Spatial and temporal relationships between vinculin and talin in the developing chicken gizzard smooth muscle

New insights into the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton by tropomyosin

The actin cytoskeleton is regulated by a variety of actin-binding proteins including those constituting the tropomyosin family. Tropomyosins are coiled-coil dimers that bind along the length of actin filaments. In muscles, tropomyosin regulates the interaction of actin-containing thin filaments with myosin-containing thick filaments to allow contraction. In nonmuscle cells where multiple tropomyosin isoforms are expressed, tropomyosins participate in a number of cellular events involving the cytoskeleton. This chapter reviews the current state of the literature regarding tropomyosin structure and function and discusses the evidence that tropomyosins play a role in regulating actin assembly.

Caldesmon and the regulation of cytoskeletal functions

Caldesmon (CaD) is an extraordinary actin-binding protein, because in addition to actin, it also bindsmyosin, calmodulin and tropomyosin. As a component of the smoothmuscle and nonmuscle contractile apparatus CaD inhibits the actomyosin ATPase activity and its inhibitory action is modulated by both Ca2+ and phosphorylation. The multiplicity of binding partners and diverse biochemical properties suggest CaD is a potent and versatile regulatory protein both in contractility and cell motility. However, after decades ofinvestigation in numerous laboratories, hard evidence is still lacking to unequivocally identify its in vivo functions, although indirect evidence is mounting to support an important role in connection with the actin cytoskeleton. This chapter reviews the highlights of the past findings and summarizes the current views on this protein, with emphasis of its interaction with tropomyosin.

Smooth muscle adherens junctions associated proteins are stable at the cell periphery during relaxation and activation

This study was performed to determine the stability of the adherens junction (AJ)-associated proteins at the smooth muscle cell (SMC) plasma membrane during relaxing and activating conditions. Dog stomach, ileum, colon, and trachea tissues were stored in Ca2+-free PSS or regular PSS or were activated in 10 μM carbachol in PSS before rapid freezing. The tissues were subsequently sectioned and immunoreacted using antibodies for vinculin, talin, fibronectin, and caveolin to determine their cellular distribution in these tissues under these conditions. In all four tissues and under all three conditions, the distribution of these four proteins remained localized to the periphery of the cell. In transverse tissue sections, the AJ-associated proteins formed a distinct punctate pattern around the periphery of the SMCs at the plasma membrane. These domains alternated with the caveolae (as identified by the presence of caveolin). In longitudinal tissue sections, the AJ-associated proteins formed continuous tracks or staves, while the caveolae remained punctate in this dimension as well. Caveolin is not present in the tapered ends of the SMCs, where the AJ-associated proteins appear continuous around the periphery. Densitometry of the fluorophore distribution of these proteins showed no shift in their localization from the SMC periphery when the tissues were relaxed or when they were activated before freezing. These results suggest that under physiologically relaxing and activating conditions, AJ-associated proteins remain stably localized at the plasma membrane.

Coordinate expression of alpha-tropomyosin and caldesmon isoforms in association with phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells

Isoform diversity of tropomyosin is generated from the limited genes by a combination of differential transcription and alternative splicing. In the case of the alpha-tropomyosin (alpha-TM) gene, exon 2a rather than exon 2b is specifically spliced in alpha-TM-SM mRNA, which is one of the major tropomyosin isoforms in smooth muscle cells. Here we demonstrate that expressions of alpha-tropomyosin and caldesmon isoforms are coordinately regulated in association with phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells. Molecular cloning and Western and Northern blottings have revealed that in addition to the down-regulation of beta-TM-SM, alpha-TM-SM converted to alpha-TM-F1 and alpha-TM-F2 by a selectional change from exon 2a to exon 2b during dedifferentiation of smooth muscle cells in culture. Simultaneously, a change of caldesmon isoforms from high Mr type to low Mr type was also observed by alternative selection between exons 3b and 4 in the caldesmon gene during this process. In contrast, cultured smooth muscle cells maintaining a differentiated phenotype continued to express alpha-TM-SM, beta-TM-SM, and high Mr caldesmon. In situ hybridization revealed specific coexpression of alpha-TM-SM and high Mr caldesmon in smooth muscle in developing embryos. These results suggest a common splicing mechanism for phenotype-dependent expression of tropomyosin and caldesmon isoforms in both visceral and vascular smooth muscle cells.

