s(-1)). Introducing the R403Q mutation caused only a minor reduction in kinetics for β-S1, but R403Q in α-S1 caused the ADP release rate to increase by 20% (430 s(-1)). These transient kinetic studies on mouse cardiac myosins provide strong evidence that the functional impact of an FHC mutation on myosin depends on the isoform backbone.

Skeletal Muscle Fatigability and Myosin Heavy Chain Fiber Type in Resistance Trained Men.

PubMed

Bagley, James R; McLeland, Kathryn A; Arevalo, Jose A; Brown, Lee E; Coburn, Jared W; Galpin, Andrew J

2017-03-01

Bagley, JR, McLeland, KA, Arevalo, JA, Brown, LE, Coburn, JW, and Galpin, AJ. Skeletal muscle fatigability and myosin heavy chain fiber type in resistance trained men. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 602-607, 2017-Forty years ago, Thorstensson and Karlsson in 1976 described the link between muscle fatigability and fiber type, finding that more fast-twitch fibers were associated with a quicker onset of quadriceps fatigue. This provided the foundation for the Classic Thorstensson Test of fatigability and subsequent noninvasive fiber type prediction equation. This equation was developed with data from recreationally active (REC) men but has been implemented in participants with heterogeneous physical activity/exercise backgrounds. The accuracy of this approach in resistance trained (RET) men has not been established. Moreover, muscle fiber typing techniques have evolved considerably since this seminal work. Therefore, we reexamined this relationship using RET men and a more sensitive fiber typing method (single fiber myosin heavy chain [MHC] isoform classification). Fifteen RET men (age = 24.8 ± 1.3 years) performed maximal knee extensions (via isokinetic dynamometry) to determine peak torque (PT) and quadriceps fatigue percentage (FP) after 30 and 50 repetitions. Vastus lateralis (VL) single fiber MHC type was determined and fibers were grouped as %Fast (expressing MHC IIa, IIa/IIX, or IIx; no MHC I containing fibers). Resistance trained men exhibited 46% greater PT (RET = 207 ± 28 N·m vs. REC = 130 ± 8 N·m) and 28% more %Fast (RET = 61 ± 4% vs. REC = 44 ± 4%) than REC men. Additionally, RET men had a relatively homogeneous FP (64 ± 1%) ranging from 53 to 72%. No relationship was found between FP and MHC fiber type (R = 0.01, p > 0.05). The Classic Thorstensson Test may not accurately estimate VL fiber type composition in RET men, highlighting the (a) unique phenotypical/functional adaptations induced by chronic RET and (b) the need for more sensitive cellular

Allosteric modulation of cardiac myosin dynamics by omecamtiv mecarbil

PubMed Central

Tiberti, Matteo

2017-01-01

New promising avenues for the pharmacological treatment of skeletal and heart muscle diseases rely on direct sarcomeric modulators, which are molecules that can directly bind to sarcomeric proteins and either inhibit or enhance their activity. A recent breakthrough has been the discovery of the myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), which has been shown to increase the power output of the cardiac muscle and is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of heart failure. While the overall effect of OM on the mechano-chemical cycle of myosin is to increase the fraction of myosin molecules in the sarcomere that are strongly bound to actin, the molecular basis of its action is still not completely clear. We present here a Molecular Dynamics study of the motor domain of human cardiac myosin bound to OM, where the effects of the drug on the dynamical properties of the protein are investigated for the first time with atomistic resolution. We found that OM has a double effect on myosin dynamics, inducing a) an increased coupling of the motions of the converter and lever arm subdomains to the rest of the protein and b) a rewiring of the network of dynamic correlations, which produces preferential communication pathways between the OM binding site and distant functional regions. The location of the residues responsible for these effects suggests possible strategies for the future development of improved drugs and the targeting of specific cardiomyopathy-related mutations. PMID:29108014

Bud detachment in hydra requires activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor and a Rho-ROCK-myosin II signaling pathway to ensure formation of a basal constriction.

PubMed

Holz, Oliver; Apel, David; Steinmetz, Patrick; Lange, Ellen; Hopfenmüller, Simon; Ohler, Kerstin; Sudhop, Stefanie; Hassel, Monika

2017-07-01

Hydra propagates asexually by exporting tissue into a bud, which detaches 4 days later as a fully differentiated young polyp. Prerequisite for detachment is activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling. The mechanism which enables constriction and tissue separation within the monolayered ecto- and endodermal epithelia is unknown. Histological sections and staining of F-actin by phalloidin revealed conspicuous cell shape changes at the bud detachment site indicating a localized generation of mechanical forces and the potential enhancement of secretory functions in ectodermal cells. By gene expression analysis and pharmacological inhibition, we identified a candidate signaling pathway through Rho, ROCK, and myosin II, which controls bud base constriction and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Specific regional myosin phosphorylation suggests a crucial role of ectodermal cells at the detachment site. Inhibition of FGFR, Rho, ROCK, or myosin II kinase activity is permissive for budding, but represses myosin phosphorylation, rearrangement of F-actin and constriction. The young polyp remains permanently connected to the parent by a broad tissue bridge. Our data suggest an essential role of FGFR and a Rho-ROCK-myosin II pathway in the control of cell shape changes required for bud detachment. Developmental Dynamics 246:502-516, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 The Authors Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.

Structural and molecular conformation of myosin in intact muscle fibers by second harmonic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nucciotti, V.; Stringari, C.; Sacconi, L.; Vanzi, F.; Linari, M.; Piazzesi, G.; Lombardi, V.; Pavone, F. S.

2009-02-01

Recently, the use of Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) for imaging biological samples has been explored with regard to intrinsic SHG in highly ordered biological samples. As shown by fractional extraction of proteins, myosin is the source of SHG signal in skeletal muscle. SHG is highly dependent on symmetries and provides selective information on the structural order and orientation of the emitting proteins and the dynamics of myosin molecules responsible for the mechano-chemical transduction during contraction. We characterise the polarization-dependence of SHG intensity in three different physiological states: resting, rigor and isometric tetanic contraction in a sarcomere length range between 2.0 μm and 4.0 μm. The orientation of motor domains of the myosin molecules is dependent on their physiological states and modulate the SHG signal. We can discriminate the orientation of the emitting dipoles in four different molecular conformations of myosin heads in intact fibers during isometric contraction, in resting and rigor. We estimate the contribution of the myosin motor domain to the total second order bulk susceptibility from its molecular structure and its functional conformation. We demonstrate that SHG is sensitive to the fraction of ordered myosin heads by disrupting the order of myosin heads in rigor with an ATP analog. We estimate the fraction of myosin motors generating the isometric force in the active muscle fiber from the dependence of the SHG modulation on the degree of overlap between actin and myosin filaments during an isometric contraction.

Lateral Membrane Diffusion Modulated by a Minimal Actin Cortex

PubMed Central

Heinemann, Fabian; Vogel, Sven K.; Schwille, Petra

2013-01-01

Diffusion of lipids and proteins within the cell membrane is essential for numerous membrane-dependent processes including signaling and molecular interactions. It is assumed that the membrane-associated cytoskeleton modulates lateral diffusion. Here, we use a minimal actin cortex to directly study proposed effects of an actin meshwork on the diffusion in a well-defined system. The lateral diffusion of a lipid and a protein probe at varying densities of membrane-bound actin was characterized by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). A clear correlation of actin density and reduction in mobility was observed for both the lipid and the protein probe. At high actin densities, the effect on the protein probe was ∼3.5-fold stronger compared to the lipid. Moreover, addition of myosin filaments, which contract the actin mesh, allowed switching between fast and slow diffusion in the minimal system. Spot variation FCS was in accordance with a model of fast microscopic diffusion and slower macroscopic diffusion. Complementing Monte Carlo simulations support the analysis of the experimental FCS data. Our results suggest a stronger interaction of the actin mesh with the larger protein probe compared to the lipid. This might point toward a mechanism where cortical actin controls membrane diffusion in a strong size-dependent manner. PMID:23561523

Muscle-specific accumulation of Drosophila myosin heavy chains: a splicing mutation in an alternative exon results in an isoform substitution.

