Spectrin and protein 4.1 as an actin filament capping complex

Spectrin and protein 4.1, when added to G- or F-actin, cause the formation of short filaments, as judged by the appearance of powerful nucleating activity for G-actin polymerisation. F-Actin filaments are rapidly fragmented under physiological solvent conditions. The effect of cytochalasin E on the polymerisation reaction and the extent of reduction in the critical monomer concentration of actin when spectrin and 4.1 are added suggest that these proteins form a capping system for the more slowly growing, or 'pointed' ends of actin filaments. The interaction is not affected by calcium or by 4.9, the remaining constituent of the purified red cell membrane cytoskeleton.     

Regulation of stretch-activated intracellular calcium transients by actin filaments.

Stretch activation of cation-permeable channels may be an important proximal sensory mechanism in mechanotransduction. As actin filaments may mediate cellular responses to changes of the mechanical properties of the substrate and regulate stretch-induced calcium transients, we examined the role of actin filaments and substrate flexibility in modulating the amplitude of stretch-activated intracellular calcium transients. Human gingival fibroblasts were subjected to mechanical stretch through integrins by magnetic force acting on collagen-coated ferric oxide beads. Intracellular calcium concentration was measured in fura-2-loaded cells by ratio fluorimetry. Cytochalasin D-treatment greatly increased (3-fold) the amplitude of stretch-activated calcium transients in well-spread cells grown on glass coverslips while phalloidin, colchicine or taxol exerted no signficant effects, indicating that actin filaments but not microtubules modulate stretch-activated calcium transients. In freshly plated cells with rounded shapes and poorly developed cortical actin filaments, stretch-induced calcium transients were of 3-fold higher amplitude than well-spread cells plated for 6-24 hrs and with well developed actin filaments. Cells plated on soft collagen-polyacrylamide gels showed round morphology but exhibited <50% of the response to stretch of well-spread cells on inflexible gels. Notably, cells on soft gels showed very heavy phalloidin staining for cortical actin filaments compared with cells on more inflexible surfaces which showed only light staining for cortical actin. While cell shape may have some effect on responsiveness to mechanical stretch, the rigidity of the cell membrane mediated by the extensive cortical actin network appears to be a central determinant in the regulation of stretch-induced calcium signals.     

The role of band 4.1 in the association of actin with erythrocyte membranes

Spectrin stimulates the association of F-actin with erythrocyte inside-out vesicles. Although inside-out vesicles are nearly devoid of two of the three major cytoskeletal proteins, spectrin and actin, they retain nearly all of the cytoskeletal protein designated band 4.1. Inside-out vesicles which have been substantially depleted of band 4.1 by extraction in 1 M KCl, 0.4 M urea and then reconstituted with spectrin show a markedly diminished ability to bind actin by comparison with vesicles containing normal amounts of band 4.1. This diminution is not due to an impaired ability of the vesicles to bind spectrin. Addition of purified band 4.1 to vesicles either before or after they have been reconstituted with spectrin restores their actin binding capacity to near normal levels as does addition of a spectrin-band 4.1 complex prepared by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Band 4.1 bound to vesicles in the absence of added spectrin has no effect on actin binding. Our results suggest that a spectrin band 4.1 complex is responsible for binding actin to erythrocyte membranes.     

Modulation of actin polymerization by the spectrin-band 4.1 complex

The effect of human erythrocyte spectrin dimer and band 4.1 on the polymerization of actin was studied by two independent methods: by following the increase in fluorescence of actin covalently conjugated to N-pyrenyl-iodoacetamide (pyrenylactin) and by following the increase in light scattered by actin polymers. Both techniques indicated that the complex of spectrin dimer and band 4.1, but neither spectrin nor band 4.1 alone, stimulates the rate of nucleation (decreases the lag phase of polymerization) and stabilizes oligomers of F-actin. While the band 4.1-spectrin complex, but not spectrin alone, had no immediate effect on the rate of polymerization after the lag phase, it eventually decreases the rate of actin filament growth when the molecular ratio of actin-spectrin-band 4.1 approaches the physiological range. The complex has no detectable effect on the critical actin concentration and does not significantly alter the apparent order of the nucleation reaction.     

