Quantitative analysis of the effect of Acanthamoeba profilin on actin filament nucleation and elongation

The current view of the mechanism of action of Acanthamoeba profilin is that it binds to actin monomers, forming a complex that cannot polymerize [Tobacman, L. S., & Korn, E. D. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 4166-4170; Tseng, P., & Pollard, T. D. (1982) J. Cell Biol. 94, 213-218; Tobacman, L. S., Brenner, S. L., & Korn, E. D. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 8806-8812]. This simple model fails to predict two new experimental observations made with Acanthamoeba actin in 50 mM KC1, 1 mM MgCl2, and 1 mM EGTA. First, Acanthamoeba profilin inhibits elongation of actin filaments far more at the pointed end than at the barbed end. According, to the simple model, the Kd for the profilin-actin complex is less than 5 microM on the basis of observations at the pointed end and greater than 50 microM for the barbed end. Second, profilin inhibits nucleation more strongly than elongation. According to the simple model, the Kd for the profilin-actin complex is 60-140 microM on the basis of two assays of elongation but 2-10 microM on the basis of polymerization kinetics that reflect nucleation. These new findings can be explained by a new and more complex model for the mechanism of action that is related to a proposal of Tilney and co-workers [Tilney, L. G., Bonder, E. M., Coluccio, L. M., & Mooseker, M. S. (1983) J. Cell Biol. 97, 113-124]. In this model, profilin can bind both to actin monomers with a Kd of about 5 microM and to the barbed end of actin filaments with a Kd of about 50-100 microM. An actin monomer bound to profilin cannot participate in nucleation or add to the pointed end of an actin filament. It can add to the barbed end of a filament. When profilin is bound to the barbed end of a filament, actin monomers cannot bind to that end, but the terminal actin protomer can dissociate at the usual rate. This model includes two different Kd's--one for profilin bound to actin monomers and one for profilin bound to an actin molecule at the barbed end of a filament. The affinity for the end of the filament is lower by a factor of 10 than the affinity for the monomer, presumably due to the difference in the conformation of the two forms of actin or to steric constraints at the end of the filament.     

Model of formin-associated actin filament elongation

Formin FH2 domains associate processively with actin-filament barbed ends and modify their rate of growth. We modeled how the elongation rate depends on the concentrations of profilin and actin for four different formins. We assume that (1) FH2 domains are in rapid equilibrium among conformations that block or allow actin addition and that (2) profilin-actin is transferred rapidly to the barbed end from multiple profilin binding sites in formin FH1 domains. In agreement with previous experiments discussed below, we find an optimal profilin concentration with a maximal elongation rate that can exceed the rate of actin alone. High profilin concentrations suppress elongation, largely because free profilin displaces profilin-actin from FH1. The model supports a common polymerization mechanism for the four formin FH1FH2 constructs with differences attributed to varying parameter values. The mechanism does not require ATP hydrolysis by polymerized actin, but we cannot exclude that formins accelerate hydrolysis.     

Actin filament barbed end elongation with nonmuscle MgATP-actin and MgADP-actin in the presence of profilin

We have quantitated the in vitro interactions of profilin and the profilin-actin complex (PA) with the actin filament barbed end using profilin and nonmuscle beta,gamma-actin prepared from bovine spleen. Actin filament barbed end elongation was initiated from spectrin seeds in the presence of varying profilin concentrations and followed by light scattering. We find that profilin inhibits actin polymerization and that this effect is much more pronounced for beta,gamma-actin than for alpha-skeletal muscle actin. Profilin binds to beta,gamma-actin filament barbed ends with an equilibrium constant of 20 microM, decreases the filament elongation rate by blocking addition of actin monomers, and increases the dissociation rate of actin monomers from the filament end. PA containing bound MgADP supports elongation of the actin filament barbed end, indicating that ATP hydrolysis is not necessary for PA elongation of filaments. Initial analysis of the energetics for these reactions suggested an apparent greater negative free energy change for actin filament elongation from PA than elongation from monomeric actin. However, we calculate that the free energy changes for the two elongation pathways are equal if the profilin-induced weakening of nucleotide binding to actin is taken into consideration.     

