Myosin VI isoform localized to clathrin-coated vesicles with a role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Myosin VI is involved in membrane traffic and dynamics and is the only myosin known to move towards the minus end of actin filaments. Splice variants of myosin VI with a large insert in the tail domain were specifically expressed in polarized cells containing microvilli. In these polarized cells, endogenous myosin VI containing the large insert was concentrated at the apical domain co-localizing with clathrin- coated pits/vesicles. Using full-length myosin VI and deletion mutants tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) we have shown that myosin VI associates and co-localizes with clathrin-coated pits/vesicles by its C-terminal tail. Myosin VI, precipitated from whole cytosol, was present in a protein complex containing adaptor protein (AP)-2 and clathrin, and enriched in purified clathrin-coated vesicles. Over-expression of the tail domain of myosin VI containing the large insert in fibroblasts reduced transferrin uptake in transiently and stably transfected cells by >50%. Myosin VI is the first motor protein to be identified associated with clathrin-coated pits/vesicles and shown to modulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis.     

Loss of myosin VI reduces secretion and the size of the Golgi in fibroblasts from Snell's waltzer mice

Golgi morphology and function are dependent on an intact microtubule and actin cytoskeleton. Myosin VI, an unusual actin-based motor protein moving towards the minus ends of actin filaments, has been localized to the Golgi complex at the light and electron microscopic level. Myosin VI is present in purified Golgi membranes as a peripheral membrane protein, targeted by its globular tail domain. To investigate the function of myosin VI at the Golgi complex, immortal fibroblastic cell lines of Snell's waltzer mice lacking myosin VI were established. In these cell lines, where myosin VI is absent, the Golgi complex is reduced in size by approximately 40% compared with wild-type cells. Furthermore, protein secretion of a reporter protein from Snell's waltzer cells is also reduced by 40% compared with wild-type cells. Rescue experiments showed that fully functional myosin VI was able to restore Golgi complex morphology and protein secretion in Snell's waltzer cells to the same level as that observed in wild-type cells.     

Myosin VI stabilizes an actin network during Drosophila spermatid individualization

Here, we demonstrate a new function of myosin VI using observations of Drosophila spermatid individualization in vivo. We find that myosin VI stabilizes a branched actin network in actin structures (cones) that mediate the separation of the syncytial spermatids. In a myosin VI mutant, the cones do not accumulate F-actin during cone movement, whereas overexpression of myosin VI leads to bigger cones with more F-actin. Myosin subfragment 1-fragment decoration demonstrated that the actin cone is made up of two regions: a dense meshwork at the front and parallel bundles at the rear. The majority of the actin filaments were oriented with their pointed ends facing in the direction of cone movement. Our data also demonstrate that myosin VI binds to the cone front using its motor domain. Fluorescence recovery after photobleach experiments using green fluorescent protein-myosin VI revealed that myosin VI remains bound to F-actin for minutes, suggesting its role is tethering, rather than transporting cargo. We hypothesize that myosin VI protects the actin cone structure either by cross-linking actin filaments or anchoring regulatory molecules at the cone front. These observations uncover a novel mechanism mediated by myosin VI for stabilizing long-lived actin structures in cells.     

Myosin VI: cellular functions and motor properties

Myosin VI has been localized in membrane ruffles at the leading edge of cells, at the trans-Golgi network compartment of the Golgi complex and in clathrin-coated pits or vesicles, indicating that it functions in a wide variety of intracellular processes. Myosin VI moves along actin filaments towards their minus end, which is the opposite direction to all of the other myosins so far studied (to our knowledge), and is therefore thought to have unique properties and functions. To investigate the cellular roles of myosin VI, we identified various myosin VI binding partners and are currently characterizing their interactions within the cell. As an alternative approach, we have expressed and purified full-length myosin VI and studied its in vitro properties. Previous studies assumed that myosin VI was a dimer, but our biochemical, biophysical and electron microscopic studies reveal that myosin VI can exist as a stable monomer. We observed, using an optical tweezers force transducer, that monomeric myosin VI is a non-processive motor which, despite a relatively short lever arm, generates a large working stroke of 18 nm. Whether monomer and/or dimer forms of myosin VI exist in cells and their possible functions will be discussed.     

Motor function and regulation of myosin X.