Regulation of dipeptide transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by micromolar amino acid concentrations.

Prototrophic Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180, when grown on unsupplemented minimal medium, displayed little sensitivity to ethionine- and m-fluorophenylalanine-containing toxic dipeptides. We examined the influence of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids on sensitivity to toxic dipeptides. A number of these amino acids, at concentrations as low as 1 microM (leucine and tryptophan), produced large increases in sensitivity to leucyl-ethionine, alanyl-ethionine, and leucyl-m-fluorophenylalanine. Sensitivity to ethionine and m-fluorophenylalanine remained high under either set of conditions. The addition of 0.15 mM tryptophan to a growing culture resulted in the induction of dipeptide transport, as indicated by a 25-fold increase in the initial rate of L-leucyl-L-[3H]leucine accumulation. This increase, which was prevented by the addition of cycloheximide, began within 30 min and peaked approximately 240 min after a shift to medium containing tryptophan. Comparable increases in peptidase activity were not apparent in crude cell extracts from tryptophan-induced cultures. We concluded that S. cerevisiae possesses a specific mechanism for the induction of dipeptide transport that can respond to very low concentrations of amino acids.     

Modulation of erythrocyte band 4.1 binding by volume expansion

Erythrocyte band 4.1 is an important protein in the control and maintenance of the cytoskeleton. Skate erythrocyte band 3, the anion exchanger, appears to play a pivotal role in the regulation of volume-stimulated solute efflux during volume expansion. Because band 4.1 interacts with band 3, we tested whether their interaction might change during volume expansion. Skate red blood cells were volume-expanded in either hypotonic media (one-half osmolarity) or were swollen under isoosmotic conditions by inclusion of ethylene glycol or ammonium chloride in the medium. Microsomal membranes isolated from red cells under volume expanded conditions demonstrated a significant decrease in the amount of band 4.1 bound to band 3. In unstimulated cells, approximately one third of the binding of band 4.1 occurred to band 3. This binding was characterized as being sensitive to competition by the peptide IRRRY. The majority of band 4.1 is bound to glycophorin (as demonstrated in other species), and this binding does not change during volume expansion. The alteration in band 4.1:band 3 interaction occurs within 5 min after volume expansion and is transient, returning to near normal interaction within 60 min. Two drugs that promote band 3 oligomerization, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and DIDS, also decreased band 4.1 interaction with band 3. Band 4.1 and ankyrin binding to band 3 may be reciprocally related as high-affinity ankyrin binding sites to band 3 observed under volume-expanded conditions are decreased by inclusion of band 4.1 in the binding reactions. J. Exp. Zool. 289:177-183, 2001.     

The effect of cross-linking spectrin-actin complexes with band 4.1 on the state of polymerization of the actin

The polymerization of actin in the presence of spectrin tetramers and band 4.1 isolated from the human erythrocyte has been measured using a fluorescence energy transfer technique. The results show that the cross-linking of spectrin-actin complexes by band 4.1 results in a limited depolymerization of actin filaments and a concomitant rise in the critical actin concentration. The phenomenon may explain in part the existence of actin in the erythrocyte cytoskeleton as short oligomers rather than as long filaments.     

Regulation of adiposity by dietary calcium.