PubMed Central

Kronert, W A; Edwards, K A; Roche, E S; Wells, L; Bernstein, S I

1991-01-01

We show that the molecular lesions in two homozygousviable mutants of the Drosophila muscle myosin heavy chain gene affect an alternative exon (exon 9a) which encodes a portion of the myosin head that is highly conserved among both cytoplasmic and muscle myosins of all organisms. In situ hybridization and Northern blotting analysis in wild-type organisms indicates that exon 9a is used in indirect flight muscles whereas both exons 9a and 9b are utilized in jump muscles. Alternative exons 9b and 9c are used in other larval and adult muscles. One of the mutations in exon 9a is a nonsense allele that greatly reduces myosin RNA stability. It prevents thick filament accumulation in indirect flight muscles and severely reduces the number of thick filaments in a subset of cells of the jump muscles. The second mutation affects the 5' splice site of exon 9a. This results in production of an aberrantly spliced transcript in indirect flight muscles, which prevents thick filament accumulation. Jump muscles of this mutant substitute exon 9b for exon 9a and consequently have normal levels of thick filaments in this muscle type. This isoform substitution does not obviously affect the ultrastructure or function of the jump muscle. Analysis of this mutant illustrates that indirect flight muscles and jump muscles utilize different mechanisms for alternative RNA splicing. Images PMID:1907912

A Conformational Transition in the Myosin VI Converter Contributes to the Variable Step Size

PubMed Central

Ovchinnikov, V.; Cecchini, M.; Vanden-Eijnden, E.; Karplus, M.

2011-01-01

Myosin VI (MVI) is a dimeric molecular motor that translocates backwards on actin filaments with a surprisingly large and variable step size, given its short lever arm. A recent x-ray structure of MVI indicates that the large step size can be explained in part by a novel conformation of the converter subdomain in the prepowerstroke state, in which a 53-residue insert, unique to MVI, reorients the lever arm nearly parallel to the actin filament. To determine whether the existence of the novel converter conformation could contribute to the step-size variability, we used a path-based free-energy simulation tool, the string method, to show that there is a small free-energy difference between the novel converter conformation and the conventional conformation found in other myosins. This result suggests that MVI can bind to actin with the converter in either conformation. Models of MVI/MV chimeric dimers show that the variability in the tilting angle of the lever arm that results from the two converter conformations can lead to step-size variations of ∼12 nm. These variations, in combination with other proposed mechanisms, could explain the experimentally determined step-size variability of ∼25 nm for wild-type MVI. Mutations to test the findings by experiment are suggested. PMID:22098742

Myosin light chain kinase and Src control membrane dynamics in volume recovery from cell swelling

PubMed Central

Barfod, Elisabeth T.; Moore, Ann L.; Van de Graaf, Benjamin G.; Lidofsky, Steven D.

2011-01-01

 The expansion of the plasma membrane, which occurs during osmotic swelling of epithelia, must be retrieved for volume recovery, but the mechanisms are unknown. Here we have identified myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) as a regulator of membrane internalization in response to osmotic swelling in a model liver cell line. On hypotonic exposure, we found that there was time-dependent phosphorylation of the MLCK substrate myosin II regulatory light chain. At the sides of the cell, MLCK and myosin II localized to swelling-induced membrane blebs with actin just before retraction, and MLCK inhibition led to persistent blebbing and attenuated cell volume recovery. At the base of the cell, MLCK also localized to dynamic actin-coated rings and patches upon swelling, which were associated with uptake of the membrane marker FM4-64X, consistent with sites of membrane internalization. Hypotonic exposure evoked increased biochemical association of the cell volume regulator Src with MLCK and with the endocytosis regulators cortactin and dynamin, which colocalized within these structures. Inhibition of either Src or MLCK led to altered patch and ring lifetimes, consistent with the concept that Src and MLCK form a swelling-induced protein complex that regulates volume recovery through membrane turnover and compensatory endocytosis under osmotic stress. PMID:21209319

Modeling of the motion of the actin filament on the myosin motility assays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Yuan; Shelley, Mike

2007-11-01

In motility assays, cytoskeletal actin filaments (actin filaments) glide over a surface coated with motor proteins, and the different modes of motion provide a simple measure of the force exerted by the motor proteins (Bourdieu, 1995). Motivated by these experiments, we consider the actin filament as a slender, elastic filament immersed in Stokesian flow, driven by a tangential forcing that mimics the force by the motor proteins. We find qualitative agreement on several points between our analysis and simulations and experimental observations. Furthermore, we study the correlation between filament transport and the characteristics of motion with the spatial pattern of motor protein density.

Genome-wide identification, splicing, and expression analysis of the myosin gene family in maize (Zea mays)

PubMed Central

Wang, Guifeng; Zhong, Mingyu; Wang, Gang; Song, Rentao

2014-01-01

The actin-based myosin system is essential for the organization and dynamics of the endomembrane system and transport network in plant cells. Plants harbour two unique myosin groups, class VIII and class XI, and the latter is structurally and functionally analogous to the animal and fungal class V myosin. Little is known about myosins in grass, even though grass includes several agronomically important cereal crops. Here, we identified 14 myosin genes from the genome of maize (Zea mays). The relatively larger sizes of maize myosin genes are due to their much longer introns, which are abundant in transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that maize myosin genes could be classified into class VIII and class XI, with three and 11 members, respectively. Apart from subgroup XI-F, the remaining subgroups were duplicated at least in one analysed lineage, and the duplication events occurred more extensively in Arabidopsis than in maize. Only two pairs of maize myosins were generated from segmental duplication. Expression analysis revealed that most maize myosin genes were expressed universally, whereas a few members (XI-1, -6, and -11) showed an anther-specific pattern, and many underwent extensive alternative splicing. We also found a short transcript at the O1 locus, which conceptually encoded a headless myosin that most likely functions at the transcriptional level rather than via a dominant-negative mechanism at the translational level. Together, these data provide significant insights into the evolutionary and functional characterization of maize myosin genes that could transfer to the identification and application of homologous myosins of other grasses. PMID:24363426

The role of actin networks in cellular mechanosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azatov, Mikheil

Physical processes play an important role in many biological phenomena, such as wound healing, organ development, and tumor metastasis. During these processes, cells constantly interact with and adapt to their environment by exerting forces to mechanically probe the features of their surroundings and generating appropriate biochemical responses. The mechanisms underlying how cells sense the physical properties of their environment are not well understood. In this thesis, I present my studies to investigate cellular responses to the stiffness and topography of the environment. In order to sense the physical properties of their environment, cells dynamically reorganize the structure of their actin cytoskeleton, a dynamic network of biopolymers, altering the shape and spatial distribution of protein assemblies. Several observations suggest that proteins that crosslink actin filaments may play an important role in cellular mechanosensitivity. Palladin is an actin-crosslinking protein that is found in the lamellar actin network, stress fibers and focal adhesions, cellular structures that are critical for mechanosensing of the physical environment. By virtue of its close interactions with these structures in the cell, palladin may play an important role in cell mechanics. However, the role of actin crosslinkers in general, and palladin in particular, in cellular force generation and mechanosensing is not well known. I have investigated the role of palladin in regulating the plasticity of the actin cytoskeleton and cellular force generation in response to alterations in substrate stiffness. I have shown that the expression levels of palladin modulate the forces exerted by cells and their ability to sense substrate stiffness. Perturbation experiments also suggest that palladin levels in cells altered myosin motor activity. These results suggest that the actin crosslinkers, such as palladin, and myosin motors coordinate for optimal cell function and to prevent aberrant

Effect of frozen storage on the structure and enzymatic activities of myofibrillar proteins of rabbit skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Kang, J O; Ito, T; Fukazawa, T

1983-01-01

The effect of frozen storage on the biochemical properties of myofibrils, and of their major constituents, actin and myosin, was investigated. Extractability of myofibrillar proteins increased slightly for 3 weeks during frozen storage of muscle, decreasing thereafter. The change in myofibrillar ATPase activity during frozen storage was consistent with that of a reconstituted acto-heavy meromyosin (HMM) complex prepared from frozen stored muscle at the same weight ratio of actin to myosin as in situ. However, myosin ATPase activity showed a different pattern of change when compared with myofibrillar ATPase activity. The maximum velocity of acto-HMM ATPase activity and the apparent dissociation constant of the acto-HMM complex decreased for 1 week during frozen storage, increasing thereafter, indicating that the affinity of actin for myosin was greatest in muscle which had been frozen for 1 week. Copyright © 1983. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Myogenin, MyoD, and myosin expression after pharmacologically and surgically induced hypertrophy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mozdziak, P. E.; Greaser, M. L.; Schultz, E.

1998-01-01

The relationship between myogenin or MyoD expression and hypertrophy of the rat soleus produced either by clenbuterol and 3,3', 5-triiodo-L-thyronine (CT) treatment or by surgical overload was examined. Mature female rats were subjected to surgical overload of the right soleus with the left soleus serving as a control. Another group received the same surgical treatment but were administered CT. Soleus muscles were harvested 4 wk after surgical overload and weighed. Myosin heavy chain isoforms were separated by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis while myogenin and MyoD expression were evaluated by Northern analysis. CT and functional overload increased soleus muscle weight. CT treatment induced the appearance of the fast type IIX myosin heavy chain isoform, depressed myogenin expression, and induced MyoD expression. However, functional overload did not alter myogenin or MyoD expression in CT-treated or non-CT-treated rats. Thus pharmacologically and surgically induced hypertrophy have differing effects on myogenin and MyoD expression, because their levels were associated with changes in myosin heavy chain composition (especially type IIX) rather than changes in muscle mass.