Identification of a novel marker for primordial smooth muscle and its differential expression pattern in contractile vs noncontractile cells

The assembly of the vessel wall from its cellular and extracellular matrix components is an essential event in embryogenesis. Recently, we used the descending aorta of the embryonic quail to define the morphological events that initiate the formation of a multilayered vessel wall from a nascent endothelial cell tube (Hungerford, J.E., G.K. Owens, W.S. Argraves, and C.D. Little. 1996. Dev. Biol. 178:375-392). We generated an mAb, 1E12, that specifically labels smooth muscle cells from the early stages of development to adulthood. The goal of our present study was to characterize further the 1E12 antigen using both cytological and biochemical methods. The 1E12 antigen colocalizes with the actin cytoskeleton in smooth muscle cells grown on planar substrates in vitro; in contrast, embryonic vascular smooth muscle cells in situ contain 1E12 antigen that is distributed in threadlike filaments and in cytoplasmic rosette-like patterns. Initial biochemical analysis shows that the 1E12 mAb recognizes a protein, Mr = 100,000, in lysates of adult avian gizzard. An additional polypeptide band, Mr = 40,000, is also recognized in preparations of lysate, when stronger extraction conditions are used. We have identified the 100-kD polypeptide as smooth muscle alpha-actinin by tandem mass spectroscopy analysis. The 1E12 antibody is an IgM isotype. To prepare a more convenient 1E12 immunoreagent, we constructed a single chain antibody (sFv) using recombinant protein technology. The sFv recognizes a single 100-kD protein in gizzard lysates. Additionally, the recombinant antibody recognizes purified smooth muscle alpha-actinin. Our results suggest that the 1E12 antigen is a member of the alpha-actinin family of cytoskeletal proteins; furthermore, the onset of its expression defines a primordial cell restricted to the smooth muscle lineage.

Talin requires beta-integrin, but not vinculin, for its assembly into focal adhesion-like structures in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

In cultured cells, the 230-kDa protein talin is found at discrete plasma membrane foci known as focal adhesions, sites that anchor the intracellular actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. The regulated assembly of focal adhesions influences the direction of cell migrations or the reorientation of cell shapes. Biochemical studies of talin have shown that it binds to the proteins integrin, vinculin, and actin in vitro. To understand the function of talin in vivo and to correlate its in vitro and in vivo biochemical properties, various genetic approaches have been adopted. With the intention of using genetics in the study of talin, we identified a homologue to mouse talin in a genetic model system, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans talin is 39% identical and 59% similar to mouse talin. In wild-type adult C. elegans, talin colocalizes with integrin, vinculin, and alpha-actinin in the focal adhesion-like structures found in the body-wall muscle. By examining the organization of talin in two different C. elegans mutant strains that do not make either beta-integrin or vinculin, we were able to determine that talin does not require vinculin for its initial organization at the membrane, but that it depends critically on the presence of integrin for its initial assembly at membrane foci.

Immunocytochemistry of the muscle cell cytoskeleton

The muscle cell cytoskeleton is defined for this review as any structure or protein primarily involved in linking or connecting protein filaments to each other or to anchoring sites. In striated muscle, the M line connects thick filaments at their centers to adjacent thick filaments. Titin forms elastic filaments that extend from the M line to the Z line and may contribute to the resting tension properties of striated muscle. Nebulin forms inextensible filaments in skeletal muscle that are closely associated with thin filaments and that may provide a length template for thin filaments. Z lines anchor thin filaments from adjacent sarcomeres via the actin-binding function of alpha-actinin. Other proteins located at the Z line include Cap Z, Z-nin, Z protein, and zeugmatin. Intermediate filaments connect myofibrils to each other at the level of the Z line and to the sarcolemma at the Z- and possibly the M-line levels. Immunolocalization has identified the adhesion plaque proteins spectrin, vinculin, dystrophin, ankyrin, and talin at subsarcolemmal sites where they may be involved with filament attachment. Smooth muscle cell cytoskeletons are believed to include membrane associated dense bodies (MADBs), intermediate filaments, cytoplasmic dense bodies (CDBs), and perhaps a subset of actin filaments. MADBs contain a menu of attachment plaque proteins and anchor both thin filaments and intermediate filaments to the sarcolemma. CDBs are intracellular analogs of striated muscle Z lines and anchor thin filaments and intermediate filaments.

