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Abstract
Cells use the actin cytoskeleton for many of their functions, including their division, adhesion, mechanosensing, endo- and phagocytosis, migration, and invasion. Actin bundles are the main constituent of actin-rich structures involved in these processes. An ever-increasing number of proteins that crosslink actin into bundles or regulate their morphology is being identified in cells. With recent advances in high-resolution microscopy and imaging techniques, the complex process of bundles formation and the multiple forms of physiological bundles are beginning to be better understood. Here, we review the physiochemical and biological properties of four families of highly conserved and abundant actin-bundling proteins, namely, α-actinin, fimbrin/plastin, fascin, and espin. We describe the similarities and differences between these proteins, their role in the formation of physiological actin bundles, and their properties-both related and unrelated to their bundling abilities. We also review some aspects of the general mechanism of actin bundles formation, which are known from the available information on the activity of the key actin partners involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudeepa Rajan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dmitri S. Kudryashov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Emil Reisler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Lehne F, Bogdan S. Getting cells into shape by calcium-dependent actin cross-linking proteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1171930. [PMID: 37025173 PMCID: PMC10070769 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1171930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton represents a highly dynamic filament system providing cell structure and mechanical forces to drive a variety of cellular processes. The dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton are controlled by a number of conserved proteins that maintain the pool of actin monomers, promote actin nucleation, restrict the length of actin filaments and cross-link filaments into networks or bundles. Previous work has been established that cytoplasmic calcium is an important signal to rapidly relay information to the actin cytoskeleton, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we summarize new recent perspectives on how calcium fluxes are transduced to the actin cytoskeleton in a physiological context. In this mini-review we will focus on three calcium-binding EF-hand-containing actin cross-linking proteins, α-actinin, plastin and EFHD2/Swiprosin-1, and how these conserved proteins affect the cell's actin reorganization in the context of cell migration and wound closure in response to calcium.
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3
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Leite J, Chan FY, Osório DS, Saramago J, Sobral AF, Silva AM, Gassmann R, Carvalho AX. Equatorial Non-muscle Myosin II and Plastin Cooperate to Align and Compact F-actin Bundles in the Cytokinetic Ring. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:573393. [PMID: 33102479 PMCID: PMC7546906 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.573393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division that physically partitions the mother cell into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis requires the assembly and constriction of a contractile ring, a circumferential array of filamentous actin (F-actin), non-muscle myosin II motors (myosin), and actin-binding proteins that forms at the cell equator. Cytokinesis is accompanied by long-range cortical flows from regions of relaxation toward regions of compression. In the C. elegans one-cell embryo, it has been suggested that anterior-directed cortical flows are the main driver of contractile ring assembly. Here, we use embryos co-expressing motor-dead and wild-type myosin to show that cortical flows can be severely reduced without major effects on contractile ring assembly and timely completion of cytokinesis. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in the ingressing furrow reveals that myosin recruitment kinetics are also unaffected by the absence of cortical flows. We find that myosin cooperates with the F-actin crosslinker plastin to align and compact F-actin bundles at the cell equator, and that this cross-talk is essential for cytokinesis. Our results thus argue against the idea that cortical flows are a major determinant of contractile ring assembly. Instead, we propose that contractile ring assembly requires localized concerted action of motor-competent myosin and plastin at the cell equator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Leite
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fung-Yi Chan
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniel S Osório
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Saramago
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana F Sobral
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana M Silva
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Reto Gassmann
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana X Carvalho
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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