Identification of N-Acetylmethionine as the Product Released during the NH2-terminal Processing of a Pseudo-class I Actin

Actin's N-terminal acetyltransferase uncovered

Humans express six highly conserved actin isoforms, which differ the most at their N-termini. Actin's N-terminus undergoes co- and post-translational processing unique among eukaryotic proteins. During translation, the initiator methionine of the two cytoplasmic isoforms is N-terminally acetylated (Nt-acetylated) and that of the four muscle isoforms is removed and the exposed cysteine is Nt-acetylated. Then, an unidentified acetylaminopeptidase post-translationally removes the Ac-Met (or Ac-Cys), and all six isoforms are re-acetylated at the N-terminus. Despite the vital importance of actin for cellular processes ranging from cell motility to organelle trafficking and cell division, the mechanism and functional consequences of Nt-acetylation remained unresolved. Two recent studies significantly advance our understanding of actin Nt-acetylation. Drazic et al. (2018, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 115, 4399-4404) identify actin's dedicated N-terminal acetyltransferase (NAA80/NatH), and demonstrate that Nt-acetylation critically impacts actin assembly in vitro and in cells. NAA80 knockout cells display increased filopodia and lamellipodia formation and accelerated cell motility. In vitro, the absence of Nt-acetylation leads to a decrease in the rates of filament depolymerization and elongation, including formin-induced elongation. Goris et al. (2018, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 115, 4405-4410] describe the structure of Drosophila NAA80 in complex with a peptide-CoA bi-substrate analog mimicking the N-terminus of β-actin. The structure reveals the source of NAA80's specificity for actin's negatively-charged N-terminus. Nt-acetylation neutralizes a positive charge, thus enhancing the overall negative charge of actin's unique N-terminus. Actin's N-terminus is exposed in the filament and influences the interactions of many actin-binding proteins. These advances open the way to understanding the many likely consequences and functional roles of actin Nt-acetylation.

The makings of the 'actin code': regulation of actin's biological function at the amino acid and nucleotide level

The actin cytoskeleton plays key roles in every eukaryotic cell and is essential for cell adhesion, migration, mechanosensing, and contractility in muscle and non-muscle tissues. In higher vertebrates, from birds through to mammals, actin is represented by a family of six conserved genes. Although these genes have evolved independently for more than 100 million years, they encode proteins with ≥94% sequence identity, which are differentially expressed in different tissues, and tightly regulated throughout embryogenesis and adulthood. It has been previously suggested that the existence of such similar actin genes is a fail-safe mechanism to preserve the essential function of actin through redundancy. However, knockout studies in mice and other organisms demonstrate that the different actins have distinct biological roles. The mechanisms maintaining this distinction have been debated in the literature for decades. This Review summarizes data on the functional regulation of different actin isoforms, and the mechanisms that lead to their different biological roles in vivo We focus here on recent studies demonstrating that at least some actin functions are regulated beyond the amino acid level at the level of the actin nucleotide sequence.

Physiological functions and clinical implications of the N-end rule pathway

The N-end rule pathway is a unique branch of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in which the determination of a protein's half-life is dependent on its N-terminal residue. The N-terminal residue serves as the degradation signal of a protein and thus called N-degron. N-degron can be recognized and modifed by several steps of post-translational modifications, such as oxidation, deamination, arginylation or acetylation, it then polyubiquitinated by the N-recognin for degradation. The molecular basis of the N-end rule pathway has been elucidated and its physiological functions have been revealed in the past 30 years. This pathway is involved in several biological aspects, including transcription, differentiation, chromosomal segregation, genome stability, apoptosis, mitochondrial quality control, cardiovascular development, neurogenesis, carcinogenesis, and spermatogenesis. Disturbance of this pathway often causes the failure of these processes, resulting in some human diseases. This review summarized the physiological functions of the N-end rule pathway, introduced the related biological processes and diseases, with an emphasis on the inner link between this pathway and certain symptoms.

The N-end rule pathway: emerging functions and molecular principles of substrate recognition

The N-end rule defines the protein-destabilizing activity of a given amino-terminal residue and its post-translational modification. Since its discovery 25 years ago, the pathway involved in the N-end rule has been thought to target only a limited set of specific substrates of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Recent studies have provided insights into the components, substrates, functions and structural basis of substrate recognition. The N-end rule pathway is now emerging as a major cellular proteolytic system, in which the majority of proteins are born with or acquire specific N-terminal degradation determinants through protein-specific or global post-translational modifications.

Arginylation of beta-actin regulates actin cytoskeleton and cell motility

Posttranslational arginylation is critical for mouse embryogenesis, cardiovascular development, and angiogenesis, but its molecular effects and the identity of proteins arginylated in vivo are unknown. We found that beta-actin was arginylated in vivo to regulate actin filament properties, beta-actin localization, and lamella formation in motile cells. Arginylation of beta-actin apparently represents a critical step in the actin N-terminal processing needed for actin functioning in vivo. Thus, posttranslational arginylation of a single protein target can regulate its intracellular function, inducing global changes on the cellular level, and may contribute to cardiovascular development and angiogenesis.