Mapping of adherens junction components using microscopic resonance energy transfer imaging

Quantitative microscopic imaging of resonance energy transfer (RET) was applied for immunological high resolution proximity mapping of several cytoskeletal components of cell adhesions. To conduct this analysis, a microscopic system was developed, consisting of a highly stable field illuminator, computer-controlled filter wheels for rapid multiple-color imaging and a sensitive, high resolution CCD camera, enabling quantitative data recording and processing. Using this system, we have investigated the spatial inter-relationships and organization of four adhesion-associated proteins, namely vinculin, talin, alpha-actinin and actin. Cultured chick lens cells were double labeled for each of the junctional molecules, using fluorescein- and rhodamine-conjugated antibodies or phalloidin. RET images were acquired with fluorescein excitation and rhodamine emission filter setting, corrected for fluorescein and rhodamine fluorescence, and normalized to the fluorescein image. The results pointed to high local densities of vinculin, talin and F-actin in focal adhesions, manifested by mean RET values of 15%, 12% and 10%, respectively. On the other hand, relatively low values (less than 1%) were observed following double immunofluorescence labeling of the same cells for alpha-actinin. Double indirect labeling for pairs of these four proteins (using fluorophore-conjugated antibodies or phalloidin) resulted in RET values of 5% or lower, except for the pair alpha-actinin and actin, which yielded significantly higher values (13-15%). These results suggest that despite their overlapping staining patterns, at the level of resolution of the light microscope, the plaque proteins vinculin and talin are not homogeneously interspersed at the molecular level but form segregated clusters. alpha-Actinin, on the other hand, does not appear to form such clusters but, rather, closely interacts with actin. We discuss here the conceptual and applicative aspects of RET measurements and the implications of the results on the subcellular molecular organization of adherens-type junctions.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of the chicken cysteine-rich protein, a developmentally regulated LIM-domain protein that is associated with the actin cytoskeleton

LIM domains are present in a number of proteins including transcription factors, a proto-oncogene product, and the adhesion plaque protein zyxin. The LIM domain exhibits a characteristic arrangement of cysteine and histidine residues and represents a novel zinc binding sequence (Michelsen et al., 1993). Previously, we reported the identification of a 23-kD protein that interacts with zyxin in vitro (Sadler et al., 1992). In this report, we describe the purification and characterization of this 23-kD zyxin-binding protein from avian smooth muscle. Isolation of a cDNA encoding the 23-kD protein has revealed that it consists of 192 amino acids and exhibits two copies of the LIM motif. The 23-kD protein is 91% identical to the human cysteine-rich protein (hCRP); therefore we refer to it as the chicken cysteine-rich protein (cCRP). Examination of a number of chick embryonic tissues by Western immunoblot analysis reveals that cCRP exhibits tissue-specific expression. cCRP is most prominent in tissues that are enriched in smooth muscle cells, such as gizzard, stomach, and intestine. In primary cell cultures derived from embryonic gizzard, differentiated smooth muscle cells exhibit the most striking staining with anti-cCRP antibodies. We have performed quantitative Western immunoblot analysis of cCRP, zyxin, and alpha-actinin levels during embryogenesis. By this approach, we have demonstrated that the expression of cCRP is developmentally regulated.

A novel phosphoglucomutase-related protein is concentrated in adherens junctions of muscle and nonmuscle cells

Using five monoclonal antibodies raised against a human uterine smooth muscle extract, we have identified a novel antigen which runs as a closely spaced doublet in SDS-gels. The proteins (60/63 kDa) co-purify, are present in a 1:1 ratio as judged by Coomassie Blue staining, and are immunologically closely related, if not identical. No N-terminal sequence could be obtained from a mixture of the 60/63 kDa proteins, but the sequence of four polypeptides liberated by V8 protease or cyanogen bromide cleavage showed that the proteins are closely related to the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucomutase type 1. Affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies and three different monoclonal antibodies to the 60/63 kDa proteins cross-reacted with rabbit skeletal muscle phosphoglucomutase type 1, whilst two additional monoclonal antibodies were specific for the 60/63 kDa proteins. Peptide maps of the 60/63 kDa proteins and phosphoglucomutase 1 are markedly different, and the purified proteins have no detectable phosphoglucomutase activity. Staining of cultured smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts with antibodies to 60/63 kDa proteins showed that the antigen is concentrated in focal contacts at the ends of actin bundles and is also associated with actin filaments. About 60% of the cellular 60/63 kDa proteins were found in the detergent-insoluble fraction, suggesting a physical association with the cytoskeleton. The highest levels of protein immunoreactivity were found in muscles. The antigen is concentrated in muscle adherens junctions, including smooth muscle dense plaques, cardiomyocyte intercalated disks, and striated muscle myotendinous junctions. Among epithelial cells, the 63 kDa isoform of the protein was found only in cultured keratinocytes where immunofluorescent staining was localized in cell-to-cell adherens junctions. Expression of the 60/63 kDa proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells is developmentally regulated and correlates with the differentiated contractile phenotype of these cells.

