Biomedical subjects

J B Marchand

Publications and source records attributed to J B Marchand.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Crystal structure of Arp2/3 complex.

We determined a crystal structure of bovine Arp2/3 complex, an assembly of seven proteins that initiates actin polymerization in eukaryotic cells, at 2.0 angstrom resolution. Actin-related protein 2 (Arp2) and Arp3 are folded like actin, with distinctive surface features. Subunits ARPC2 p34 and ARPC4 p20 in the core of the complex associate through long carboxyl-terminal alpha helices and have similarly folded amino-terminal alpha/beta domains. ARPC1 p40 is a seven-blade beta propeller with an insertion that may associate with the side of an actin filament. ARPC3 p21 and ARPC5 p16 are globular alpha-helical subunits. We predict that WASp/Scar proteins activate Arp2/3 complex by bringing Arp2 into proximity with Arp3 for nucleation of a branch on the side of a preexisting actin filament.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

PubMed2001

Interaction of WASP/Scar proteins with actin and vertebrate Arp2/3 complex.

The Wiskott-Aldrich-syndrome protein (WASP) regulates polymerization of actin by the Arp2/3 complex. Here we show, using fluorescence anisotropy assays, that the carboxy-terminal WA domain of WASP binds to a single actin monomer with a Kd of 0.6 microM in an equilibrium with rapid exchange rates. Both WH-2 and CA sequences contribute to actin binding. A favourable DeltaH of -10 kcal mol(-1) drives binding. The WA domain binds to the Arp2/3 complex with a Kd of 0.9 microM; both the C and A sequences contribute to binding to the Arp2/3 complex. Wiskott-Aldrich-syndrome mutations in the WA domain that alter nucleation by the Arp2/3 complex over a tenfold range without affecting affinity for actin or the Arp2/3 complex indicate that there may be an activation step in the nucleation pathway. Actin filaments stimulate nucleation by producing a fivefold increase in the affinity of WASP-WA for the Arp2/3 complex.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

PubMed2000

Direct observation of dendritic actin filament networks nucleated by Arp2/3 complex and WASP/Scar proteins.

Most nucleated cells crawl about by extending a pseudopod that is driven by the polymerization of actin filaments in the cytoplasm behind the leading edge of the plasma membrane. These actin filaments are linked into a network by Y-branches, with the pointed end of each filament attached to the side of another filament and the rapidly growing barbed end facing forward. Because Arp2/3 complex nucleates actin polymerization and links the pointed end to the side of another filament in vitro, a dendritic nucleation model has been proposed in which Arp2/3 complex initiates filaments from the sides of older filaments. Here we report, by using a light microscopy assay, many new features of the mechanism. Branching occurs during, rather than after, nucleation by Arp2/3 complex activated by the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) or Scar protein; capping protein and profilin act synergistically with Arp2/3 complex to favour branched nucleation; phosphate release from aged actin filaments favours dissociation of Arp2/3 complex from the pointed ends of filaments; and branches created by Arp2/3 complex are relatively rigid. These properties result in the automatic assembly of the branched actin network after activation by proteins of the WASP/Scar family and favour the selective disassembly of proximal regions of the network.

Acanthamoeba↗

PubMed1995

Actin-based movement of Listeria monocytogenes: actin assembly results from the local maintenance of uncapped filament barbed ends at the bacterium surface.

The thermodynamic basis for actin-based motility of Listeria monocytogenes has been investigated using cytoplasmic extracts of Xenopus eggs, initially developed by Theriot et al. (Theriot, J. A., J. Rosenblatt, D. A. Portnoy, P. J. Goldschmidt-Clermont, and T. J. Mitchison. 1994. Cell. 76:505-517) as an in vitro cell-free system. A large proportion (75%) of actin was found unpolymerized in the extracts. The amount of unassembled actin (12 microM) is accounted for by the sequestering functions of T beta 4Xen (20 microM) and profilin (5 microM), the barbed ends being capped. Movement of Listeria was not abolished by depletion of over 99% of the endogenous profilin. The proline-rich sequences of ActA are unlikely to be the target of profilin. All data support the view that actin assembly at the rear of Listeria results from a local shift in steady state due to a factor, keeping filaments uncapped, bound to the surface of the bacterium, while barbed ends are capped in the bulk cytoplasm. Movement is controlled by the energetic difference (i.e., the difference in critical concentration) between the two ends of the filaments, hence a constant ATP supply and the presence of barbed end capped F-actin in the medium are required to buffer free G-actin at a high concentration. The role of membrane components is demonstrated by the facts that: (a) Listeria movement can be reconstituted in the resuspended pellets of high speed-centrifuged extracts that are enriched in membranes; (b) Actin-based motility of endogenous vesicles, exhibiting the same rocketing movement as Listeria, can be observed in the extracts.