Myosin X is a member of the diverse myosin superfamily that is ubiquitously expressed in various mammalian tissues. Although its association with actin in cells has been shown, little is known about its biochemical and mechanoenzymatic function at the molecular level. We expressed bovine myosin X containing the entire head, neck, and coiled-coil domain and purified bovine myosin X in Sf9 cells. The Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of myosin X was significantly activated by actin with low K(ATP). The actin-activated ATPase activity was reduced at Ca(2+) concentrations above pCa 5 in which 1 mol of calmodulin light chain dissociates from the heavy chain. Myosin X translocates F-actin filaments with the velocity of 0.3 microm/s with the direction toward the barbed end. The actin translocating activity was inhibited at concentrations of Ca(2+) at pCa 6 in which no calmodulin dissociation takes place, suggesting that the calmodulin dissociation is not required for the inhibition of the motility. Unlike class V myosin, which shows a high affinity for F-actin in the presence of ATP, the K(actin) of the myosin X ATPase was much higher than that of myosin V. Consistently nearly all actin dissociated from myosin X in the presence of ATP. ADP did not significantly inhibit the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin X, suggesting that the ADP release step is not rate-limiting. These results suggest that myosin X is a nonprocessive motor. Consistently myosin X failed to support the actin translocation at low density in an in vitro motility assay where myosin V, a processive motor, supports the actin filament movement.     

Myosins II and V in chromaffin cells: myosin V is a chromaffin vesicle molecular motor involved in secretion

The presence of myosin II and V in chromaffin cells and their subcellular distribution is described. Myosin II and V distribution in sucrose density gradients showed only a strong correlation between the distribution of myosin V and secretory vesicle markers. Confocal microscopy images demonstrated colocalization of myosin V with dopamine beta-hydroxylase, a chromaffin vesicle marker, whereas myosin II was present mainly in the cell cortex. Cell depolarization induced, in a Ca2+ and time-dependent manner, the dissociation of myosin V from chromaffin vesicles suggesting that this association was not permanent but determined by secretory cycle requirements. Myosin II was also found in the crude granule fraction, however, its distribution was not affected by cell depolarization. Myosin V head antibodies were able to inhibit secretion whereas myosin II antibodies had no inhibitory effect. The pattern of inhibition indicated that these treatments interfered with the transport of vesicles from the reserve to the release-ready compartment, suggesting the involvement of myosin V and not myosin II in this transport process. The results described here suggest that myosin V is a molecular motor involved in chromaffin vesicle secretion. However, these results do not discard an indirect role for myosin II in secretion through its interaction with F-actin networks.     

Precise positioning of myosin VI on endocytic vesicles in vivo

Myosin VI has been studied in both a monomeric and a dimeric form in vitro. Because the functional characteristics of the motor are dramatically different for these two forms, it is important to understand whether myosin VI heavy chains are brought together on endocytic vesicles. We have used fluorescence anisotropy measurements to detect fluorescence resonance energy transfer between identical fluorophores (homoFRET) resulting from myosin VI heavy chains being brought into close proximity. We observed that, when associated with clathrin-mediated endocytic vesicles, myosin VI heavy chains are precisely positioned to bring their tail domains in close proximity. Our data show that on endocytic vesicles, myosin VI heavy chains are brought together in an orientation that previous in vitro studies have shown causes dimerization of the motor. Our results are therefore consistent with vesicle-associated myosin VI existing as a processive dimer, capable of its known trafficking function.     

Plasma membrane association of Acanthamoeba myosin I

Myosin I accounted for approximately 2% of the protein of highly purified plasma membranes, which represents about a tenfold enrichment over its concentration in the total cell homogenate. This localization is consistent with immunofluorescence analysis of cells that shows myosin I at or near the plasma membrane as well as diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm with no apparent association with cytoplasmic organelles or vesicles identifiable at the level of light microscopy. Myosin II was not detected in the purified plasma membrane fraction. Although actin was present in about a tenfold molar excess relative to myosin I, several lines of evidence suggest that the principal linkage of myosin I with the plasma membrane is not through F- actin: (a) KI extracted much more actin than myosin I from the plasma membrane fraction; (b) higher ionic strength was required to solubilize the membrane-bound myosin I than to dissociate a complex of purified myosin I and F-actin; and (c) added purified myosin I bound to KI- extracted plasma membranes in a saturable manner with maximum binding four- to fivefold greater than the actin content and with much greater affinity than for pure F-actin (apparent KD of 30-50 nM vs. 10-40 microM in 0.1 M KCl plus 2 mM MgATP). Thus, neither the MgATP-sensitive actin-binding site in the NH2-terminal end of the myosin I heavy chain nor the MgATP-insensitive actin-binding site in the COOH-terminal end of the heavy chain appeared to be the principal mechanism of binding of myosin I to plasma membranes through F-actin. Furthermore, the MgATP- sensitive actin-binding site of membrane-bound myosin I was still available to bind added F-actin. However, the MgATP-insensitive actin- binding site appeared to be unable to bind added F-actin, suggesting that the membrane-binding site is near enough to this site to block sterically its interaction with actin.     