Immunoblotting of contractile and cytoskeletal proteins of canine basilar artery in vasospasm

Vasospasm was produced in the canine basilar arteries by a two-hemorrhage method, and voltage- and receptor-dependent contractions of the normal canine basilar arteries were induced by local applications of potassium chloride (KCI) and serotonin, respectively, after transclival exposure. Actin, myosin, desmin, filamin, talin, vinculin, and alpha-actinin in the basilar artery were studied by immunoblotting. The immunoblots showed a decrease or loss in immunoreactivity of some native proteins and generation of protein fragments, smaller in size than native proteins, in spastic, KCI, and serotonin groups, indicating a proteolytic degradation. In the spastic group on Day 2, actin, desmin, and filamin were usually degraded slightly; myosin moderately; and talin and alpha-actinin substantially. Vinculin and metavinculin remained intact. In the spastic group on Day 7, actin and desmin were usually decomposed slightly; myosin, filamin, and vinculin substantially; and talin, metavinculin, and alpha-actinin markedly. In the KCI and serotonin groups, slight degradation was usually observed in filamin, often in alpha-actinin, and occasionally in actin, whereas desmin, vinculin, and metavinculin were not degraded. In addition, myosin was usually degraded moderately in the KCI group and slightly in the serotonin group, and talin was generally decomposed slightly in the KCI group and moderately in the serotonin group. The degraded fragments, although variable in number and immunoreactivity, were similar in size in the three groups. We suggest that the intracellular devices responsible for contraction of the basilar arteries are degraded more severely in the spastic group than in the KCI or serotonin group, probably by similar proteolytic mechanism and progressively with the passage of time after subarachnoid hemorrhage in vasospasm.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of the focal adhesion kinase pp125FAK during development: relation to paxillin

Significant changes in the level of protein tyrosine phosphorylation accompany avian embryonic development. A comparison of different tissues reveals that a similar and remarkably restricted complement of proteins is modified in this manner. In each case the major proteins detected using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies have molecular masses of approximately 170, 150, 125, 70 and 50 kDa. As a first step in determining the function of this protein modification in embryogenesis we have initiated a study to identify these phosphoproteins. We have previously reported that the 70 kDa band is paxillin, a component of actin-membrane attachment sites associated with regions of cell adhesion (Turner, C. E. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 115, 201–207). We report here that the 125 kDa phosphotyrosine-containing protein is the tyrosine kinase pp125FAK, a protein that co-localizes with paxillin at sites of adhesion (Schaller et al. (1992) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 5192–5196). Tyrosine phosphorylation of both pp125FAK and paxillin was detected at low levels as early as embryonic day 3 and increased steadily during the first half of development, reached a maximum between embryonic days eight and twelve, and declined to background levels prior to hatching. Paxillin protein expression also increased during the first half of embryogenesis, suggesting little change in the overall phosphorylation of this protein through embryonic day 8. In contrast, pp125FAK, following an initial increase, is expressed at a constant high level during these early embryonic stages, implying an increase in its overall phosphotyrosine content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Complementary distributions of vinculin and dystrophin define two distinct sarcolemma domains in smooth muscle

The sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cell displays two alternating structural domains in the electron microscope: densely-staining plaques that correspond to the adherens junctions and intervening uncoated regions which are rich in membrane invaginations, or caveolae. The adherens junctions serve as membrane anchorage sites for the actin cytoskeleton and are typically marked by antibodies to vinculin. We show here by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy that dystrophin is specifically localized in the caveolae-rich domains of the smooth muscle sarcolemma, together with the caveolae-associated molecule caveolin. Additional labeling experiments revealed that beta 1 integrin and fibronectin are confined to the adherens junctions, as indicated by their codistribution with vinculin and tensin. Laminin, on the other hand, is distributed around the entire cell perimeter. The sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cell is thus divided into two distinct domains, featuring different and mutually exclusive components. This simple bipartite domain organization contrasts with the more complex organization of the skeletal muscle sarcolemma: smooth muscle thus offers itself as a useful system for localizing, among other components, potential interacting partners of dystrophin.