Requirement of divalent cations for fast exchange of actin monomers and actin filament subunits

The exchange of actin monomers and actin filament subunits was investigated in the presence of different cations. At high concentrations of calcium (1.2 mm) or magnesium (0.6 mm) the half-time of exchange was less than two hours. When the calcium ions were chelated by EGTA² and potassium (12 mm) was added the exchange was immediately stopped. In the presence of potassium ions (19 mm) at low concentrations of divalent cations (less than 40 μm) no exchange was observed within 15 hours. Fast exchange was initiated upon addition of calcium ions (1.2 mm).The results were interpreted by the model of head to tail polymerization in which filaments lengthen at one end and shorten simultaneously at the other. At high concentrations of divalent cations association and dissociation reactions occur mainly at different ends, whereas in the presence of potassium and at low concentrations of divalent cations these reactions take place at each end with similar frequencies. The efficiency of the head to tail polymerization depends strongly on the concentration and on the type of cations present.     

Cytochalasins inhibit nuclei-induced actin polymerization by blocking filament elongation

Polylysine was found to induce polymerization of muscle actin in a low ionic strength buffer containing 0.4 mM MgCl2. The rate of induced polymerization was dependent on the amount and on the molecular size of the polylysine added. A similar effect was obtained by adding actin nuclei (containing about 2-4 actin subunits) cross-linked by p-N,N'- phenylenebismaleimide to G-actin under the same conditions, suggesting that the effect of polylysine is due to promotion of the formation of actin nuclei. Polymerization induced by polylysine and by cross-linked actin nuclei was inhibited by low concentrations (10(-8)-10(-6)M) of cytochalasins. Binding experiments showed that actin filaments, but not actin monomers, contained high-affinity binding sites for [3H]cytochalasin B (one site per 600 actin monomers). The relative affinity of several cytochalasins for these sites (determined by competitive displacement of [3H]dihydrocytochalasin B) was: cytochalasin D greater than cytochalasin E approximately equal to dihydrocytochalasin B. The results of this study suggest that cytochalasins inhibit nuclei-induced actin polymerization by binding to highly specific sites at the point of monomer addition, i.e., the elongation site, in actin nuclei and filaments.     

Cytochalasin inhibits the rate of elongation of actin filament fragments

Submicromolar concentrations of cytochalasin inhibit the rate of assembly of highly purified dictyostelium discoideum actin, using a cytochalasin concentration range in which the final extent of assembly is minimally affected. Cytochalasin D is a more effective inhibitor than cytochalasin B, which is in keeping with the effects that have been reported on cell motility and with binding to a class of high-affinity binding sites from human erythrocyte membranes (Lin and Lin. 1978. J. Biol. CHem. 253:1415; Lin and Lin. 1979. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76:2345); 5x10(-7) M cytochalasin B lowers it to 70 percent of the control value, whereas 10(-7) M cytochalasin B lowers the rate to 25 percent. Fragments of F-actin were used to increase the rate of assembly fivefold by providing more filament ends on to which monomers could add. Under these conditions, cytochalasin has an even more dramatic effect on the assembly rate; the concentrations of cytochalasin B and cytochalasin D required for half-maximal inhibition are 2x10(-7) M and 10(-8) M, respectively. The assembly rate is most sensitive to cytochalasin when actin assembly is carried out in the absence of ATP (with 3 mM ADP present to stabilize the actin). In this case, the concentrations of cytochalasin B and cytochalasin D required for half-maximal inhibition are 4x10(-8) M and 1x10(-9) M, respectively. A scatchard plot has been obtained using [(3)H]cytochalasin B binding to F-actin in the absence of ATP. The K(d) from this plot (approximately 4x10(-8) M) agrees well with the concentration of cytochalasin B required for half-maximal inhibition of the rate of assembly under these conditions. The number of cytochalasin binding sites is roughly one per F-actin filament, suggesting that cytochalasin has a specific action on actin filament ends.     

Effects of chlorpromazine on actin polymerization: slackening of filament elongation and filament annealing.

We have analyzed the effect of chlorpromazine (CPZ) on pure actin. We have found that CPZ quenches Trp-79 and Trp-86 fluorescence and, in agreement with an earlier report on conventional actin, inhibits actin polymerization, lowering the extent of polymerization. Moreover, novel polymerization data are presented indicating that CPZ decreases the maximum polymerization rate in a dose-dependent manner. The assembly inhibition results from the slackening of oligomer formation during the early stages of polymerisation, of filament elongation and of filament annealing. Finally, CPZ strongly inhibits actin filament network formation.     