Myosin VI, a new force in clathrin mediated endocytosis.

The integrity of the actin cytoskeleton and associated motor proteins are essential for the efficient functioning of clathrin mediated endocytosis at least in polarised cells. Myosin VI, the only motor protein so far identified that moves towards the minus end of actin filaments, is the first motor protein to be shown to associate with clathrin coated pits/vesicles at the plasma membrane and to modulate clathrin mediated endocytosis. Recent kinetic studies suggest that myosin VI may move processively along actin filaments providing clues about its functions in the cell. The possible role(s) of myosin VI in the sequential steps involved in receptor mediated endocytosis are discussed.     

Myosin VI walks hand-over-hand along actin

Myosin VI is a molecular motor that can walk processively on actin filaments with a 36-nm step size. The walking mechanism of myosin VI is controversial because it takes very large steps without an apparent lever arm of required length. Therefore, myosin VI is argued to be the first exception to the widely established lever arm theory. It is therefore critical to directly demonstrate whether this motor walks hand-over-hand along actin despite its short lever arm. Here, we follow the displacement of a single myosin VI head during the stepping process. A single head is displaced 72 nm during stepping, whereas the center of mass previously has been shown to move 36 nm. The most likely explanation for this result is a hand-over-hand walking mechanism. We hypothesize the existence of a flexible element that would allow the motor to bridge the observed 72-nm distance.     

Genetic characterization of the Drosophila jaguar322 mutant reveals that complete myosin VI loss of function is not lethal

Myosin VI is an actin-based motor that has been implicated in many cellular processes. Studies in vertebrates have demonstrated that animals lacking this ubiquitously expressed myosin are viable. However in Drosophila, myosin VI loss of function has been thought to be lethal. We show here that complete loss of myosin VI is not lethal in flies and that the previously reported lethality of the null mutation (jar322) is most likely due to deletion of a neighboring gene. Maternally provided myosin VI does not account for the survival of myosin VI null animals. Mutant animals are recovered at a lower than expected Mendelian frequency, suggesting that myosin VI participates in processes which contribute to normal development, but its participation is not essential.     

Myosin VI regulates actin dynamics and melanosome biogenesis

Myosin VI has been implicated in various steps of organelle dynamics. However, the molecular mechanism by which this myosin contributes to membrane traffic is poorly understood. Here, we report that myosin VI is associated with a lysosome-related organelle, the melanosome. Using an actin-based motility assay and video microscopy, we observed that myosin VI does not contribute to melanosome movements. Myosin VI expression regulates instead the organization of actin networks in the cytoplasm. Using a cell-free assay, we showed that myosin VI recruited actin at the surface of isolated melanosomes. Myosin VI is involved in the endocytic-recycling pathway, and this pathway contributes to the transport of a melanogenic enzyme to maturing melanosomes. We showed that depletion of myosin VI accumulated a melanogenic enzyme in enlarged melanosomes and increased their melanin content. We confirmed the requirement of myosin VI to regulate melanosome biogenesis by analysing the morphology of melanosomes in choroid cells from of the Snell's waltzer mice that do not express myosin VI. Together, our results provide new evidence that myosin VI regulates the organization of actin dynamics at the surface of a specialized organelle and unravel a novel function of this myosin in regulating the biogenesis of this organelle.     