Actins↗

PubMed1995

The unrelated surface proteins ActA of Listeria monocytogenes and IcsA of Shigella flexneri are sufficient to confer actin-based motility on Listeria innocua and Escherichia coli respectively.

Listeria monocytogenes and Shigella flexneri are two unrelated facultative intracellular pathogens which spread from cell to cell by using a similar mode of intracellular movement based on continuous actin assembly at one pole of the bacterium. This process requires the asymmetrical expression of the ActA surface protein in L. monocytogenes and the IcsA (VirG) surface protein in S. flexneri. ActA and IcsA share no sequence homology. To assess the role of the two proteins in the generation of actin-based movement, we expressed them in the genetic context of two non-actin polymerizing, non-pathogenic bacterial species, Listeria innocua and Escherichia coli. In the absence of any additional bacterial pathogenicity determinants, both proteins induced actin assembly and propulsion of the bacteria in cytoplasmic extracts from Xenopus eggs, as visualized by the formation of characteristic actin comet tails. E. coli expressing IcsA moved about two times faster than Listeria and displayed longer actin tails. However, actin dynamics (actin filament distribution and filament half-lives) were similar in IcsA- and ActA-induced actin tails suggesting that by using unrelated surface molecules, L. monocytogenes and S. flexneri move intracellularly by interacting with the same host cytoskeleton components or by interfering with the same host cell signal transduction pathway.

Actins↗

PubMed1995

The amino-terminal part of ActA is critical for the actin-based motility of Listeria monocytogenes; the central proline-rich region acts as a stimulator.

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes moves inside the host-cell cytoplasm propelled by continuous actin assembly at one pole of the bacterium. This process requires expression of the bacterial surface protein ActA. Recently, in order to identify the regions of ActA which are required for actin assembly, we and others have expressed different domains of ActA by transfection in eukaryotic cells. As this type of approach cannot address the role of ActA in the actin-driven bacterial propulsion, we have now generated several L. monocytogenes strains expressing different domains of ActA and analysed the ability of the different domains to trigger actin assembly and bacterial movement in both infected cells and cytoplasmic extracts. We show here that the amino-terminal part is critical for F-actin assembly and movement. The internal proline-rich repeats and the carboxy-terminal domains are not essential. However, in vitro motility assays have demonstrated that mutants lacking the proline-rich repeats domain of ActA moved two times slower (6+/-2 micrometers min(-1)) than the wild type (13 +/-3 micrometers min(-1)). In addition, phosphatase treatment of protein extracts of cells infected with the L. monocytogenes strains expressing the ActA variants suggested that phosphorylation may not be essential for ActA activity.

Actins↗

PubMed1994

Interaction of profilin with G-actin and poly(L-proline).

The interaction of bovine spleen profilin with ATP- and ADP-G-actin and poly(L-proline) has been studied by spectrofluorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation, and rapid kinetics in low ionic strength buffer. Profilin binding to G-actin is accompanied by a large quenching of tryptophan fluorescence, allowing the measurement of an equilibrium dissociation constant of 0.1-0.2 microM for the 1:1 profilin-actin complex, in which metal ion and nucleotide are bound. Fluorescence quenching monitored the bimolecular reaction between G-actin and profilin, from which association and dissociation rate constants of 45 microM-1 s-1 and 10 s-1 at 20 degrees C could be derived. The tryptophan(s) which are quenched in the profilin-actin complex are no longer accessible to solvent, which points to W356 in actin as a likely candidate, consistent with the 3D structure of the crystalline profilin-actin complex [Schutt, C. E., Myslik, J. C., Rozycki, M. D., Goonesekere, N. C. W., & Lindberg, U. (1993) Nature 365, 810-816]. Upon binding poly(L-proline), the fluorescence of both tyrosines and tryptophans of profilin is enhanced 2.2-fold. A minimum of 10 prolines [three turns of poly(L-proline) helix II] is necessary to obtain binding (KD = 50 microM), the optimum size being larger than 10. Binding of poly(L-proline) is extremely fast, with k+ > 200 microM-1 s-1 at 10 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actins↗