Measurement of rate constants for actin filament elongation in solution

This paper describes a simple method to measure the rate constants for actin filament elongation using pyrene-actin fluorescence as a measure of the polymer concentration and unlabeled actin filaments as nuclei. With careful selection of conditions, the initial rate of polymerization is directly proportional to the actin monomer concentration above the critical concentration. Plots of initial rate versus actin concentration give the critical concentration (x intercept), the association rate constant, k+ (slope), and the dissociation rate constant, k-(y intercept). By calibrating the system under conditions where the absolute values of these rate constants are known from previous electron microscopic experiments [T. D. Pollard and M. S. Mooseker (1981) J. Cell Biol. 88, 654-659; J. A. Cooper, S. B. Walker, and T. D. Pollard (1983) J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 4, 253-262], one can calculate the absolute values of the rate constants under other conditions as well as the length of the filaments used as a nuclei. This approach has proven useful for evaluating the effect of actin-binding proteins on the polymerization process.     

Polymerization and structure of nucleotide-free actin filaments

Two factors have limited studies of the properties of nucleotide-free actin (NFA). First, actin lacking bound nucleotide denatures rapidly without stabilizing agents such as sucrose; and second, without denaturants such as urea, it is difficult to remove all of the bound nucleotide. We used apyrase, EDTA and Dowex-1 to prepare actin that is stable in sucrose and approximately 99 % free of bound nucleotide. In high concentrations of sucrose where NFA is stable, it polymerizes more favorably with a lag phase shorter than ATP-actin and a critical concentration close to zero. NFA filaments are stable, but depolymerize at low sucrose concentrations due to denaturation of subunits when they dissociate from filament ends. By electron microscopy of negatively stained specimens, NFA forms long filaments with a persistence length 1.5 times greater than ADP-actin filaments. Three-dimensional helical reconstructions of NFA and ADP-actin filaments at 2.5 nm resolution reveal similar intersubunit contacts along the two long-pitch helical strands but statistically significant less mass density between the two strands of NFA filaments. When compared with ADP-actin filaments, the major difference peak of NFA filaments is near, but does not coincide with, the vacated nucleotide binding site. The empty nucleotide binding site in these NFA filaments is not accessible to free nucleotide in the solution. The affinity of NFA filaments for rhodamine phalloidin is lower than that of native actin filaments, due to a lower association rate. This work confirms that bound nucleotide is not essential for actin polymerization, so the main functions of the nucleotide are to stabilize monomers, modulate the mechanical and dynamic properties of filaments through ATP hydrolysis and phosphate release, and to provide an internal timer for the age of the filament.     

FHOD1 coordinates actin filament and microtubule alignment to mediate cell elongation

Diaphanous-related formins (DRFs) are actin nucleators that mediate rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton downstream of specific Rho GTPases. The DRF Formin Homology 2 Domain containing 1 (FHOD1) interacts with the Rac1 GTPase and induces the formation of and associates with bundled actin stress fibers. Here we report that active FHOD1 also coordinates microtubules with these actin stress fibers. Expression of a constitutive active FHOD1 variant in HeLa cells not only resulted in pronounced formation of FHOD1-actin fibers but also caused marked cell elongation and parallel alignment of microtubules without affecting cytokinesis of these cells. The analysis of deletions in the FH1 and FH2 functional regions revealed that the integrity of both domains was strictly required for FHOD1's effects on the cytoskeleton. Dominant-negative approaches demonstrated that filament coordination and cell elongation depended on the activity of the Rho-ROCK cascade, but did not involve Rac or Cdc42 activity. Experimental depolymerization of actin filaments or microtubules revealed that the formation of FHOD1-actin fibers was a prerequisite for the polarization of microtubules. However, only simultaneous disruption of both filament systems reversed the cell elongation induced by activated FHOD1. Thus, sustained cell elongation was a consequence of FHOD1-mediated actin-microtubule coordination. These results suggest filament coordination as a conserved function of mammalian DRFs.     

Association of actin with chromaffin granule membranes and the effect of cytochalasin B on the polarity of actin filament elongation

Membranes of chromaffin granules isolated from bovine adrenal medulla are shown to bind dihydrocytochalasin B with high affinity. These membranes also bound [3H]actin in a time- and Mg2+-dependent manner and electron microscopy showed the presence of membrane-attached actin filaments following addition of exogenous actin. Binding of [3H]actin was partially inhibited by cytochalasin B. Electron microscopic analysis of heavy meromyosin-decorated, membrane-attached filaments showed terminally (end-on) attached filaments with both possible polarities (i.e., filaments with arrowheads pointing both towards and away from the membranes). Treatment of samples with cytochalasin B preferentially inhibited growth of filaments with their 'barbed' ends pointing away from membranes. These results are discussed with respect to the role of actin in secretory granule function and the mechanism of cytochalasin action.     

Hydrolysis of ATP by polymerized actin depends on the bound divalent cation but not profilin.