Myosin VI altered at threonine 406 stabilizes actin filaments in vivo

Myosin VI is a minus-end directed actin-based molecular motor implicated in uncoated endocytic vesicle transport. Recent kinetic studies have shown that myosin VI displays altered ADP release kinetics under different load conditions allowing myosin VI to serve alternately as a transporter or as an actin tether. We theorized that one potential regulatory event to modulate between these kinetic choices is phosphorylation at a conserved site, threonine 406 (T406) in the myosin VI motor domain. Alterations mimicking the phosphorylated (T406E) and dephosphorylated state (T406A) were introduced into a GFP-myosin VI fusion (GFP-M6). Live cell imaging revealed that GFP-M6(T406E) expression changed the path myosin VI took in its transport of uncoated endocytic vesicles. Rather than routing vesicles inwards as seen in GFP-M6 and GFP-M6(T406A) expressing cells, GFP-M6(T406E) moved vesicles into clusters at distinct peripheral sites. GFP-M6(T406E) expression also increased the density of the actin cytoskeleton. Filaments were enriched at the vesicle cluster sites. This was not due to a gross redistribution of the actin polymerization machinery. Instead the filament density correlated to the fixed positioning of GFP-M6(T406E)-associated vesicles on F-actin, leading to inhibition of actin depolymerization. Our study suggests that phosphorylation at T406 changes the nature of myosin VI's interaction with actin in vivo.     

Unique features of myosin VI: a structural view

Myosin VI is the only known molecular motor for the transportation of cargo vesicles from the plus end to the minus end of actin filaments. Thus, myosin VI possesses several unique features to distinguish it from other myosin family motors, such as the ability to move in a reverse direction, the unusual large walking step size, and the cargo-mediated dimerization. Recent structural studies of myosin VI have provided mechanistic insights into these unique features. On the basis of the resolved structures of myosin VI each domains (i.e., the structures of the N-terminal motor domain, the C-terminal cargo binding domain, and the region in the middle), the unique features of myosin VI will be reviewed here from a structural perspective. The structural studies of myosin VI definitely provide some answers about the unique features of myosin VI, but also raise significant questions on how myosin VI functions as a special motor both for directional cargo transport and for structural anchoring.     

DOC-2/DAB2 is the binding partner of myosin VI

Myosin VI is a molecular motor that moves processively along actin filaments and is believed to play a role in cargo movement in cells. Here we found that DOC-2/DAB2, a signaling molecule inhibiting the Ras cascade, binds to myosin VI at the globular tail domain. DOC-2/DAB2 binds stoichiometrically to myosin VI with one molecule per one myosin VI heavy chain. The C-terminal 122 amino acid residues of DOC-2/DAB2, containing the Grb2 binding site, is identified to be critical for the binding to myosin VI. Actin gliding assay revealed that the binding of DOC-2/DAB2 to myosin VI can support the actin filament gliding by myosin VI, suggesting that it can function as a myosin VI anchoring molecule. The C-terminal domain but not the N-terminal domain of DOC-2/DAB2 functions as a myosin VI anchoring site. The present findings suggest that myosin VI plays a role in transporting DOC-2/DAB2, a Ras cascade signaling molecule, thus involved in Ras signaling pathways.     

Dual regulation of mammalian myosin VI motor function

Myosin VI is expressed in a variety of cell types and is thought to play a role in membrane trafficking and endocytosis, yet its motor function and regulation are not understood. The present study clarified mammalian myosin VI motor function and regulation at a molecular level. Myosin VI ATPase activity was highly activated by actin with K(actin) of 9 microm. A predominant amount of myosin VI bound to actin in the presence of ATP unlike conventional myosins. K(ATP) was much higher than those of other known myosins, suggesting that myosin VI has a weak affinity or slow binding for ATP. On the other hand, ADP markedly inhibited the actin-activated ATPase activity, suggesting a high affinity for ADP. These results suggested that myosin VI is predominantly in a strong actin binding state during the ATPase cycle. p21-activated kinase 3 phosphorylated myosin VI, and the site was identified as Thr(406). The phosphorylation of myosin VI significantly facilitated the actin-translocating activity of myosin VI. On the other hand, Ca(2+) diminished the actin-translocating activity of myosin VI although the actin-activated ATPase activity was not affected by Ca(2+). Calmodulin was not dissociated from the heavy chain at high Ca(2+), suggesting that a conformational change of calmodulin upon Ca(2+) binding, but not its physical dissociation, determines the inhibition of the motility activity. The present results revealed the dual regulation of myosin VI by phosphorylation and Ca(2+) binding to calmodulin light chain.     

Class VI myosin moves processively along actin filaments backward with large steps.