Recent data from this laboratory demonstrate that increasing adipocyte intracellular Ca(2+) results in a coordinated stimulation of lipogenesis and inhibition of lipolysis. We have also noted that increasing dietary calcium of obese patients for 1 year resulted in a 4.9 kg loss of body fat (P<0.01). Accordingly, we tested the possibility that calcitrophic hormones may act on adipocytes to increase Ca(2+) and lipid metabolism by measuring the effects of 1, 25-(OH)(2)-D in primary cultures of human adipocytes, and found significant, sustained increases in intracellular Ca(2+) and a corresponding marked inhibition of lipolysis (EC(50) approximately 50 pM; P<0.001), suggesting that dietary calcium could reduce adipocyte mass by suppressing 1,25-(OH)(2)-D. To test this hypothesis, we placed transgenic mice expressing the agouti gene specifically in adipocytes on a low (0.4%) Ca/high fat/high sucrose diet either unsupplemented or with 25 or 50% of the protein replaced by non-fat dry milk or supplemented to 1.2% Ca with CaCO(3) for 6 wk. Weight gain and fat pad mass were reduced by 26-39% by the three high calcium diets (P<0.001). The high calcium diets exerted a corresponding 51% inhibition of adipocyte fatty acid synthase expression and activity (P<0.002) and stimulation of lipolysis by 3. 4- to 5.2-fold (P<0.015). This concept of calcium modulation of adiposity was further evaluated epidemiologically in the NHANES III data set. After controlling for energy intake, relative risk of being in the highest quartile of body fat was set to 1.00 for the lowest quartile of Ca intake and was reduced to 0.75, 0.40, and 0.16 for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively, of calcium intake for women (n=380;P<0.0009); a similar inverse relationship was also noted in men (n=7114; P<0.0006). Thus, increasing dietary calcium suppresses adipocyte intracellular Ca(2+) and thereby modulates energy metabolism and attenuates obesity risk.     

Regulation of water flow by actin-binding protein-induced actin gelatin.

Actin filaments inhibit osmotically driven water flow (Ito, T., K.S. Zaner, and T.P. Stossel. 1987. Biophys. J. 51: 745-753). Here we show that the actin gelation protein, actin-binding protein (ABP), impedes both osmotic shrinkage and swelling of an actin filament solution and reduces markedly the concentration of actin filaments required for this inhibition. These effects depend on actin filament immobilization, because the ABP concentration that causes initial impairment of water flow by actin filaments corresponds to the gel point measured viscometrically and because gelsolin, which noncovalently severs actin filaments, solates actin gels and restores water flow in a solution of actin cross-linked by ABP. Since ABP gels actin filaments in the periphery of many eukaryotic cells, such actin networks may contribute to physiological cell volume regulation.     

Regulation of cellular calcium metabolism and calcium transport by calcitonin.

Calcitonin was studied in isolated kidney cells and in isolated mitochondria. A concentration of 10 ng/ml of synthetic calcitonin increases the cellular accumulation of 45Ca and the total cell calcium. The mitochondrial pool is increased several-fold. Kinetic analysis of the data shows that although the total cellular exchangeable calcium pool is enlarged, calcium influx and efflux are significantly depressed by calcitonin. The absence of phosphate or the presence of inhibitors of mitochondrial calcium transport completely abolish the effects of the hormone. In isolated mitochondria, the hormone stimulates the active calcium uptake and depresses the extramitochondrial calcium activity. Calcitonin counteracts the effects of cyclic AMP which stimulates the release of calcium from mitochondria and increases the extramitochondrial calcium activity. These data indicate that cellular calcium homeostasis is controlled by the mitochondrial calcium turnover. They suggest that calcitomin regulates the cell calcium metabolism and inhibits the transcellular calcium transport by stimulating the rate of calcium uptake by mitochondria which depresses cytoplasmic calcium activity.     

Janus kinases and focal adhesion kinases play in the 4.1 band: a superfamily of band 4.1 domains important for cell structure and signal transduction.

The band 4.1 domain was first identified in the red blood cell protein band 4.1, and subsequently in ezrin, radixin, and moesin (ERM proteins) and other proteins, including tumor suppressor merlin/schwannomin, talin, unconventional myosins VIIa and X, and protein tyrosine phosphatases. Recently, the presence of a structurally related domain has been demonstrated in the N-terminal region of two groups of tyrosine kinases: the focal adhesion kinases (FAK) and the Janus kinases (JAK). Additional proteins containing the 4.1/JEF (JAK, ERM, FAK) domain include plant kinesin-like calmodulin-binding proteins (KCBP) and a number of uncharacterized open reading frames identified by systematic DNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences suggests that band 4.1/JEF domains can be grouped in several families that have probably diverged early during evolution. Hydrophobic cluster analysis indicates that the band 4.1/JEF domains might consist of a duplicated module of approximately 140 residues and a central hinge region. A conserved property of the domain is its capacity to bind to the membrane-proximal region of the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of proteins with a single transmembrane segment. Many proteins with band 4.1/JEF domains undergo regulated intra- or intermolecular homotypic interactions. Additional properties common to band 4.1/JEF domains of several proteins are binding of phosphoinositides and regulation by GTPases of the Rho family. Many proteins with band 4. 1/JEF domains are associated with the actin-based cytoskeleton and are enriched at points of contact with other cells or the extracellular matrix, from which they can exert control over cell growth. Thus, proteins with band 4.1/JEF domain are at the crossroads between cytoskeletal organization and signal transduction in multicellular organisms. Their importance is underlined by the variety of diseases that can result from their mutations.     