Growing evidence suggests that the nucleotide bound to actin filaments serves as a timer to control actin filament turnover during cell motility (Pollard, T. D., Blanchoin, L., and Mullins, R. D. (2000) Annu. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 29, 545-576). We re-examined the hydrolysis of ATP by polymerized actin using mechanical quenched-flow methods to improve temporal resolution. The rate constant for ATP hydrolysis by polymerized Mg actin is 0.3 s(-1), 3-fold faster than that measured manually. The ATP hydrolysis rate is similar when Mg ATP actin elongates either the pointed end or the barbed end of filaments. Polymerized Ca actin hydrolyzes ATP at 0.05 s(-1). Mg ATP actin saturated with profilin can elongate barbed ends at >60 s(-1), 2 orders of magnitude faster than ATP hydrolysis (0.3 s(-1)). Given that profilin binds to a surface on actin that is buried in the Holmes model of the actin filament, we expect that profilin will block subunit addition at the barbed end of a filament. Profilin must move from this site at rates much faster than it dissociates from monomers (4 s(-1)). ATP hydrolysis is not required for this movement.     

Actin from Thyone sperm assembles on only one end of an actin filament: a behavior regulated by profilin

Thyone sperm were demembranated with Triton X-100 and, after washing, extracted with 30 mM Tris at pH 8.0 and 1 mM MgCl2. After the insoluble contaminants were removed by centrifugation, the sperm extract was warmed to 22 degrees C. Actin filaments rapidly assembled and aggregated into bundles when KCl was added to the extract. When we added preformed actin filaments, i.e., the acrosomal filament bundles of Limulus sperm, to the extract, the actin monomers rapidly assembled on these filaments. What was unexpected was that assembly took place on only one end of the bundle--the end corresponding to the preferred end for monomer addition. We showed that the absence of growth on the nonpreferred end was not due to the presence of a capper because exogenously added actin readily assembled on both ends. We also analyzed the sperm extract by SDS gel electrophoresis. Two major proteins were present in a 1:1 molar ratio: actin and a 12,500-dalton protein whose apparent isoelectric point was 8.4. The 12,500-dalton protein was purified by DEAE chromatography. We concluded that it is profilin because of its size, isoelectric point, molar ratio to actin, inability to bind to DEAE, and its effect on actin assembly. When profilin was added to actin in the presence of Limulus bundles, addition of monomers on the nonpreferred end of the bundle was inhibited, even though actin by itself assembled on both ends. Using the Limulus bundles as nuclei, we determined the critical concentration for assembly off each end of the filament and estimated the Kd for the profilin-actin complex (approximately 10 microM). We present a model to explain how profilin may regulate the extension of the Thyone acrosomal process in vivo: The profilin-actin complex can add to only the preferred end of the filament bundle. Once the actin monomer is bound to the filament, the profilin is released, and is available to bind to additional actin monomers. This mechanism accounts for the rapid rate of filament elongation in the acrosomal process in vivo.     

Capping one end of an actin filament affects elongation at the other end

The rates of elongation at the free ends of actin filaments were compared to those of intact filaments, when the one end was masked with muscle beta-actinin or cytochalasin D, using fixed actoheavy meromyosin and Limulus acrosomal actin bundles as seeds. Experimental conditions were chosen so as to prevent spontaneous filament formation as far as possible. The rate of elongation at the barbed end of fixed actoheavy meromyosin was reduced to about one-fourth when the other pointed end was capped by beta-actinin, and that at the pointed end was reduced to one-third when the barbed end was blocked by cytochalasin D. Similar effects were also observed with the packed actin bundles of horseshoe crab sperm, although the decreases in elongation were less marked: 50-60% of the control both in the presence of beta-actinin and cytochalasin D. To explain the peculiar "end effect" described above, it is proposed that possible conformational changes at one end of an actin filament caused by the binding of a capping substance are transmitted successively to the other end so as to affect the elongation there.     

Clustering of VASP actively drives processive, WH2 domain-mediated actin filament elongation

Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is a key regulator of dynamic actin structures like filopodia and lamellipodia, but its precise function in their formation is controversial. Using in vitro TIRF microscopy, we show for the first time that both human and Dictyostelium VASP are directly involved in accelerating filament elongation by delivering monomeric actin to the growing barbed end. In solution, DdVASP markedly accelerated actin filament elongation in a concentration-dependent manner but was inhibited by low concentrations of capping protein (CP). In striking contrast, VASP clustered on functionalized beads switched to processive filament elongation that became insensitive even to very high concentrations of CP. Supplemented with the in vivo analysis of VASP mutants and an EM structure of the protein, we propose a mechanism by which membrane-associated VASP oligomers use their WH2 domains to effect both the tethering of actin filaments and their processive elongation in sites of active actin assembly.     

