Article
Biology
Amandeep S. Arora, Hsiang-Ling Huang, Ramanpreet Singh, Yoshie Narui, Andrejus Suchenko, Tomoyuki Hatano, Sarah M. Heissler, Mohan K. Balasubramanian, Krishna Chinthalapudi, Pekka Lappalainen
Summary: The structures of actin isoforms have been determined at high resolution, revealing their specific conformations and isoform-specific interfaces. These findings provide important insights into the function of actin isoforms and contribute to our overall understanding of cytoskeletal physiology.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chanchanok Chaichim, Tamara Tomanic, Holly Stefen, Esmeralda Paric, Lucy Gamaroff, Alexandra K. Suchowerska, Peter W. Gunning, Yazi D. Ke, Thomas Fath, John Power
Summary: The study found that, despite being enriched in dendritic spines, overexpression of Tpm3.1 does not significantly alter the morphology or function of dendritic spines.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Daan Vorselen, Sarah R. Barger, Yifan Wang, Wei Cai, Julie A. Theriot, Nils C. Gauthier, Mira Krendel
Summary: The study reveals that during macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-opsonized targets, there is a prominent constriction driven by Arp2/3-mediated assembly of discrete actin protrusions. Contractile myosin-II activity contributes to late-stage phagocytic force generation and target ingestion. Observations of partial target eating attempts and sudden target release suggest that constriction may play a critical role in resolving complex in vivo target encounters.
Article
Biology
Sabrina Pospich, H. Lee Sweeney, Anne Houdusse, Stefan Raunser
Summary: This study reports the structural transitions of the molecular motor myosin during its force-producing motor cycle, providing valuable insights into the high-resolution structures of myosin-V in different states.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Micaela Boiero Sanders, Christopher P. Toret, Audrey Guillotin, Adrien Antkowiak, Thomas Vannier, Robert C. Robinson, Alphee Michelot
Summary: The use of different actin isoforms in eukaryotic cells and the molecular mechanisms of their segregation into distinct networks are poorly understood. By using yeast as a model, researchers found that the expression of heterologous actin causes significant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, can rescue cytoskeletal organization and increase resistance to external perturbation.
Article
Cell Biology
Johannes N. Greve, Frederic Schwaebe, Thomas Pokrant, Jan Faix, Nataliya Di Donato, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: The study investigated the heterozygous dominant mutations in the cytoskeletal actin isoform 13 that lead to various human disease phenotypes. Biochemical characterization of the ACTB-AST mutant revealed altered actin polymerization and actin-profilin interactions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
V. B. Dugina, G. S. Shagieva, P. B. Kopnin
Summary: Cytoplasmic actin isoforms play important roles in cellular processes and their imbalances are linked to pathology. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is relevant for both basic research and clinical applications. Study of actin diversity and function in cancer may contribute to treatment strategies.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anton S. Shakhov, Polina A. Kovaleva, Alexandra S. Churkina, Igor I. Kireev, Irina B. Alieva
Summary: Actin cytoskeleton is crucial for cellular processes, and there are different isoforms in non-muscle cells, β-actin and γ-actin, which have distinct functions and localization in the cytoplasm. Based on super-resolution microscopy, this study demonstrates that β-actin and γ-actin are segregated in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells, with varying degrees of colocalization in different cellular regions. The segregation of actin isoforms is enhanced during the activation of cell lamella in endothelial barrier dysfunction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naoki Hosokawa, Masahiro Kuragano, Atsuki Yoshino, Keitaro Shibata, Taro Q. P. Uyeda, Kiyotaka Tokuraku
Summary: The study focuses on the cooperative interaction between fimbrin and actin filaments in forming parallel bundles. It was found that the actin-binding domain of fimbrin promotes the well-ordered arrangement of actin filaments, while its interaction with the glass surface affects bundle formation.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liufeng Dai, Baojie Wang, Ting Wang, Etienne H. Meyer, Valentin Kettel, Natalie Hoffmann, Heather E. McFarlane, Shalan Li, Xuna Wu, Kelsey L. Picard, Patrick Giavalisco, Staffan Persson, Yi Zhang
Summary: Energy is crucial for cellular functions, but how actin dynamics are regulated by ATP levels in plant cells is not well understood. This study reveals an important role for TORC1 in coordinating ATP homeostasis and actin dynamics in plant cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul Dowling, Stephen Gargan, Dieter Swandulla, Kay Ohlendieck
Summary: The loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength is the main cause of frailty syndrome, which is closely associated with sarcopenia in the elderly. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic surveys have improved our understanding of the molecular and cellular changes during muscle atrophy and age-related fiber-type shifting. Proteomic analysis suggests that contractile proteins can be used as markers of fiber-type transitions during aging.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Nietmann, Kevin Kaub, Andrejus Suchenko, Susanne Stenz, Claas Warnecke, Mohan K. Balasubramanian, Andreas Janshoff