Among a superfamily of myosin, class VI myosin moves actin filaments backwards. Here we show that myosin VI moves processively on actin filaments backwards with large ( approximately 36 nm) steps, nevertheless it has an extremely short neck domain. Myosin V also moves processively with large ( approximately 36 nm) steps and it is believed that myosin V strides along the actin helical repeat with its elongated neck domain that is critical for its processive movement with large steps. Myosin VI having a short neck cannot take this scenario. We found by electron microscopy that myosin VI cooperatively binds to an actin filament at approximately 36 nm intervals in the presence of ATP, raising a hypothesis that the binding of myosin VI evokes "hot spots" on actin filaments that attract myosin heads. Myosin VI may step on these "hot spots" on actin filaments in every helical pitch, thus producing processive movement with 36 nm steps.     

A monomeric myosin VI with a large working stroke

Myosin VI is involved in a wide variety of intracellular processes such as endocytosis, secretion and cell migration. Unlike almost all other myosins so far studied, it moves towards the minus end of actin filaments and is therefore likely to have unique cellular properties. However, its mechanism of force production and movement is not understood. Under our experimental conditions, both expressed full-length and native myosin VI are monomeric. Electron microscopy using negative staining revealed that the addition of ATP induces a large conformational change in the neck/tail region of the expressed molecule. Using an optical tweezers-based force transducer we found that expressed myosin VI is nonprocessive and produces a large working stroke of 18 nm. Since the neck region of myosin VI is short (it contains only a single IQ motif), it is difficult to reconcile the 18 nm working stroke with the classical 'lever arm mechanism', unless other structures in the molecule contribute to the effective lever. A possible model to explain the large working stroke of myosin VI is presented.     

Purification and characterization of a third isoform of myosin I from Acanthamoeba castellanii

A third isoform of myosin I has been isolated from Acanthamoeba and designated myosin IC. Peptide maps and immunoassays indicate that myosin IC is not a modified form of myosin IA, IB, or II. However, myosin IC has most of the distinctive properties of a myosin I. It is a globular protein of native Mr approximately 162,000, apparently composed of a single 130-kDa heavy chain and a pair of 14-kDa light chains. It is soluble in MgATP at low ionic strength, conditions favoring filament assembly by myosin II. Myosin IC has high Ca2+- and (K+,EDTA)-ATPase activities. Its low Mg2+-ATPase activity is stimulated to a maximum rate of 20 s-1 by the addition of F-actin if its heavy chain has been phosphorylated by myosin I heavy chain kinase. The dependence of the Mg2+-ATPase activity of myosin IC on F-actin concentration is triphasic; and, at fixed concentrations of F-action, this activity increases cooperatively as the concentration of myosin IC is increased. These unusual kinetics were first demonstrated for myosins IA and IB and shown to be due to the presence of two actin-binding sites on each heavy chain which enable those myosins I to cross-link actin filaments. Myosin IC is also capable of cross-linking F-actin, which, together with the kinetics of its actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity, suggests that it, like myosins IA and IB, possesses two independent actin-binding domains.     

A role for myosin VI in the localization of axonal proteins

In neurons polarized trafficking of vesicle-bound membrane proteins gives rise to the distinct molecular composition and functional properties of axons and dendrites. Despite their central role in shaping neuronal form and function, surprisingly little is known about the molecular processes that mediate polarized targeting of neuronal proteins. Recently, the plus-end-directed motor Myosin Va was shown to play a critical role in targeting of transmembrane proteins to dendrites; however, the role of myosin motors in axonal targeting is unknown. Here we show that Myosin VI, a minus-end-directed motor, plays a vital role in the enrichment of proteins on the surface of axons. Engineering non-neuronal proteins to interact with Myosin VI causes them to become highly concentrated at the axonal surface in dissociated rat cortical neurons. Furthermore, disruption of either Myosin VI function or expression leads to aberrant dendritic localization of axonal proteins. Myosin VI mediates the enrichment of proteins on the axonal surface at least in part by stimulating dendrite-specific endocytosis, a mechanism that has been shown to underlie the localization of many axonal proteins. In addition, a version of Channelrhodopsin 2 that was engineered to bind to Myosin VI is concentrated at the surface of the axon of cortical neurons in mice in vivo, suggesting that it could be a useful tool for probing circuit structure and function. Together, our results indicate that myosins help shape the polarized distributions of both axonal and dendritic proteins.