Tropomyosin regulates elongation by formin at the fast-growing end of the actin filament

The balance between dynamic and stable actin filaments is essential for the regulation of cellular functions including the determination of cell shape and polarity, cell migration, and cytokinesis. Proteins that regulate polymerization at the filament ends and filament stability confer specificity to actin filament structure and cellular function. The dynamics of the barbed, fast-growing end of the filament are controlled in space and time by both positive and negative regulators of actin polymerization. Capping proteins inhibit the addition and loss of subunits, whereas other proteins, including formins, bind at the barbed end and allow filament growth. In this work, we show that tropomyosin regulates dynamics at the barbed end. Tropomyosin binds to constructs of FRL1 and mDia2 that contain the FH2 domain and modulates formin-dependent capping of the barbed end by relieving inhibition of elongation by FRL1-FH1FH2, mDia1-FH2, and mDia2-FH2 in an isoform-dependent fashion. In this role, tropomyosin functions as an activator of formin. Tropomyosin also inhibits the binding of FRL1-FH1FH2 to the sides of actin filaments independent of the isoform. In contrast, tropomyosin does not affect the ability of capping protein to block the barbed end. We suggest that tropomyosin and formin act together to ensure the formation of unbranched actin filaments, protected from severing, that could be capped in stable cellular structures. This role, in addition to its cooperative control of myosin function, establishes tropomyosin as a universal regulator of the multifaceted actin cytoskeleton.     

Acanthamoeba actin and profilin can be cross-linked between glutamic acid 364 of actin and lysine 115 of profilin

Acanthamoeba profilin was cross-linked to actin via a zero-length isopeptide bond using carbodiimide. The covalently linked 1:1 complex was purified and treated with cyanogen bromide. This cleaves actin into small cyanogen bromide (CNBr) peptides and leaves the profilin intact owing to its lack of methionine. Profilin with one covalently attached actin CNBr peptide was purified by gel filtration followed by gel electrophoresis and electroblotting on polybase-coated glass-fiber membranes. Since the NH2 terminus of profilin is blocked, Edman degradation gave only the sequence of the conjugated actin CNBr fragment beginning with Trp-356. The profilin-actin CNBr peptide conjugate was digested further with trypsin and the cross-linked peptide identified by comparison with the tryptic peptide pattern obtained from carbodiimide-treated profilin. Amino-acid sequence analysis of the cross-linked tryptic peptides produced two residues at each cycle. Their order corresponds to actin starting at Trp-356 and profilin starting at Ala-94. From the absence of the phenylthiohydantoin-amino acid residues in specific cycles, we conclude that actin Glu-364 is linked to Lys-115 in profilin. Experiments with the isoforms of profilin I and profilin II gave identical results. The cross-linked region in profilin is homologous with sequences in the larger actin filament capping proteins fragmin and gelsolin.     

Role of ATP-bound divalent metal ion in the conformation and function of actin. Comparison of Mg-ATP, Ca-ATP, and metal ion-free ATP-actin

The fluorescence of N-acetyl-N'-(sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine (AEDANS) covalently bound to Cys-374 of actin is used as a probe for different conformational states of G-actin according to whether Ca-ATP, Mg-ATP, or unchelated ATP is bound to the nucleotide site. Upon addition of large amounts (greater than 10(2)-fold molar excess) of EDTA to G-actin, metal ion-free ATP-G-actin is obtained with EDTA bound. Metal ion free ATP-G-actin is characterized by a higher AEDANS fluorescence than Mg-ATP-G-actin, which itself has a higher fluorescence than Ca-ATP-G-actin. Evidence for EDTA binding to G-actin is shown using difference spectrophotometry. Upon binding of EDTA, the rate of dissociation of the divalent metal ion from G-actin is increased (2-fold for Ca2+, 10-fold for Mg2+) in a range of pH from 7.0 to 8.0. A model is proposed that quantitatively accounts for the kinetic data. The affinity of ATP is weakened 10(6)-fold upon removal of the metal ion. Metal ion-free ATP-G-actin is in a partially open conformation, as indicated by the greater accessibility of -SH residues, yet it retains functional properties of polymerization and ATP hydrolysis that appear almost identical to those of Ca-ATP-actin, therefore different from those of Mg-ATP-actin. These results are discussed in terms of the role of the ATP-bound metal ion in actin structure and function.