Probing actin and liposome interaction of talin and talin-vinculin complexes: a kinetic, thermodynamic and lipid labeling study

Talin purified from human platelets and chicken gizzard smooth muscle is an actin and lipid binding protein. Here, we have investigated the effect of vinculin on (a) talin-nucleated actin polymerization and (b) insertion of talin into lipid bilayers. Calorimetric data show ternary complex formation between talin, vinculin, and actin. Actin-talin, actin-vinculin and actin-(talin-vinculin) binding and rate constants as well as actin polymerization rates for all three protein species have been determined by steady state titration, stopped-flow, and fluorescence assay. In contrast to an increase of the polymerization rate by a factor of less than 2 for actin-talin and actin-(talin-vinculin) when lowering the temperature, we measured a decrease in rates for actin alone and actin-vinculin. The overall equilibrium constants (Keq) in the van't Hoff plot proved linear and were of one-step reactions. Thermodynamic data exhibited signs of van der Waal's binding forces. Using the photoactivatable lipid analogue [3H]PTPC/11, which selectively labels membrane-embedded hydrophobic domains of proteins, we also show that talin partially inserts into the hydrophobic bilayer of liposomes. This insertion occurs in a similar manner irrespective of preincubation with vinculin.

Assembly of contractile and cytoskeletal elements in developing smooth muscle cells

Specific developmental changes in smooth muscle were studied in gizzards obtained from 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, 18-, and 20-day chick embryos and from 1- and 7-day posthatch chicks. Myoblasts were actively replicating in tissue from 6-day embryos. Cytoplasmic dense bodies (CDBs) first appeared at Embryonic Day 8 (E8) and were recognized as patches of increased electron density that consisted of actin filaments (AFs), intermediate filaments (IFs), and cross-connecting filaments (CCFs). Although the assembly of CDBs was not synchronized within a cell, the number, size, and electron density of CDBs increased as age increased. Membrane-associated dense bodies (MADBs) also could be recognized at E8. The number and size of MADBs increased as age increased, especially after E16. Filaments with the diameter of thick filaments first appeared at E12. Smooth muscle cells were able to divide as late as E20. The axial intermediate filament bundle (IFB) could first be identified in 1-day posthatch cells and became larger and more prominent in 7-day posthatch cells. Immunogold labeling of 1- and 7-day posthatch cells with anti-desmin showed that the IFB contained desmin IFs. The developmental events during this 23-day period were classified into seven stages, based primarily on the appearance and the growth of contractile and cytoskeletal elements. These stages are myoblast proliferation, dense body appearance, thick filament appearance, dense body growth, muscle cell replication, IFB appearance, and appearance of adult type cells. Smooth muscle cells in each stage express similar developmental characteristics. The mechanism of assembly of myofilaments and cytoskeletal elements in smooth muscle in vivo indicates that myofilaments (AFs and thick filaments) and filament attachment sites (CDBs and MADBs) are assembled before the axial IFB, a major cytoskeletal element.

Evidence that vinculin is co-distributed with actin bundles in ectoplasmic ("junctional") specializations of mammalian Sertoli cells

Ectoplasmic specializations of Sertoli cells are actin containing structures found at sites of attachment to spermatids and to neighboring Sertoli cells. We suspect that these cytoskeletal structures are a form of actin-associated adhesion junction. If this is true, then molecular components, such as vinculin, that characterize actin-associated adhesion junctions in general should be present in ectoplasmic specializations. In this paper we have used two approaches to verify the prediction that vinculin is a component of ectoplasmic specializations. First, we have used fluorescence microscopy to probe immunologically for vinculin in ectoplasmic specializations associated with spermatids of the ground squirrel. Second, we have used immunogold techniques to probe for vinculin in ectoplasmic specializations of rat testis. Our results indicate that the immunological probe for vinculin was reactive with ectoplasmic specializations. In single label fluorescence experiments, linear patterns obtained with the vinculin probe were similar to those obtained with probes for filamentous actin. In double label experiments, the vinculin probe was co-distributed with the actin probes. In immunogold studies, specific labelling with the probe for vinculin occurred in ectoplasmic specializations both at sites of attachment to spermatids and adjacent to basal Sertoli cell junctions. Moreover, gold particles were concentrated adjacent to filament bundles within each ectoplasmic specialization. Our results support the conclusion that vinculin is present in ectoplasmic specializations. Further, they indicate that vinculin is co-distributed with actin bundles within each ectoplasmic specialization.