The myosin ID pathway and left-right asymmetry in Drosophila.

PubMed

Géminard, Charles; González-Morales, Nicanor; Coutelis, Jean-Baptiste; Noselli, Stéphane

2014-06-01

Drosophila is a classical model to study body patterning, however left-right (L/R) asymmetry had remained unexplored, until recently. The discovery of the conserved myosin ID gene as a major determinant of L/R asymmetry has revealed a novel L/R pathway involving the actin cytoskeleton and the adherens junction. In this process, the HOX gene Abdominal-B plays a major role through the control of myosin ID expression and therefore symmetry breaking. In this review, we present organs and markers showing L/R asymmetry in Drosophila and discuss our current understanding of the underlying molecular genetic mechanisms. Drosophila represents a valuable model system revealing novel strategies to establish L/R asymmetry in invertebrates and providing an evolutionary perspective to the problem of laterality in bilateria. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Roles of Formin Nodes and Myosin Motor Activity in Mid1p-dependent Contractile-Ring Assembly during Fission Yeast Cytokinesis

PubMed Central

Coffman, Valerie C.; Nile, Aaron H.; Lee, I-Ju; Liu, Huayang

2009-01-01

Two prevailing models have emerged to explain the mechanism of contractile-ring assembly during cytokinesis in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe: the spot/leading cable model and the search, capture, pull, and release (SCPR) model. We tested some of the basic assumptions of the two models. Monte Carlo simulations of the SCPR model require that the formin Cdc12p is present in >30 nodes from which actin filaments are nucleated and captured by myosin-II in neighboring nodes. The force produced by myosin motors pulls the nodes together to form a compact contractile ring. Live microscopy of cells expressing Cdc12p fluorescent fusion proteins shows for the first time that Cdc12p localizes to a broad band of 30–50 dynamic nodes, where actin filaments are nucleated in random directions. The proposed progenitor spot, essential for the spot/leading cable model, usually disappears without nucleating actin filaments. α-Actinin ain1 deletion cells form a normal contractile ring through nodes in the absence of the spot. Myosin motor activity is required to condense the nodes into a contractile ring, based on slower or absent node condensation in myo2-E1 and UCS rng3-65 mutants. Taken together, these data provide strong support for the SCPR model of contractile-ring formation in cytokinesis. PMID:19864459

A Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Mutation in an Invariant Proline at the Myosin Head/Rod Junction Enhances Head Flexibility and Function, Yielding Muscle Defects in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Achal, Madhulika; Trujillo, Adriana S.; Melkani, Girish C.; Farman, Gerrie P.; Ocorr, Karen; Viswanathan, Meera C.; Kaushik, Gaurav; Newhard, Christopher S.; Glasheen, Bernadette M.; Melkani, Anju; Suggs, Jennifer A.; Moore, Jeffrey R.; Swank, Douglas M.; Bodmer, Rolf; Cammarato, Anthony; Bernstein, Sanford I.

2016-01-01

An “invariant proline” separates the myosin S1 head from its S2 tail and is proposed to be critical for orienting S1 during its interaction with actin, a process that leads to muscle contraction. Mutation of the invariant proline to leucine (P838L) caused dominant restrictive cardiomyopathy in a pediatric patient (Karam et al., Congenit. Heart Dis. 3:138–43, 2008). Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster to model this mutation and dissect its effects on the biochemical and biophysical properties of myosin, as well as on the structure and physiology of skeletal and cardiac muscles. P838L mutant myosin isolated from indirect flight muscles of transgenic Drosophila showed elevated ATPase and actin sliding velocity in vitro. Furthermore, the mutant heads exhibited increased rotational flexibility, and there was an increase in the average angle between the two heads. Indirect flight muscle myofibril assembly was minimally affected in mutant homozygotes, and isolated fibers displayed normal mechanical properties. However, myofibrils degraded during aging, correlating with reduced flight abilities. In contrast, hearts from homozygotes and heterozygotes showed normal morphology, myofibrillar arrays, and contractile parameters. When P838L was placed in trans to Mhc5, an allele known to cause cardiac restriction in flies, it did not yield the constricted phenotype. Overall, our studies suggest that increased rotational flexibility of myosin S1 enhances myosin ATPase and actin sliding. Moreover, instability of P838L myofibrils leads to decreased function during aging of Drosophila skeletal muscle, but not cardiac muscle, despite the strong evolutionary conservation of the P838 residue. PMID:27107639

The Relay/Converter Interface Influences Hydrolysis of ATP by Skeletal Muscle Myosin II*

PubMed Central

Bloemink, Marieke J.; Melkani, Girish C.; Bernstein, Sanford I.; Geeves, Michael A.

2016-01-01

The interface between relay and converter domain of muscle myosin is critical for optimal myosin performance. Using Drosophila melanogaster indirect flight muscle S1, we performed a kinetic analysis of the effect of mutations in the converter and relay domain. Introduction of a mutation (R759E) in the converter domain inhibits the steady-state ATPase of myosin S1, whereas an additional mutation in the relay domain (N509K) is able to restore the ATPase toward wild-type values. The R759E S1 construct showed little effect on most steps of the actomyosin ATPase cycle. The exception was a 25–30% reduction in the rate constant of the hydrolysis step, the step coupled to the cross-bridge recovery stroke that involves a change in conformation at the relay/converter domain interface. Significantly, the double mutant restored the hydrolysis step to values similar to the wild-type myosin. Modeling the relay/converter interface suggests a possible interaction between converter residue 759 and relay residue 509 in the actin-detached conformation, which is lost in R759E but is restored in N509K/R759E. This detailed kinetic analysis of Drosophila myosin carrying the R759E mutation shows that the interface between the relay loop and converter domain is important for fine-tuning myosin kinetics, in particular ATP binding and hydrolysis. PMID:26586917

Myosin Transducer Mutations Differentially Affect Motor Function, Myofibril Structure, and the Performance of Skeletal and Cardiac Muscles

PubMed Central

Cammarato, Anthony; Dambacher, Corey M.; Knowles, Aileen F.; Kronert, William A.; Bodmer, Rolf

2008-01-01

Striated muscle myosin is a multidomain ATP-dependent molecular motor. Alterations to various domains affect the chemomechanical properties of the motor, and they are associated with skeletal and cardiac myopathies. The myosin transducer domain is located near the nucleotide-binding site. Here, we helped define the role of the transducer by using an integrative approach to study how Drosophila melanogaster transducer mutations D45 and Mhc5 affect myosin function and skeletal and cardiac muscle structure and performance. We found D45 (A261T) myosin has depressed ATPase activity and in vitro actin motility, whereas Mhc5 (G200D) myosin has these properties enhanced. Depressed D45 myosin activity protects against age-associated dysfunction in metabolically demanding skeletal muscles. In contrast, enhanced Mhc5 myosin function allows normal skeletal myofibril assembly, but it induces degradation of the myofibrillar apparatus, probably as a result of contractile disinhibition. Analysis of beating hearts demonstrates depressed motor function evokes a dilatory response, similar to that seen with vertebrate dilated cardiomyopathy myosin mutations, and it disrupts contractile rhythmicity. Enhanced myosin performance generates a phenotype apparently analogous to that of human restrictive cardiomyopathy, possibly indicating myosin-based origins for the disease. The D45 and Mhc5 mutations illustrate the transducer's role in influencing the chemomechanical properties of myosin and produce unique pathologies in distinct muscles. Our data suggest Drosophila is a valuable system for identifying and modeling mutations analogous to those associated with specific human muscle disorders. PMID:18045988

Stiffness, working stroke, and force of single-myosin molecules in skeletal muscle: elucidation of these mechanical properties via nonlinear elasticity evaluation.

PubMed

Kaya, Motoshi; Higuchi, Hideo

2013-11-01

In muscles, the arrays of skeletal myosin molecules interact with actin filaments and continuously generate force at various contraction speeds. Therefore, it is crucial for myosin molecules to generate force collectively and minimize the interference between individual myosin molecules. Knowledge of the elasticity of myosin molecules is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms of muscle contractions because elasticity directly affects the working and drag (resistance) force generation when myosin molecules are positively or negatively strained. The working stroke distance is also an important mechanical property necessary for elucidation of the thermodynamic efficiency of muscle contractions at the molecular level. In this review, we focus on these mechanical properties obtained from single-fiber and single-molecule studies and discuss recent findings associated with these mechanical properties. We also discuss the potential molecular mechanisms associated with reduction of the drag effect caused by negatively strained myosin molecules.

Self-organizing actin patterns shape membrane architecture but not cell mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritzsche, M.; Li, D.; Colin-York, H.; Chang, V. T.; Moeendarbary, E.; Felce, J. H.; Sezgin, E.; Charras, G.; Betzig, E.; Eggeling, C.