Regulation of actin dynamics by annexin 2

Annexin 2 is a ubiquitous Ca(2+)-binding protein that is essential for actin-dependent vesicle transport. Here, we show that in spontaneously motile cells annexin 2 is concentrated in dynamic actin-rich protrusions, and that depletion of annexin 2 using siRNA leads to the accumulation of stress fibres and loss of protrusive and retractile activity. Cells co-expressing annexin 2-CFP and actin-YFP exhibit Ca(2+)-dependent fluorescense resonance energy transfer throughout the cytoplasm and in membrane ruffles and protrusions, suggesting that annexin 2 may directly interact with actin. This notion was supported by biochemical studies, in which we show that annexin 2 reduces the polymerisation rate of actin monomers in a dose-dependent manner. By measuring actin polymerisation rates in the presence of barbed-end and pointed-end cappers, we further demonstrate that annexin 2 specifically inhibits filament elongation at the barbed ends. These results show that annexin 2 has an essential role in maintaining the plasticity of the dynamic membrane-associated actin cytoskeleton, and that its activity in this context may be at least partly explained through direct interactions with polymerised and monomeric actin.     

Spectrin band 1 and 2 are antigenically distinct and are not composed of subunits.

Human erythrocyte membranes and freshly isolated spectrin were separated into their constituent peptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The peptides were electrophoresed from slices of such gels into agarose gels containing anti-spectrin antibodies and Triton X-100. In fresh preparations, precipitin arcs were observed only against peptides migrating as bands 1 and 2. It was found that bands 1 and 2 did not cross-react. There were two major arcs from band 1 and one principal arc from band 2, plus minor splitting of these arcs. None of the band 1 arcs fused with band 2 arcs. In fresh erythrocyte ghosts only bands 1 and 2 reacted with anti-spectrin; bands 2.1, 3, and 5, in particular, showed no precipitin arcs. However, in aged ghosts, arcs appeared in the band 3 region; in aged isolated spectrin, arcs appeared in the band 2.1 region; and in trypsin-degraded spectrin, reactive species occurred in all molecular weight classes. It is concluded that spectrin has no subunits smaller than 220,000 molecular weight and that bands 1 and 2 are immunochemically distinct.     

Regulation of growth cone actin dynamics by ADF/cofilin.

Nervous system development is reliant on neuronal pathfinding, the process in which axons are guided to their target cells by specific extracellular cues. The ability of neurons to extend over long distances in response to environmental guidance signals is made possible by the growth cone, a highly motile structure found at the end of neuronal processes. Growth cones detect directional cues and respond with either attractive or repulsive movements. The motility of growth cones is dependent on rapid reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, presumably mediated by actin-associated proteins under the control of incoming guidance signals. This article reviews how one such family of proteins, the ADF/cofilins, are emerging as key regulators of growth cone actin dynamics. These proteins are essential for rapid actin turnover in a variety of different cell types. ADF/cofilins are heavily co-localized with actin in growth cones and are necessary for neurite outgrowth. ADF/cofilin activities are regulated through reversible phosphorylation by LIM kinases and slingshot phosphatases. LIM kinases are downstream effectors of the Rho GTPases Rho, Rac, and Cdc42. Growing evidence suggests that extracellular guidance cues may locally alter actin dynamics by regulating the activity of LIM kinase and ADF/cofilin phosphatases via the Rho GTPases. In this way, ADF/cofilins and their upstream effectors may be pivotal to our understanding of how guidance information is translated into physical alterations of the growth cone actin cytoskeleton.     