Evidence for the presence of actin-associated intercellular adhesion junction between interstitial cells of Leydig in the ground squirrel testis

Interstitial cells of Leydig characteristically occur in clusters around blood vessels. Often these clusters remain intact when interstitial tissues are mechanically separated from other components of the testis. The presence of strong intercellular attachments is most likely one of the factors responsible for maintaining the integrity of Leydig cell clusters. In many tissues, actin associated adhesion junctions commonly provide intercellular attachment. To determine if actin associated adhesion junctions are present between Leydig cells, we have used 1) immunofluorescence to probe for two components that characterize these junctions in other tissues and 2) electron microscopy to examine areas of intercellular contact for evidence of microfilament related adhesion junctions. Isolated clusters of unsectioned cells, which had been fixed and detergent extracted, were probed with the F-actin specific strains rhodamine phalloidin and NBD-phallacidin and with an affinity purified primary antibody raised against human platelet vinculin. In regions of intercellular contact, fluorescence staining with the actin probes was intense and appeared as a solid linear band. Similar regions also stained with the vinculin probe. In double label experiments, actin and vinculin probes were co-distributed at sites of intercellular contact. Zones of intercellular contact, apparently similar to those detected with fluorescence microscopy, were observed at the ultrastructural level. At these sites, subsurface filaments, interpreted by us as actin, formed a dense carpet adjacent to the plasma membrane on each side of the junction. These filaments appeared to be organized into networks rather than discrete bundles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The cytoskeletal and contractile apparatus of smooth muscle: contraction bands and segmentation of the contractile elements

Confocal laser scanning microscopy of isolated and antibody-labeled avian gizzard smooth muscle cells has revealed the global organization of the contractile and cytoskeletal elements. The cytoskeleton, marked by antibodies to desmin and filamin is composed of a mainly longitudinal, meandering and branched system of fibrils that contrasts with the plait-like, interdigitating arrangement of linear fibrils of the contractile apparatus, labeled with antibodies to myosin and tropomyosin. Although desmin and filamin were colocalized in the body of the cell, filamin antibodies labeled additionally the vinculin-containing surface plaques. In confocal optical sections the contractile fibrils showed a continuous label for myosin for at least 5 microns along their length: there was no obvious or regular interruption of label as might be expected for registered myosin filaments. The cytoplasmic dense bodies, labeled with antibodies to alpha-actinin exhibited a regular, diagonal arrangement in both extended cells and in cells shortened in solution to one-fifth of their extended length: after the same shortening, the fibrils of the cytoskeleton that showed colocalization with the dense bodies in extended cells became crumpled and disordered. It is concluded that the dense bodies serve as coupling elements between the cytoskeletal and contractile systems. After extraction with Triton X-100, isolated cells bound so firmly to a glass substrate that they were unable to shorten as a whole when exposed to exogenous Mg ATP. Instead, they contracted internally, producing integral of 10 regularly spaced contraction nodes along their length. On the basis of differences of actin distribution two types of nodes could be distinguished: actin-positive nodes, in which actin straddled the node, and actin-negative nodes, characterized by an actin-free center flanked by actin fringes of 4.5 microns minimum length on either side. Myosin was concentrated in the center of the node in both cases. The differences in node morphology could be correlated with different degrees of coupling of the contractile with the cytoskeletal elements, effected by a preparation-dependent variability of proteolysis of the cells. The nodes were shown to be closely related to the supercontracted cell fragments shown in the accompanying paper (Small et al., 1990) and furnished further evidence for long actin filaments in smooth muscle. Further, the segmentation of the contractile elements pointed to a hierarchial organization of the myofilaments governed by as yet undetected elements.

Smooth muscle specific expression of calponin

Calponin is an actin-, calmodulin-, and tropomyosin-binding protein that has been isolated from smooth muscle tissue. Using a monoclonal antibody specific for avian calponin, we demonstrate a differentiation-linked increase in calponin expression in embryonic chick gizzard. Cultivation of gizzard smooth muscle cells in vitro resulted in a down-regulation of calponin expression after the first 48 h that was paralleled by a loss of synthesis of metavinculin and the high molecular weight isoform of caldesmon. In early cultures of smooth muscle cells calponin was localised in the actin-containing stress fibres but labelling was restricted to the central parts of the actin cytoskeleton. Calponin expression is suggested as a potentially useful index of smooth muscle differentiation.