2017-02-01

Cell-free studies have demonstrated how collective action of actin-associated proteins can organize actin filaments into dynamic patterns, such as vortices, asters and stars. Using complementary microscopic techniques, we here show evidence of such self-organization of the actin cortex in living HeLa cells. During cell adhesion, an active multistage process naturally leads to pattern transitions from actin vortices over stars into asters. This process is primarily driven by Arp2/3 complex nucleation, but not by myosin motors, which is in contrast to what has been theoretically predicted and observed in vitro. Concomitant measurements of mechanics and plasma membrane fluidity demonstrate that changes in actin patterning alter membrane architecture but occur functionally independent of macroscopic cortex elasticity. Consequently, tuning the activity of the Arp2/3 complex to alter filament assembly may thus be a mechanism allowing cells to adjust their membrane architecture without affecting their macroscopic mechanical properties.

Self-organizing actin patterns shape membrane architecture but not cell mechanics

PubMed Central

Fritzsche, M.; Li, D.; Colin-York, H.; Chang, V. T.; Moeendarbary, E.; Felce, J. H.; Sezgin, E.; Charras, G.; Betzig, E.; Eggeling, C.

2017-01-01

Cell-free studies have demonstrated how collective action of actin-associated proteins can organize actin filaments into dynamic patterns, such as vortices, asters and stars. Using complementary microscopic techniques, we here show evidence of such self-organization of the actin cortex in living HeLa cells. During cell adhesion, an active multistage process naturally leads to pattern transitions from actin vortices over stars into asters. This process is primarily driven by Arp2/3 complex nucleation, but not by myosin motors, which is in contrast to what has been theoretically predicted and observed in vitro. Concomitant measurements of mechanics and plasma membrane fluidity demonstrate that changes in actin patterning alter membrane architecture but occur functionally independent of macroscopic cortex elasticity. Consequently, tuning the activity of the Arp2/3 complex to alter filament assembly may thus be a mechanism allowing cells to adjust their membrane architecture without affecting their macroscopic mechanical properties. PMID:28194011

Myosin XI-Dependent Formation of Tubular Structures from Endoplasmic Reticulum Isolated from Tobacco Cultured BY-2 Cells1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Yokota, Etsuo; Ueda, Haruko; Hashimoto, Kohsuke; Orii, Hidefumi; Shimada, Tomoo; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Shimmen, Teruo

2011-01-01

The reticular network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of tubular and lamellar elements and is arranged in the cortical region of plant cells. This network constantly shows shape change and remodeling motion. Tubular ER structures were formed when GTP was added to the ER vesicles isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultured BY-2 cells expressing ER-localized green fluorescent protein. The hydrolysis of GTP during ER tubule formation was higher than that under conditions in which ER tubule formation was not induced. Furthermore, a shearing force, such as the flow of liquid, was needed for the elongation/extension of the ER tubule. The shearing force was assumed to correspond to the force generated by the actomyosin system in vivo. To confirm this hypothesis, the S12 fraction was prepared, which contained both cytosol and microsome fractions, including two classes of myosins, XI (175-kD myosin) and VIII (BY-2 myosin VIII-1), and ER-localized green fluorescent protein vesicles. The ER tubules and their mesh-like structures were arranged in the S12 fraction efficiently by the addition of ATP, GTP, and exogenous filamentous actin. The tubule formation was significantly inhibited by the depletion of 175-kD myosin from the S12 fraction but not BY-2 myosin VIII-1. Furthermore, a recombinant carboxyl-terminal tail region of 175-kD myosin also suppressed ER tubule formation. The tips of tubules moved along filamentous actin during tubule elongation. These results indicated that the motive force generated by the actomyosin system contributes to the formation of ER tubules, suggesting that myosin XI is responsible not only for the transport of ER in cytoplasm but also for the reticular organization of cortical ER. PMID:21427277

Highly selective inhibition of myosin motors provides the basis of potential therapeutic application

PubMed Central

Sirigu, Serena; Hartman, James J.; Ropars, Virginie; Clancy, Sheila; Wang, Xi; Chuang, Grace; Qian, Xiangping; Lu, Pu-Ping; Barrett, Edward; Rudolph, Karin; Royer, Christopher; Morgan, Bradley P.; Stura, Enrico A.; Malik, Fady I.; Houdusse, Anne M.

2016-01-01

Direct inhibition of smooth muscle myosin (SMM) is a potential means to treat hypercontractile smooth muscle diseases. The selective inhibitor CK-2018571 prevents strong binding to actin and promotes muscle relaxation in vitro and in vivo. The crystal structure of the SMM/drug complex reveals that CK-2018571 binds to a novel allosteric pocket that opens up during the “recovery stroke” transition necessary to reprime the motor. Trapped in an intermediate of this fast transition, SMM is inhibited with high selectivity compared with skeletal muscle myosin (IC50 = 9 nM and 11,300 nM, respectively), although all of the binding site residues are identical in these motors. This structure provides a starting point from which to design highly specific myosin modulators to treat several human diseases. It further illustrates the potential of targeting transition intermediates of molecular machines to develop exquisitely selective pharmacological agents. PMID:27815532

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia antibodies with a common stereotypic rearrangement recognize nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA

PubMed Central

Catera, Rosa; Hatzi, Katerina; Yan, Xiao-Jie; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Xiao Bo; Fales, Henry M.; Allen, Steven L.; Kolitz, Jonathan E.; Rai, Kanti R.; Chiorazzi, Nicholas

2008-01-01

Leukemic B lymphocytes of a large group of unrelated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients express an unmutated heavy chain immunoglobulin variable (V) region encoded by IGHV1-69, IGHD3-16, and IGHJ3 with nearly identical heavy and light chain complementarity-determining region 3 sequences. The likelihood that these patients developed CLL clones with identical antibody V regions randomly is highly improbable and suggests selection by a common antigen. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from this stereotypic subset strongly bind cytoplasmic structures in HEp-2 cells. Therefore, HEp-2 cell extracts were immunoprecipitated with recombinant stereotypic subset-specific CLL mAbs, revealing a major protein band at approximately 225 kDa that was identified by mass spectrometry as nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA (MYHIIA). Reactivity of the stereotypic mAbs with MYHIIA was confirmed by Western blot and immunofluorescence colocalization with anti-MYHIIA antibody. Treatments that alter MYHIIA amounts and cytoplasmic localization resulted in a corresponding change in binding to these mAbs. The appearance of MYHIIA on the surface of cells undergoing stress or apoptosis suggests that CLL mAb may generally bind molecules exposed as a consequence of these events. Binding of CLL mAb to MYHIIA could promote the development, survival, and expansion of these leukemic cells. PMID:18812466

PAR proteins regulate maintenance-phase myosin dynamics during Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization

PubMed Central

Small, Lawrence E.; Dawes, Adriana T.

2017-01-01

Establishment of anterior–posterior polarity in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote requires two different processes: mechanical activity of the actin–myosin cortex and biochemical activity of partitioning-defective (PAR) proteins. Here we analyze how PARs regulate the behavior of the cortical motor protein nonmuscle myosin (NMY-2) to complement recent efforts that investigate how PARs regulate the Rho GTPase CDC-42, which in turn regulates the actin-myosin cortex. We find that PAR-3 and PAR-6 concentrate CDC-42–dependent NMY-2 in the anterior cortex, whereas PAR-2 inhibits CDC-42–dependent NMY-2 in the posterior domain by inhibiting PAR-3 and PAR-6. In addition, we find that PAR-1 and PAR-3 are necessary for inhibiting movement of NMY-2 across the cortex. PAR-1 protects NMY-2 from being moved across the cortex by forces likely originating in the cytoplasm. Meanwhile, PAR-3 stabilizes NMY-2 against PAR-2 and PAR-6 dynamics on the cortex. We find that PAR signaling fulfills two roles: localizing NMY-2 to the anterior cortex and preventing displacement of the polarized cortical actin–myosin network. PMID:28615321

Myosin heavy chain composition in the rat diaphragm - Effect of age and exercise training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosselin, Luc E.; Betlach, Michael; Vailas, Arthur C.; Greaser, Marion L.; Thomas, D. P.

1992-01-01

The effects of aging and exercise training on the myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition were determined in both the costal and crural diaphragm regions of female Fischer 344 rats. Treadmill running at 75 percent maximal oxygen consumption resulted in similar increases in plantaris muscle citrate synthase activity in both young (5 mo) and old (23mo) trained animals (P less than 0.05). It was found that the ratio of fast to slow MHC was significantly higher (P less than 0.005) in the crural compared with costal diaphragm region in both age groups. A significant age-related increase in persentage of slow MHC was observed in both diaphragm regions. The relative proportion of slow MHC in either costal or crural region was not changed by exercise training.