Summary: This study investigates the implications of different actins expressed in epithelial cells for network mechanics and dynamics. The authors find that gamma-actin forms stiffer networks compared to beta-actin, attributed to selective interactions with Mg2+-ions. They also observe that beta-actin networks show more small contraction foci, while gamma-actin networks have fewer but larger foci, indicative of a stronger interaction with myosin motors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Matthew H. Doran, William Lehman
Summary: Actin, a highly conserved protein, plays diverse roles in cellular processes by interacting with actin-binding proteins. The ATP-dependent cycle of myosin attachment and detachment drives muscle contraction and cellular transport. The variations in actin function are influenced by myosin isoforms and other actin-binding proteins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marina Marchenko, Victoria Nefedova, Natalia Artemova, Sergey Kleymenov, Dmitrii Levitsky, Alexander Matyushenko
Summary: This study investigates the structural and functional differences of five cytoplasmic Tpm isoforms, revealing that sequence variations in alternatively spliced regions of these isoforms can significantly impact their interaction with actin filaments, thus playing a crucial role in cytoskeleton organization and dynamics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Gao, Fumihiko Nakamura
Summary: This review article introduces actin-associated proteins (AAPs) and their roles in regulating cell movement, shape change, division, organelle localization, and trafficking. The article lists all discovered AAPs and allows sorting based on various criteria. It also provides links to databases for accessing detailed information about protein structures, expression levels, mutations, and pathology. Additionally, small molecules targeting actin and AAPs with potential for treating diseases are listed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sven Giese, Theresia Reindl, Patrick Y. A. Reinke, Lilach Zattelman, Roman Fedorov, Arnon Henn, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: Myosin-1C is a single-headed, short-tailed member of the myosin class I subfamily. Alternative splicing of the MYO1C gene in vertebrates produces three isoforms with different N-terminal extensions. These extensions affect the chemomechanical coupling of the myosin-1C isoforms, leading to differences in power output, velocity, and resistive force. The N-terminal extensions reduce the length of the working stroke and the rate of ADP release, especially in myosin-1C35. The functional differences between isoforms are further amplified by the presence of external loads.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Seynnaeve, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Joris Winderickx, Vanessa Franssens
Summary: Our study demonstrates that the lack of Glo2 and Gre3 activity leads to increased formation of large Synphilin-1 inclusions in S. cerevisiae, correlating with enhanced oxidative stress levels and inhibitory effects on growth. Similarly, polar-localised inclusions were observed in S. pombe, but no growth defects were observed upon expression of SNCAIP. Overall, yeasts, especially S. cerevisiae, serve as valuable models for understanding the mechanisms underlying Synphilin-1 pathology in neurodegenerative diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Irene Pertici, Giulio Bianchi, Lorenzo Bongini, Dan Cojoc, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein, Vincenzo Lombardi, Pasquale Bianco
Summary: This study introduced a nanomachine made from frog muscle myosin, capable of mimicking the force and velocity effects seen in muscle, and found its performance to be dependent on Ca2+ concentration. The Ca2+-sensitivity was identified as a class-specific property of muscle myosin, as the performance was Ca2+-independent when using myosin from mammalian skeletal muscle, which was further supported by simulation models.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Irene Pertici, Manuel H. Taft, Johannes N. Greve, Roman Fedorov, Marco Caremani, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: The direct binding of rumenic acid to cardiac myosin-2 motor domain affects the release rate of orthophosphate and the Ca2+ responsiveness of cardiac muscle. Rumenic acid can increase myocardial metabolic load and inhibit force generation in trabeculae without affecting the number of force-generating motors. Molecular docking studies show how rumenic acid binding site and associated pathways can differ among isoforms of myosin-2.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karen Baker, Michael A. Geeves, Daniel P. Mulvihill
Summary: This study investigates the impact of amino-terminal acetylation on the structure and function of fission yeast calmodulin. The findings show that NatA-dependent acetylation stabilizes the structure and affects the ability of calmodulin to bind to myosin at endocytic foci. Furthermore, the study reveals that this conserved modification also influences the calcium-binding capacity of both yeast and human calmodulins.