Immunofluorescence localization of vinculin in ectoplasmic ("junctional") specializations of rat Sertoli cells

We have investigated, using indirect immunofluorescence techniques, the possibility that vinculin is a component of Sertoli cell ectoplasmic specializations. Affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies produced against human platelet vinculin were used to probe fixed frozen sections of rat testis. Specific fluorescence occurs in Sertoli cell regions adjacent to spermatids and to basally situated junctional complexes, sites at which ectoplasmic specializations are known to occur. Staining also occurs in Sertoli cell regions associated with tubulobulbar complexes. The antibody also labels focal contacts in cultured human dermal fibroblasts, apical junctional sites of rat epididymal epithelium, and dense plaques of smooth muscle. Our results are consistent with the prediction that vinculin is likely a component of ectoplasmic specializations and are also consistent with the hypothesis that these structures are a form of actin-associated adhesion complex.

Spatio-temporal distribution of the adherens junction-associated molecules vinculin and talin in the early avian embryo

To gain an insight into the possible involvement of the cytoskeletal components and cellular junctions in morphogenetic processes during development, we have studied the spatio-temporal distribution of two major adherens-junction-associated molecules, vinculin and talin, during avian embryogenesis, using immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting. Both molecules were detected at very early stages during morphogenesis and were found in a wide variety of tissues deriving from the three primary germ layers. A number of tissues, including smooth and striated muscles, endothelia, and some hemopoietic precursors, expressed vinculin and talin at especially high levels either transiently or permanently. Conversely, only a few cell types, e.g., circulating erythrocytes and neurones in the central nervous system lacked or expressed them at very low levels. In addition, expression of vinculin and talin was in some cases modulated in connection with morphological rearrangements of tissues. In particular, they were transiently enhanced in restricted areas of the ectoderm and endoderm undergoing extensive foldings. However, other morphogenetic events such as local disruptions of epithelia were not accompanied by extensive modifications in their expression. Finally, it appeared that, in most cases, vinculin and talin overlapped in their distribution, and the level of their expression was regulated coincidently with the notable exceptions of the primordium of the central nervous system, the nephron, and the liver where each molecule followed independent regulatory patterns. It appears from this study that the spatio-temporal distribution of vinculin and talin correlates frequently with that of the adhesion molecules A-CAM (or N-cadherin), L-CAM, and of integrin receptors. Thus, vinculin and talin, in association with the membrane components of adherens junctions, may actively participate both in the control of cellular interactions during early embryonic development and in cell differentiation.

Talin and vinculin in the oocytes, eggs, and early embryos of Xenopus laevis: a developmentally regulated change in distribution

We have investigated the expression and distribution of talin and vinculin in the oocytes, eggs, and embryos of Xenopus laevis. Antibodies to the previously characterized avian proteins stain several different Xenopus cell types identically by immunofluorescence: adhesion plaques of cultured kidney (A6) cells, the cell peripheries of oviduct cells, and the postsynaptic neuromuscular junctions of tadpole tail muscle fibers. These antibodies also identify cognate proteins of the appropriate sizes on immunoblots of A6 cell and oviduct lysates. Using these antibodies on ovarian tissue, we find talin to be highly localized at the cortices of oocytes and vinculin to be in the oocyte cytoplasm and absent from the oocyte cortex. In the cells of the ovarian layers that surround the oocytes, talin and vinculin can be detected as soluble and cytoskeletal components. Vinculin is first detectable as a cytoskeletal component in eggs, appearing some time during or between oocyte maturation and oviposition. During early embryo development, talin and vinculin are colocalized in the cortex of cleavage furrows and blastomeres. Thus, Xenopus oocytes and eggs display different distributions of talin and vinculin. The change from unlinked localization to colocalization appears to be developmentally regulated, occurring during the transition from oocyte to egg.