Selective modulation of band 4.1 binding to erythrocyte membranes by protein kinase C

We have studied the effects of band 4.1 phosphorylation on its association with red cell inside-out vesicles stripped of all peripheral proteins. Band 4.1 bound to these vesicles in a saturable manner, and binding was characterized by a linear Scatchard plot with an apparent Kd of 1-2 x 10(-7) M. Phosphorylation of band 4.1 by purified protein kinase C reduced its ability to bind to membranes, resulting in a reduction in the apparent binding capacity of the membrane by 60-70% but little or no change in the apparent Kd of binding. By contrast, phosphorylation of band 4.1 by cAMP-dependent kinase had no effect on membrane binding. Digestion of the stripped inside-out vesicles with trypsin cleaved 100% of the cytoplasmic domain of band 3 but had little or no effect on glycophorin. Binding of band 4.1 to these digested vesicles was reduced by 70%. Phosphorylation of band 4.1 by protein kinase C had no effect on its binding to the digested vesicles, suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain of band 3 contained the phosphorylation-sensitive binding sites. This was confirmed by direct measurement of band 4.1 binding to the purified cytoplasmic domain of band 3. Phosphorylation of band 4.1 by protein kinase C reduced its binding to the purified 43-kDa domain by as much as 90%, while phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent kinase was without effect. These results show a selective effect of protein kinase C phosphorylation on the binding of band 4.1 to one of its membrane receptors, band 3, and suggest a mechanism whereby one of the key red cell-skeletal membrane associations may be modulated.     

Activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by micromolar concentrations of calcium in digitonin-permeabilized adrenal medullary cells

In digitonin-permeabilized bovine adrenal medullary cells, Ca2+ (0.1-1.0 microM) caused an activation of tyrosine hydroxylase which was dependent on the presence of ATP. This Ca2+-induced activation of the enzyme was observed even in the presence of optimal concentration of either cyclic AMP or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) which by itself increased the enzyme activity. Calmodulin inhibitors, trifluoperazine (TFP) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphtalenesulfonamide (W-7), had little effect on the Ca2+-evoked activation of enzyme. These results suggest that micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ activate the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase probably through a Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation in digitonin-permeabilized adrenal medullary cells although the protein kinase(s) responsible for it still remains to be determined.     

Regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics by Arf-family GTPases

Small GTPases of the Arf family are best known for their role in vesicular transport, wherein they nucleate the assembly of coat proteins at sites of carrier vesicle formation. However, accumulating evidence indicates that the Arfs are also important regulators of actin cytoskeleton dynamics and are involved in a variety of actin-based processes, including cell adhesion, migration and neurite outgrowth. The mechanisms of this regulation are remarkably diverse, ranging from the integration of vesicular transport with cytoskeleton assembly to the direct regulation of Rho-family GTPase function. Here, we review recent progress in our understanding of how Arfs and their interacting proteins function to integrate membrane and cytoskeletal dynamics.     

Regulation of actin dynamics by WASP family proteins

Rapid reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton underlies morphological changes and motility of cells. WASP family proteins have received a great deal of attention as the signal-regulated molecular switches that initiate actin polymerization. The first member, WASP, was identified as the product of a gene of which dysfunction causes the human hereditary disease Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. There are now five members in this protein family, namely WASP, N-WASP, WAVE/Scar1, 2, and 3. WASP and N-WASP have functional and physical associations with Cdc42, a Rho family small GTPase involved in filopodium formation. In contrast, there is evidence that links the WAVE/Scar proteins with another Rho family protein, Rac, which is a regulator of membrane ruffling. All WASP family members have a VCA domain at the C-terminus through which Arp2/3 complex is activated to nucleate actin polymerization. Analyses of model organisms have just begun to reveal unexpected functions of WASP family proteins in multicellular organisms.