Localization of actin filaments on mitotic apparatus in tobacco BY-2 cells

Actin filaments are among the major components of the cytoskeleton, and participate in various cellular dynamic processes. However, conflicting results had been obtained on the localization of actin filaments on the mitotic apparatus and their participation in the process of chromosome segregation. We demonstrated by using rhodamine-phalloidin staining, the localization of actin filaments on the mitotic spindles of tobacco BY-2 cells when the cells were treated with cytochalasin D. At prophase, several clear spots were observed at or near the kinetochores of the chromosomes. At anaphase, the actin filaments that appeared to be pulling chromosomes toward the division poles were demonstrated. However, as there was a slight possibility that these results might have been the artifacts of cytochalasin D treatment or the phalloidin staining, we analyzed the localization of actin filaments at the mitotic apparatus immunologically. We cloned a novel BY-2 alpha-type actin cDNA and prepared a BY-2 actin antibody. The fluorescence of the anti-BY-2 actin antibody was clearly observed at the mitotic apparatus in both non-treated and cytochalasin D-treated BY-2 cells during mitosis. The facts that similar results were obtained in both actin staining with rhodamine-phalloidin and immunostaining with actin antibody strongly indicate the participation of actin in the organization of the spindle body or in the process of chromosome segregation. Furthermore, both filamentous actin and spindle bodies disappeared in the cells treated with propyzamide, which depolymerizes microtubules, supporting the notion that actin filaments are associated with microtubules organizing the spindle body.

Production of human skeletal alpha-actin proteins by the baculovirus expression system

Mutations within the human skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene cause three different skeletal muscle diseases. Functional studies of the mutant proteins are necessary to better understand the pathogenesis of these diseases, however, no satisfactory system for the expression of mutant muscle actin proteins has been available. We investigated the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) for the abundant production of both normal and mutant skeletal muscle alpha-actin. We show that non-mutated actin produced in the BEVS behaves similarly to native actin, as shown by DNase I affinity purification, Western blotting, and consecutive cycles of polymerisation and depolymerisation. Additionally, we demonstrate the production of mutant actin proteins in the BEVS, without detriment to the insect cells in which they are expressed. The BEVS therefore is the method of choice for studying mutant actin proteins causing human diseases.

Post-translational processing of the amino terminus affects actin function

We have studied the importance of N-terminal processing for normal actin function using the Drosophila Act88F actin gene transcribed and translated in vitro. Despite having different charges as determined by two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis, Act88F expressed in vivo and in vitro in rabbit reticulocyte lysate bind to DNase I with equal affinity and are able to copolymerise with bulk rabbit actin equally well. Using peptide mapping and thin-layer electrophoresis we have shown that bestatin [( 3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-butanoyl]-L-leucine), an inhibitor of aminopeptidases, can inhibit actin N-terminal processing in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. Although processed and unprocessed actins translated in vitro are able to bind to DNase I equally well, unprocessed actins are less able to copolymerise with bulk actins. This effect is more pronounced when bulk rabbit actin is used but is still seen with bulk Lethocerus actin. Also, the unprocessed actins reduce the polymerisation of the processed actin translated in vitro with the bulk rabbit actin. This suggests that individual actins do interact, even in non-polymerising conditions. The reduced ability of unprocessed actin to polymerise shows that correct post-translational modification of the N terminus is required for normal actin function.

Plants contain highly divergent actin isovariants

Actin protein isovariants have been identified in animals with distinct cytoplasmic or muscle specific patterns of expression. Analysis of vascular plant actin gene sequences suggests that an even greater diversity should exist within the plant actin protein families, but previous studies on plant proteins have not demonstrated the presence of multiple actin isovariants. Antibodies recognizing a conserved amino-terminal plant actin peptide, a family of plant actin peptides from a variable region, and two monoclonal antibodies to conserved epitopes within animal actins were used to identify isovariants of soybean actin resolved by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing (IEF) sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Approximately six to eight actin isovariants with pI values ranging from 5.1 to 5.8 have been identified from soybean hypocotyls, stems, leaves, and roots with varying amounts of most isovariants present in all four organs. Acidic isovariants were present in much higher levels in leaves and stems. Antisera with lambda-class actin specificity detected a subset of three isovariants in all organs examined. One monoclonal and one antipeptide antisera are shown to react well with a wide variety of plant actin isovariants. Similar patterns of actin isovariants were detected in the distant angiosperms, Arabidopsis, petunia, and maize. It is likely that many of these diverse classes of isovariants have been preserved throughout vascular plant evolution and reflect the ancient diversity within plant actin gene families. The extreme difference among isovariants implies the presence of a complex actin-based cytoskeletal system in plants.