Identification of a talin binding site in the cytoskeletal protein vinculin

Binding of the cytoskeletal protein vinculin to talin is one of a number of interactions involved in linking F-actin to cell-matrix junctions. To identify the talin binding domain in vinculin, we expressed the NH2-terminal region of the molecule encoded by two closely similar, but distinct vinculin cDNAs, using an in vitro transcription translation system. The 5' Eco RI-Bam HI fragment of a partial 2.89-kb vinculin cDNA encodes a 45-kD polypeptide containing the first 398 amino acids of the molecule. The equivalent restriction enzyme fragment of a second vinculin cDNA (cVin5) lacks nucleotides 746-867, and encodes a 41-kD polypeptide missing amino acids 167-207. The radiolabeled 45-kD vinculin polypeptide bound to microtiter wells coated with talin, but not BSA, and binding was inhibited by unlabeled vinculin. In contrast, the 41-kD vinculin polypeptide was devoid of talin binding activity. The role of residues 167-207 in talin binding was further analyzed by making a series of deletions spanning this region, each deletion of seven amino acids contiguous with the next. Loss of residues 167-173, 174-180, 181-187, 188-194, or 195-201 resulted in a marked reduction in talin binding activity, although loss of residues 202-208 had much less effect. When the 45-kD vinculin polypeptide was expressed in Cos cells, it localized to cell matrix junctions, whereas the 41-kD polypeptide, lacking residues 167-207, was unable to do so. Interestingly, some deletion mutants with reduced ability to bind talin in vitro, were still able to localize to cell matrix junctions.

Talin dynamics in living microinjected nonmuscle cells

To investigate the role of talin in the anchoring of actin-containing stress fibers to the cell membrane of nonmuscle cells, a fluorescent analog of the adhesion plaque protein talin was developed, characterized, and microinjected into living cells. Purified chicken gizzard talin was covalently labeled with the fluorescent dye lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl chloride. The fluorescently labeled protein was then chromatographed on Sephadex G-25 and DEAE-cellulose in order to remove free dye and denatured protein. The fluorescent talin was able to bind purified vinculin and was localized in adhesion plaques, membrane ruffles, microspikes, and polygonal networks in acetone-permeabilized nonmuscle cells. In cells that were double-stained with fluorescent talin and an affinity-purified anti-talin antibody, a one-to-one correspondence of adhesion plaque staining was seen. Living epithelial cells (PtK2) were microinjected during interphase with fluorescent talin. Computer-enhanced video microscopy was used to document adhesion plaque dynamics such as 1) changes in plaque shape, 2) alterations in plaque positions, and 3) the appearance, growth, and dissolution of plaques. In cells that were followed during mitosis, the adhesion plaques disappeared during cell rounding and then subsequently reappeared upon spreading of the two daughter cells. Treatment of microinjected cells with DMSO in order to disassemble stress fibers resulted in an altered localization of the fluorescent talin. Upon recovery of the cell from the drug, the talin was visualized in its characteristic submembraneous position. These results are the first to document the role and distribution of talin in dynamic processes occurring in living microinjected nonmuscle cells.

Plectin: general overview and appraisal of its potential role as a subunit protein of the cytomatrix

Plectin has recently been identified as a widespread and abundant cytoplasmic protein of mammalian cells. In this article the available data on plectin are reviewed, focusing on plectin's occurrence and localization in various cell types and tissues, its biochemical characterization, and its molecular interaction partners. Furthermore, the putative role of this protein has a multifunctional connecting link of the cytomatrix and its structural as well as functional relationship to other cytoskeletal proteins is discussed. It is concluded that plectin is potentially the most versatile crosslinking element of the cytomatrix reported to date.

cDNA-derived sequence of chicken embryo vinculin

We report the complete primary structure of chicken embryo vinculin. The amino acid sequence was derived from the nucleotide sequence of five overlapping cDNA clones isolated from a lambda gt11 phage library. Chicken embryo vinculin contains 1066 amino acids, has a calculated Mr of 116,990, a calculated pI of 5.9, and a hydropathy index of -4.22. A search of the National Biomedical Research Foundation protein sequence data base found no proteins with significant homology to vinculin. A striking feature of the linear sequence is a proline-rich region extending between residues 837 and 879. This region contains 45% proline and 19% aspartic plus glutamic acids; it is also the longest hydrophilic stretch in the molecule. The proline-rich region separates an amino-terminal domain with a calculated pI of 5.4 from a carboxyl-terminal domain with a calculated pI of 9.7. This feature suggests a structural basis for the specific interaction of vinculin with acidic phospholipids and a mechanism for the shuttling of vinculin between cytoplasm and membrane-associated junctional plaque.