Myosin Vc Interacts with Rab32 and Rab38 Proteins and Works in the Biogenesis and Secretion of Melanosomes*

PubMed Central

Bultema, Jarred J.; Boyle, Judith A.; Malenke, Parker B.; Martin, Faye E.; Dell'Angelica, Esteban C.; Cheney, Richard E.; Di Pietro, Santiago M.

2014-01-01

Class V myosins are actin-based motors with conserved functions in vesicle and organelle trafficking. Herein we report the discovery of a function for Myosin Vc in melanosome biogenesis as an effector of melanosome-associated Rab GTPases. We isolated Myosin Vc in a yeast two-hybrid screening for proteins that interact with Rab38, a Rab protein involved in the biogenesis of melanosomes and other lysosome-related organelles. Rab38 and its close homolog Rab32 bind to Myosin Vc but not to Myosin Va or Myosin Vb. Binding depends on residues in the switch II region of Rab32 and Rab38 and regions of the Myosin Vc coiled-coil tail domain. Myosin Vc also interacts with Rab7a and Rab8a but not with Rab11, Rab17, and Rab27. Although Myosin Vc is not particularly abundant on pigmented melanosomes, its knockdown in MNT-1 melanocytes caused defects in the trafficking of integral membrane proteins to melanosomes with substantially increased surface expression of Tyrp1, nearly complete loss of Tyrp2, and significant Vamp7 mislocalization. Knockdown of Myosin Vc in MNT-1 cells more than doubled the abundance of pigmented melanosomes but did not change the number of unpigmented melanosomes. Together the data demonstrate a novel role for Myosin Vc in melanosome biogenesis and secretion. PMID:25324551

Reconstitution of actin-based motility of Listeria and Shigella using pure proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loisel, Thomas P.; Boujemaa, Rajaa; Pantaloni, Dominique; Carlier, Marie-France

1999-10-01

Actin polymerization is essential for cell locomotion and is thought to generate the force responsible for cellular protrusions. The Arp2/3 complex is required to stimulate actin assembly at the leading edge in response to signalling. The bacteria Listeria and Shigella bypass the signalling pathway and harness the Arp2/3 complex to induce actin assembly and to propel themselves in living cells. However, the Arp2/3 complex alone is insufficient to promote movement. Here we have used pure components of the actin cytoskeleton to reconstitute sustained movement in Listeria and Shigella in vitro. Actin-based propulsion is driven by the free energy released by ATP hydrolysis linked to actin polymerization, and does not require myosin. In addition to actin and activated Arp2/3 complex, actin depolymerizing factor (ADF, or cofilin) and capping protein are also required for motility as they maintain a high steady-state level of G-actin, which controls the rate of unidirectional growth of actin filaments at the surface of the bacterium. The movement is more effective when profilin, α-actinin and VASP (for Listeria) are also included. These results have implications for our understanding of the mechanism of actin-based motility in cells.

Generation of contractile actomyosin bundles depends on mechanosensitive actin filament assembly and disassembly.

PubMed

Tojkander, Sari; Gateva, Gergana; Husain, Amjad; Krishnan, Ramaswamy; Lappalainen, Pekka

2015-12-10

Adhesion and morphogenesis of many non-muscle cells are guided by contractile actomyosin bundles called ventral stress fibers. While it is well established that stress fibers are mechanosensitive structures, physical mechanisms by which they assemble, align, and mature have remained elusive. Here we show that arcs, which serve as precursors for ventral stress fibers, undergo lateral fusion during their centripetal flow to form thick actomyosin bundles that apply tension to focal adhesions at their ends. Importantly, this myosin II-derived force inhibits vectorial actin polymerization at focal adhesions through AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of VASP, and thereby halts stress fiber elongation and ensures their proper contractility. Stress fiber maturation additionally requires ADF/cofilin-mediated disassembly of non-contractile stress fibers, whereas contractile fibers are protected from severing. Taken together, these data reveal that myosin-derived tension precisely controls both actin filament assembly and disassembly to ensure generation and proper alignment of contractile stress fibers in migrating cells.

The use of micropatterning to control smooth muscle myosin heavy chain expression and limit the response to transforming growth factor β1 in vascular smooth muscle cells

PubMed Central

Williams, Corin; Brown, Xin Q; Bartolak-Suki, Erzsebet; Ma, Hongwei; Chilkoti, Ashutosh; Wong, Joyce Y

2010-01-01

In the healthy artery, contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) have an elongated shape and are highly aligned but transition to a synthetic phenotype in culture, while additionally becoming well spread and randomly organized. Thus, controlling VSMC phenotype is a challenge in tissue engineering. In this study, we investigated the effects of micropatterning on contractile protein expression in VSMCs at low and high passage and in the presence of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1). Micropatterning led to significantly decreased cell area, increased elongation, and increased alignment compared to non-patterned VSMCs independent of passage number. In the presence of serum, micropatterning led to increased smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC) and α-actin expression in low passage VSMCs, but had no effect on high passage VSMCs. Micropatterning was as effective as TGFβ1 in up-regulating SM-MHC at low passage; however, micropatterning limited VSMC response to TGFβ1 at both low and high passage. Investigation of TGFβ receptor 1 revealed higher expression in non-patterned VSMCs compared to patterned at high passage. Our studies demonstrate that micropatterning is an important regulator of SM-MHC expression in contractile VSMCs and that it may provide a mechanism for phenotype stabilization in the presence of growth factors. PMID:20858564

Towards a molecular understanding of the apicomplexan actin motor: on a road to novel targets for malaria remedies?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumpula, Esa-Pekka; Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg; German Electron Synchrotron, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg

In this review, current structural understanding of the apicomplexan glideosome and actin regulation is described. Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria-causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one third of the world’s population. These parasites share a common form of gliding motility which relies on an actin–myosin motor. The components of this motor and the actin-regulatory proteins in Apicomplexa have unique features compared withmore » all other eukaryotes. This, together with the crucial roles of these proteins, makes them attractive targets for structure-based drug design. In recent years, several structures of glideosome components, in particular of actins and actin regulators from apicomplexan parasites, have been determined, which will hopefully soon allow the creation of a complete molecular picture of the parasite actin–myosin motor and its regulatory machinery. Here, current knowledge of the function of this motor is reviewed from a structural perspective.« less

Filamentous actin organization in the unfertilized sea urchin egg cortex.

PubMed

Henson, J H; Begg, D A

1988-06-01

We have investigated the organization of filamentous actin in the cortex of unfertilized eggs of the sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Lytechinus variegatus. Rhodamine phalloidin and anti-actin immunofluorescent staining of isolated cortices reveal a punctate pattern of fluorescent sources. Comparison of this pattern with SEM images of microvillar morphology and distribution indicates that filamentous actin in the cortex is predominantly localized in the microvilli. Thin-section TEM and quick-freeze deep-etch ultrastructure of isolated cortices demonstrates that this microvillar-associated actin is in a novel organizational state composed of very short filaments arranged in a tight network and that these filament networks form mounds that extend beyond the plane of the plasma membrane. Actin filaments within the networks do not exhibit free ends and make end-on attachments with the membrane only within the region of the evaginating microvilli. Myosin S-1 dissociable crosslinks, 2-3 nm in diameter, are observed between network filaments and between network filaments and the membrane. A second population of long, individual actin filaments is observed in close lateral association with the plasma membrane and frequently complexes with the microvillar actin networks. The filamentous actin of the unfertilized egg cortex may participate in establishing the mechanical properties of the egg surface and may function in nucleating the assembly of cortical actin following fertilization.

Diverse roles of actin in C. elegans early embryogenesis

PubMed Central

Velarde, Nathalie; Gunsalus, Kristin C; Piano, Fabio

2007-01-01

Background The actin cytoskeleton plays critical roles in early development in Caenorhabditis elegans. To further understand the complex roles of actin in early embryogenesis we use RNAi and in vivo imaging of filamentous actin (F-actin) dynamics. Results Using RNAi, we found processes that are differentially sensitive to levels of actin during early embryogenesis. Mild actin depletion shows defects in cortical ruffling, pseudocleavage, and establishment of polarity, while more severe depletion shows defects in polar body extrusion, cytokinesis, chromosome segregation, and eventually, egg production. These defects indicate that actin is required for proper oocyte development, fertilization, and a wide range of important events during early embryogenesis, including proper chromosome segregation. In vivo visualization of the cortical actin cytoskeleton shows dynamics that parallel but are distinct from the previously described myosin dynamics. Two distinct types of actin organization are observed at the cortex. During asymmetric polarization to the anterior, or the establishment phase (Phase I), actin forms a meshwork of microfilaments and focal accumulations throughout the cortex, while during the anterior maintenance phase (Phase II) it undergoes a morphological transition to asymmetrically localized puncta. The proper asymmetric redistribution is dependent on the PAR proteins, while both asymmetric redistribution and morphological transitions are dependent upon PFN-1 and NMY-2. Just before cytokinesis, actin disappears from most of the cortex and is only found around the presumptive cytokinetic furrow. Finally, we describe dynamic actin-enriched comets in the early embryo. Conclusion During early C. elegans embryogenesis actin plays more roles and its organization is more dynamic than previously described. Morphological transitions of F-actin, from meshwork to puncta, as well as asymmetric redistribution, are regulated by the PAR proteins. Results from this study

Myosin MyTH4-FERM structures highlight important principles of convergent evolution.