Article
Cell Biology
Johannes N. Greve, Frederic Schwaebe, Thomas Pokrant, Jan Faix, Nataliya Di Donato, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: The study investigated the heterozygous dominant mutations in the cytoskeletal actin isoform 13 that lead to various human disease phenotypes. Biochemical characterization of the ACTB-AST mutant revealed altered actin polymerization and actin-profilin interactions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theresia Reindl, Sven Giese, Johannes N. Greve, Patrick Y. Reinke, Igor Chizhov, Sharissa L. Latham, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Manuel H. Taft, Dietmar J. Manstein
Summary: This article describes the effects of N-terminal acetylation of various tropomyosin isoforms on the actin affinity and thermal stability of actin-tropomyosin cofilaments. Additionally, it explores how the exchange of cytoskeletal tropomyosin isoforms and their acetylation impacts the kinetic and chemomechanical properties of cytoskeletal actin-tropomyosin-myosin complexes. The results highlight the extent of differences in kinetic and functional properties among different actin-tropomyosin-myosin complexes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ellen Clancy, Siva Ramadurai, Sarah R. Needham, Karen Baker, Tara A. Eastwood, Julia A. Weinstein, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Stanley W. Botchway
Summary: Cytoplasmic viscosity plays a crucial role in diffusion-limited reactions, while nuclear viscosity determines gene integrity, regulation, and expression. This study investigates the impact of DNA damage on viscosity using a platinum complex, Pt[L]Cl, as a probe for nuclear viscosity. The results show that the phosphorescence lifetime of Pt[L]Cl is sensitive to viscosity, and fluorescence lifetime of green and red fluorescent proteins (FP) also exhibit sensitivity to cellular viscosity and refractive index changes. Moreover, DNA damage causes significant changes in the viscosity and refractive index of both nuclear and cytoplasmic regions, and a bystander effect is observed in adjacent un-irradiated cells.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tara A. Eastwood, Karen Baker, Bree R. Streather, Nyasha Allen, Lin Wang, Stanley W. Botchway, Ian R. Brown, Jennifer R. Hiscock, Christopher Lennon, Daniel P. Mulvihill
Summary: We describe an innovative system that allows the expression of diverse recombinant proteins in membrane-bound vesicles from E. coli. These vesicles compartmentalize and enable the production of insoluble, toxic, or disulfide-bond containing proteins. The release of vesicle-packaged proteins supports isolation and long-term storage. This technology provides high yields of functional proteins for efficient downstream processing in various fields of discovery science, biotechnology, and medicine.
CELL REPORTS METHODS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jessica E. Boles, George T. Williams, Nyasha Allen, Lisa J. White, Kira L. F. Hilton, Precious I. A. Popoola, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Jennifer R. Hiscock
Summary: Due to the antimicrobial resistance crisis, there is an urgent need for novel antimicrobial treatments. This study provides evidence of using anionic supramolecular self-associating amphiphiles (SSAs) as enhancers for commonly used antimicrobial agents against Gram-negative bacteria, and suggests that the drug efficacy enhancement is likely due to the membrane permeabilization effect of the SSAs.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Johannes N. Greve, Manuel H. Taft, Nataliya Di Donato, Dietmar J. Manstein
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Irene Pertici, Johannes N. Greve, Vincenzo Lombardi, Dietmar J. Manstein, Pasquale Bianco
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lisa J. White, Jessica E. Boles, Melanie Clifford, Bethany L. Patenall, Kira H. L. F. Hilton, Kendrick K. L. Ng, Rebecca J. Ellaby, Charlotte K. Hind, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Jennifer R. Hiscock
Summary: The di-anionic supramolecular self-associating amphiphiles show antimicrobial properties against MRSA and E. coli, and can form both intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonded macrocyclic structures in the solid state.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nova O. Dora, Edith Blackburn, Jessica E. Boles, George T. Williams, Lisa J. White, Scarlett E. G. Turner, J. Daniel Hothersall, Trevor Askwith, Jack A. Doolan, Daniel P. Mulvihill, Michelle D. Garrett, Jennifer R. Hiscock
Summary: Research demonstrates the cytotoxicity of SSAs towards cancer cells, highlighting their ability to bind to the exterior cancer cell surface, permeate the cell membrane, and enhance the cytotoxic activity of chemotherapeutic drugs.