PubMed

Planelles-Herrero, Vicente José; Blanc, Florian; Sirigu, Serena; Sirkia, Helena; Clause, Jeffrey; Sourigues, Yannick; Johnsrud, Daniel O; Amigues, Beatrice; Cecchini, Marco; Gilbert, Susan P; Houdusse, Anne; Titus, Margaret A

2016-05-24

Myosins containing MyTH4-FERM (myosin tail homology 4-band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, moesin, or MF) domains in their tails are found in a wide range of phylogenetically divergent organisms, such as humans and the social amoeba Dictyostelium (Dd). Interestingly, evolutionarily distant MF myosins have similar roles in the extension of actin-filled membrane protrusions such as filopodia and bind to microtubules (MT), suggesting that the core functions of these MF myosins have been highly conserved over evolution. The structures of two DdMyo7 signature MF domains have been determined and comparison with mammalian MF structures reveals that characteristic features of MF domains are conserved. However, across millions of years of evolution conserved class-specific insertions are seen to alter the surfaces and the orientation of subdomains with respect to each other, likely resulting in new sites for binding partners. The MyTH4 domains of Myo10 and DdMyo7 bind to MT with micromolar affinity but, surprisingly, their MT binding sites are on opposite surfaces of the MyTH4 domain. The structural analysis in combination with comparison of diverse MF myosin sequences provides evidence that myosin tail domain features can be maintained without strict conservation of motifs. The results illustrate how tuning of existing features can give rise to new structures while preserving the general properties necessary for myosin tails. Thus, tinkering with the MF domain enables it to serve as a multifunctional platform for cooperative recruitment of various partners, allowing common properties such as autoinhibition of the motor and microtubule binding to arise through convergent evolution.

Rear-polarized Wnt5a-receptor-actin-myosin-polarity (WRAMP) structures promote the speed and persistence of directional cell migration

PubMed Central

Connacher, Mary Katherine; Tay, Jian Wei; Ahn, Natalie G.

2017-01-01

In contrast to events at the cell leading edge, rear-polarized mechanisms that control directional cell migration are poorly defined. Previous work described a new intracellular complex, the Wnt5a-receptor-actomyosin polarity (WRAMP) structure, which coordinates the polarized localization of MCAM, actin, and myosin IIB in a Wnt5a-induced manner. However, the polarity and function for the WRAMP structure during cell movement were not determined. Here we characterize WRAMP structures during extended cell migration using live-cell imaging. The results demonstrate that cells undergoing prolonged migration show WRAMP structures stably polarized at the rear, where they are strongly associated with enhanced speed and persistence of directional movement. Strikingly, WRAMP structures form transiently, with cells displaying directional persistence during periods when they are present and cells changing directions randomly when they are absent. Cells appear to pause locomotion when WRAMP structures disassemble and then migrate in new directions after reassembly at a different location, which forms the new rear. We conclude that WRAMP structures represent a rear-directed cellular mechanism to control directional migration and that their ability to form dynamically within cells may control changes in direction during extended migration. PMID:28592632

Evaluation of Acanthamoeba Myosin-IC as a Potential Therapeutic Target

PubMed Central

Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; López-Arencibia, Atteneri; Reyes-Batlle, María; Piñero, José E.; Valladares, Basilio; Maciver, Sutherland K.

2014-01-01

Members of the genus Acanthamoeba are facultative pathogens of humans, causing a sight-threatening keratitis and a fatal encephalitis. We have targeted myosin-IC by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing as a therapeutic approach, since it is known that the function of this protein is vital for the amoeba. In this work, specific siRNAs against the Acanthamoeba myosin-IC gene were developed. Treated and control amoebae were cultured in growth and encystment media to evaluate the induced effects after myosin-IC gene knockdown, as we have anticipated that cyst formation may be impaired. The effects of myosin-IC gene silencing were inhibition of cyst formation, inhibition of completion of cytokinesis, inhibition of osmoregulation under osmotic stress conditions, and death of the amoebae. The finding that myosin-IC silencing caused incompletion of cytokinesis is in agreement with earlier suggestions that the protein plays a role in cell locomotion, which is necessary to pull daughter cells apart after mitosis in a process known as “traction-mediated cytokinesis”. We conclude that myosin-IC is a very promising potential drug target for the development of much-needed antiamoebal drugs and that it should be further exploited for Acanthamoeba therapy. PMID:24468784

Differences in sodium voltage-gated channel properties according to myosin heavy chain isoform expression in single muscle fibres.

PubMed

Rannou, F; Droguet, M; Giroux-Metges, M A; Pennec, Y; Gioux, M; Pennec, J P

2009-11-01

The myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform determines the characteristics and shortening velocity of muscle fibres. The functional properties of the muscle fibre are also conditioned by its membrane excitability through the electrophysiological properties of sodium voltage-gated channels. Macropatch-clamp is used to study sodium channels in fibres from peroneus longus (PL) and soleus (Sol) muscles (Wistar rats, n = 8). After patch-clamp recordings, single fibres are identified by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis according to their myosin heavy chain isoform (slow type I and the three fast types IIa, IIx, IIb). Characteristics of sodium currents are compared (Student's t test) between fibres exhibiting only one MHC isoform. Four MHC isoforms are identified in PL and only type I in Sol single fibres. In PL, maximal sodium current (I(max)), maximal sodium conductance (g(Na,max)) and time constants of activation and inactivation ((m) and (h)) increase according to the scheme I-->IIa-->IIx-->IIb (P < 0.05). (m) values related to sodium channel type and/or function, are similar in Sol I and PL IIb fibres (P = 0.97) despite different contractile properties. The voltage dependence of activation (V(a,1/2)) shows a shift towards positive potentials from Sol type I to IIa, IIx and finally IIb fibres from PL (P < 0.05). These data are consistent with the earlier recruitment of slow fibres in a fast-mixed muscle like PL, while slow fibres of postural muscle such as soleus could be recruited in the same ways as IIb fibres in a fast muscle.

The Relay/Converter Interface Influences Hydrolysis of ATP by Skeletal Muscle Myosin II.

PubMed

Bloemink, Marieke J; Melkani, Girish C; Bernstein, Sanford I; Geeves, Michael A

2016-01-22

The interface between relay and converter domain of muscle myosin is critical for optimal myosin performance. Using Drosophila melanogaster indirect flight muscle S1, we performed a kinetic analysis of the effect of mutations in the converter and relay domain. Introduction of a mutation (R759E) in the converter domain inhibits the steady-state ATPase of myosin S1, whereas an additional mutation in the relay domain (N509K) is able to restore the ATPase toward wild-type values. The R759E S1 construct showed little effect on most steps of the actomyosin ATPase cycle. The exception was a 25-30% reduction in the rate constant of the hydrolysis step, the step coupled to the cross-bridge recovery stroke that involves a change in conformation at the relay/converter domain interface. Significantly, the double mutant restored the hydrolysis step to values similar to the wild-type myosin. Modeling the relay/converter interface suggests a possible interaction between converter residue 759 and relay residue 509 in the actin-detached conformation, which is lost in R759E but is restored in N509K/R759E. This detailed kinetic analysis of Drosophila myosin carrying the R759E mutation shows that the interface between the relay loop and converter domain is important for fine-tuning myosin kinetics, in particular ATP binding and hydrolysis. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

ER/Golgi trafficking is facilitated by unbranched actin filaments containing Tpm4.2.

PubMed

Kee, Anthony J; Bryce, Nicole S; Yang, Lingyan; Polishchuk, Elena; Schevzov, Galina; Weigert, Roberto; Polishchuk, Roman; Gunning, Peter W; Hardeman, Edna C

2017-10-01

We have identified novel actin filaments defined by tropomyosin Tpm4.2 at the ER. EM analysis of mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from mice expressing a mutant Tpm4.2 (Tpm4 Plt53/Plt53 ), incapable of incorporating into actin filaments, revealed swollen ER structures compared with wild-type (WT) MEFs (Tpm4 +/+ ). ER-to-Golgi, but not Golgi-to-ER trafficking was altered in the Tpm4 Plt53/Plt53 MEFs following the transfection of the temperature sensitive ER-associated ts045-VSVg construct. Exogenous Tpm4.2 was able to rescue the ER-to-Golgi trafficking defect in the Tpm4 Plt53/Plt53 cells. The treatment of WT MEFs with the myosin II inhibitor, blebbistatin, blocked the Tpm4.2-dependent ER-to-Golgi trafficking. The lack of an effect on ER-to-Golgi trafficking following treatment of MEFs with CK666 indicates that branched Arp2/3-containing actin filaments are not involved in anterograde vesicle trafficking. We propose that unbranched, Tpm4.2-containing filaments have an important role in maintaining ER/Golgi structure and that these structures, in conjunction with myosin II motors, mediate ER-to-Golgi trafficking. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decidable and undecidable arithmetic functions in actin filament networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumann, Andrew

2018-01-01

The plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is very sensitive to its environment, and reacts to stimuli with appropriate motions. Both the sensory and motor stages of these reactions are explained by hydrodynamic processes, based on fluid dynamics, with the participation of actin filament networks. This paper is devoted to actin filament networks as a computational medium. The point is that actin filaments, with contributions from many other proteins like myosin, are sensitive to extracellular stimuli (attractants as well as repellents), and appear and disappear at different places in the cell to change aspects of the cell structure—e.g. its shape. By assembling and disassembling actin filaments, some unicellular organisms, like Amoeba proteus, can move in response to various stimuli. As a result, these organisms can be considered a simple reversible logic gate—extracellular signals being its inputs and motions its outputs. In this way, we can implement various logic gates on amoeboid behaviours. These networks can embody arithmetic functions within p-adic valued logic. Furthermore, within these networks we can define the so-called diagonalization for deducing undecidable arithmetic functions.

X-ray diffraction from flight muscle with a headless myosin mutation: implications for interpreting reflection patterns

PubMed Central

Iwamoto, Hiroyuki; Trombitás, Károly; Yagi, Naoto; Suggs, Jennifer A.; Bernstein, Sanford I.

2014-01-01

Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is one of the most useful animal models to study the causes and effects of hereditary diseases because of its rich genetic resources. It is especially suitable for studying myopathies caused by myosin mutations, because specific mutations can be induced to the flight muscle-specific myosin isoform, while leaving other isoforms intact. Here we describe an X-ray-diffraction-based method to evaluate the structural effects of mutations in contractile proteins in Drosophila indirect flight muscle. Specifically, we describe the effect of the headless myosin mutation, Mhc10-Y97, in which the motor domain of the myosin head is deleted, on the X-ray diffraction pattern. The loss of general integrity of the filament lattice is evident from the pattern. A striking observation, however, is the prominent meridional reflection at d = 14.5 nm, a hallmark for the regularity of the myosin-containing thick filament. This reflection has long been considered to arise mainly from the myosin head, but taking the 6th actin layer line reflection as an internal control, the 14.5-nm reflection is even stronger than that of wild-type muscle. We confirmed these results via electron microscopy, wherein image analysis revealed structures with a similar periodicity. These observations have major implications on the interpretation of myosin-based reflections. PMID:25400584

Cloning of skeletal myosin heavy chain gene family from adult pleopod muscle and whole larvae of shrimps.

PubMed

Koyama, Hiroki; Piyapattanakorn, Sanit; Watabe, Shugo

2013-06-01

The physiological and biological properties of skeletal muscle in crustacea have not been well understood compared with those of vertebrates. The present study focused on myosin, the major protein in skeletal muscle, from shrimps. In our previous study, two full-length genes encoding myosin heavy chain (MHC), a large subunit of the myosin molecule, were cloned from abdominal fast skeletal muscle of kuruma Marsupenaeus japonicus, black tiger Penaeus monodon and Pacific white Penaeus vannamei shrimps, and named as MHCa and MHCb. In this study, we renamed these as MHC1 and MHC2, respectively, due to the presence of various isoforms newly identified. Partial MHC sequences were identified from pleopod muscle of these shrimps. Two MHCs, named MHC3 and MHC4, were identified from pleopod muscle of kuruma shrimp, whereas two MHCs, named MHC4 and MHC5, were cloned from Pacific white shrimp pleopod. MHC3 was cloned only from black tiger shrimp pleopod. Partial MHC sequences from zoea, mysis, and postlarvae of black tiger and Pacific white shrimps were also determined. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that most MHCs from pleopod muscle and larval MHCs formed clades with MHC1 and MHC2, respectively. These MHCs were considered to be of fast type, since MHC1 and MHC2 are fast-type MHCs according to our previous study. MHC5 obtained from pleopod muscle of Pacific white shrimp in this study was monophyletic with American lobster Homarus americanus S2 slow tonic MHC previously reported, indicating that MHC5 from Pacific white shrimp is of slow type. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Myosin vc interacts with Rab32 and Rab38 proteins and works in the biogenesis and secretion of melanosomes.

PubMed

Bultema, Jarred J; Boyle, Judith A; Malenke, Parker B; Martin, Faye E; Dell'Angelica, Esteban C; Cheney, Richard E; Di Pietro, Santiago M

2014-11-28

Class V myosins are actin-based motors with conserved functions in vesicle and organelle trafficking. Herein we report the discovery of a function for Myosin Vc in melanosome biogenesis as an effector of melanosome-associated Rab GTPases. We isolated Myosin Vc in a yeast two-hybrid screening for proteins that interact with Rab38, a Rab protein involved in the biogenesis of melanosomes and other lysosome-related organelles. Rab38 and its close homolog Rab32 bind to Myosin Vc but not to Myosin Va or Myosin Vb. Binding depends on residues in the switch II region of Rab32 and Rab38 and regions of the Myosin Vc coiled-coil tail domain. Myosin Vc also interacts with Rab7a and Rab8a but not with Rab11, Rab17, and Rab27. Although Myosin Vc is not particularly abundant on pigmented melanosomes, its knockdown in MNT-1 melanocytes caused defects in the trafficking of integral membrane proteins to melanosomes with substantially increased surface expression of Tyrp1, nearly complete loss of Tyrp2, and significant Vamp7 mislocalization. Knockdown of Myosin Vc in MNT-1 cells more than doubled the abundance of pigmented melanosomes but did not change the number of unpigmented melanosomes. Together the data demonstrate a novel role for Myosin Vc in melanosome biogenesis and secretion. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Hypertrophic Stimulation Increases β-actin Dynamics in Adult Feline Cardiomyocytes

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Sundaravadivel; Mani, Santhosh K.; Kasiganesan, Harinath; Baicu, Catalin C.; Kuppuswamy, Dhandapani

2010-01-01

The myocardium responds to hemodynamic stress through cellular growth and organ hypertrophy. The impact of cytoskeletal elements on this process, however, is not fully understood. While α-actin in cardiomyocytes governs muscle contraction in combination with the myosin motor, the exact role of β-actin has not been established. We hypothesized that in adult cardiomyocytes, as in non-myocytes, β-actin can facilitate cytoskeletal rearrangement within cytoskeletal structures such as Z-discs. Using a feline right ventricular pressure overload (RVPO) model, we measured the level and distribution of β-actin in normal and pressure overloaded myocardium. Resulting data demonstrated enriched levels of β-actin and enhanced translocation to the Triton-insoluble cytoskeletal and membrane skeletal complexes. In addition, RVPO in vivo and in vitro hypertrophic stimulation with endothelin (ET) or insulin in isolated adult cardiomyocytes enhanced the content of polymerized fraction (F-actin) of β-actin. To determine the localization and dynamics of β-actin, we adenovirally expressed GFP-tagged β-actin in isolated adult cardiomyocytes. The ectopically expressed β-actin-GFP localized to the Z-discs, costameres, and cell termini. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements of β-actin dynamics revealed that β-actin at the Z-discs is constantly being exchanged with β-actin from cytoplasmic pools and that this exchange is faster upon hypertrophic stimulation with ET or insulin. In addition, in electrically stimulated isolated adult cardiomyocytes, while β-actin overexpression improved cardiomyocyte contractility, immunoneutralization of β-actin resulted in a reduced contractility suggesting that β-actin could be important for the contractile function of adult cardiomyocytes. These studies demonstrate the presence and dynamics of β-actin in the adult cardiomyocyte and reinforce its usefulness in measuring cardiac cytoskeletal rearrangement during

Hypertrophic stimulation increases beta-actin dynamics in adult feline cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Sundaravadivel; Mani, Santhosh K; Kasiganesan, Harinath; Baicu, Catalin C; Kuppuswamy, Dhandapani

2010-07-12

The myocardium responds to hemodynamic stress through cellular growth and organ hypertrophy. The impact of cytoskeletal elements on this process, however, is not fully understood. While alpha-actin in cardiomyocytes governs muscle contraction in combination with the myosin motor, the exact role of beta-actin has not been established. We hypothesized that in adult cardiomyocytes, as in non-myocytes, beta-actin can facilitate cytoskeletal rearrangement within cytoskeletal structures such as Z-discs. Using a feline right ventricular pressure overload (RVPO) model, we measured the level and distribution of beta-actin in normal and pressure overloaded myocardium. Resulting data demonstrated enriched levels of beta-actin and enhanced translocation to the Triton-insoluble cytoskeletal and membrane skeletal complexes. In addition, RVPO in vivo and in vitro hypertrophic stimulation with endothelin (ET) or insulin in isolated adult cardiomyocytes enhanced the content of polymerized fraction (F-actin) of beta-actin. To determine the localization and dynamics of beta-actin, we adenovirally expressed GFP-tagged beta-actin in isolated adult cardiomyocytes. The ectopically expressed beta-actin-GFP localized to the Z-discs, costameres, and cell termini. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements of beta-actin dynamics revealed that beta-actin at the Z-discs is constantly being exchanged with beta-actin from cytoplasmic pools and that this exchange is faster upon hypertrophic stimulation with ET or insulin. In addition, in electrically stimulated isolated adult cardiomyocytes, while beta-actin overexpression improved cardiomyocyte contractility, immunoneutralization of beta-actin resulted in a reduced contractility suggesting that beta-actin could be important for the contractile function of adult cardiomyocytes. These studies demonstrate the presence and dynamics of beta-actin in the adult cardiomyocyte and reinforce its usefulness in measuring cardiac

Enhanced protein electrophoresis technique for separating human skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bamman, M. M.; Clarke, M. S.; Talmadge, R. J.; Feeback, D. L.

1999-01-01

Talmadge and Roy (J. Appl. Physiol. 1993, 75, 2337-2340) previously established a sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) protocol for separating all four rat skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms (MHC I, IIa, IIx, IIb); however, when applied to human muscle, the type II MHC isoforms (Ila, IIx) are not clearly distinguished. In this brief paper we describe a modification of the SDS-PAGE protocol which yields distinct and consistent separation of all three adult human MHC isoforms (MHC I, IIa, IIx) in a minigel system. MHC specificity of each band was confirmed by Western blot using three monoclonal IgG antibodies (mAbs) immunoreactive against MHCI (mAb MHCs, Novacastra Laboratories), MHCI+IIa (mAb BF-35), and MHCIIa+IIx (mAb SC-71). Results provide a valuable SDS-PAGE minigel technique for separating MHC isoforms in human muscle without the difficult task of casting gradient gels.

Smitin, a novel smooth muscle titin-like protein, interacts with myosin filaments in vivo and in vitro.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoungtae; Keller, Thomas C S

2002-01-07

Smooth muscle cells use an actin-myosin II-based contractile apparatus to produce force for a variety of physiological functions, including blood pressure regulation and gut peristalsis. The organization of the smooth muscle contractile apparatus resembles that of striated skeletal and cardiac muscle, but remains much more poorly understood. We have found that avian vascular and visceral smooth muscles contain a novel, megadalton protein, smitin, that is similar to striated muscle titin in molecular morphology, localization in a contractile apparatus, and ability to interact with myosin filaments. Smitin, like titin, is a long fibrous molecule with a globular domain on one end. Specific reactivities of an anti-smitin polyclonal antibody and an anti-titin monoclonal antibody suggest that smitin and titin are distinct proteins rather than differentially spliced isoforms encoded by the same gene. Smitin immunofluorescently colocalizes with myosin in chicken gizzard smooth muscle, and interacts with two configurations of smooth muscle myosin filaments in vitro. In physiological ionic strength conditions, smitin and smooth muscle myosin coassemble into irregular aggregates containing large sidepolar myosin filaments. In low ionic strength conditions, smitin and smooth muscle myosin form highly ordered structures containing linear and polygonal end-to-end and side-by-side arrays of small bipolar myosin filaments. We have used immunogold localization and sucrose density gradient cosedimentation analyses to confirm association of smitin with both the sidepolar and bipolar smooth muscle myosin filaments. These findings suggest that the titin-like protein smitin may play a central role in organizing myosin filaments in the contractile apparatus and perhaps in other structures in smooth muscle cells.

β-Myosin heavy chain variant Val606Met causes very mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in mice, but exacerbates HCM phenotypes in mice carrying other HCM mutations.

PubMed

Blankenburg, Robert; Hackert, Katarzyna; Wurster, Sebastian; Deenen, René; Seidman, J G; Seidman, Christine E; Lohse, Martin J; Schmitt, Joachim P

2014-07-07

Approximately 40% of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by heterozygous missense mutations in β-cardiac myosin heavy chain (β-MHC). Associating disease phenotype with mutation is confounded by extensive background genetic and lifestyle/environmental differences between subjects even from the same family. To characterize disease caused by β-cardiac myosin heavy chain Val606Met substitution (VM) that has been identified in several HCM families with wide variation of clinical outcomes, in mice. Unlike 2 mouse lines bearing the malignant myosin mutations Arg453Cys (RC/+) or Arg719Trp (RW/+), VM/+ mice with an identical inbred genetic background lacked hallmarks of HCM such as left ventricular hypertrophy, disarray of myofibers, and interstitial fibrosis. Even homozygous VM/VM mice were indistinguishable from wild-type animals, whereas RC/RC- and RW/RW-mutant mice died within 9 days after birth. However, hypertrophic effects of the VM mutation were observed both in mice treated with cyclosporine, a known stimulator of the HCM response, and compound VM/RC heterozygous mice, which developed a severe HCM phenotype. In contrast to all heterozygous mutants, both systolic and diastolic function of VM/RC hearts was severely impaired already before the onset of cardiac remodeling. The VM mutation per se causes mild HCM-related phenotypes; however, in combination with other HCM activators it exacerbates the HCM phenotype. Double-mutant mice are suitable for assessing the severity of benign mutations. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Single-fiber myosin heavy chain polymorphism during postnatal development: modulation by hypothyroidism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

di Maso, N. A.; Caiozzo, V. J.; Baldwin, K. M.

2000-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to follow the developmental time course of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform transitions in single fibers of the rodent plantaris muscle. Hypothyroidism was used in conjunction with single-fiber analyses to better describe a possible linkage between the neonatal and fast type IIB MHC isoforms during development. In contrast to the general concept that developmental MHC isoform transitions give rise to muscle fibers that express only a single MHC isoform, the single-fiber analyses revealed a very high degree of MHC polymorphism throughout postnatal development. In the adult state, MHC polymorphism was so pervasive that the rodent plantaris muscles contained approximately 12-15 different pools of fibers (i.e., fiber types). The degree of polymorphism observed at the single-fiber level made it difficult to determine specific developmental schemes analogous to those observed previously for the rodent soleus muscle. However, hypothyroidism was useful in that it confirmed a possible link between the developmental regulation of the neonatal and fast type IIB MHC isoforms.

Dynamic F-actin movement is essential for fertilization in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Kawashima, Tomokazu; Maruyama, Daisuke; Shagirov, Murat; Li, Jing; Hamamura, Yuki; Yelagandula, Ramesh; Toyama, Yusuke; Berger, Frédéric

2014-01-01

In animals, microtubules and centrosomes direct the migration of gamete pronuclei for fertilization. By contrast, flowering plants have lost essential components of the centrosome, raising the question of how flowering plants control gamete nuclei migration during fertilization. Here, we use Arabidopsis thaliana to document a novel mechanism that regulates F-actin dynamics in the female gametes and is essential for fertilization. Live imaging shows that F-actin structures assist the male nucleus during its migration towards the female nucleus. We identify a female gamete-specific Rho-GTPase that regulates F-actin dynamics and further show that actin–myosin interactions are also involved in male gamete nucleus migration. Genetic analyses and imaging indicate that microtubules are dispensable for migration and fusion of male and female gamete nuclei. The innovation of a novel actin-based mechanism of fertilization during plant evolution might account for the complete loss of the centrosome in flowering plants. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04501.001 PMID:25303363

Memory Disrupting Effects of Nonmuscle Myosin II Inhibition Depend on the Class of Abused Drug and Brain Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Sherri B.; Blouin, Ashley M.; Young, Erica J.; Rumbaugh, Gavin; Miller, Courtney A.

2017-01-01

Depolymerizing actin in the amygdala through nonmuscle myosin II inhibition (NMIIi) produces a selective, lasting, and retrieval-independent disruption of the storage of methamphetamine-associated memories. Here we report a similar disruption of memories associated with amphetamine, but not cocaine or morphine, by NMIIi. Reconsolidation appeared…

Inhibiting Myosin Light Chain Kinase Induces Apoptosis In Vitro and In Vivo

PubMed Central

Fazal, Fabeha; Gu, Lianzhi; Ihnatovych, Ivanna; Han, YooJeong; Hu, WenYang; Antic, Nenad; Carreira, Fernando; Blomquist, James F.; Hope, Thomas J.; Ucker, David S.; de Lanerolle, Primal

2005-01-01