Assembly and Turnover of Short Actin Filaments by the Formin INF2 and Profilin

INF2 (inverted formin 2) is a formin protein with unique biochemical effects on actin. In addition to the common formin ability to accelerate actin nucleation and elongation, INF2 can also sever filaments and accelerate their depolymerization. Although we understand key attributes of INF2-mediated severing, we do not understand the mechanism by which INF2 accelerates depolymerization subsequent to severing. Here, we show that INF2 can create short filaments (<60 nm) that continuously turn over actin subunits through a combination of barbed end elongation, severing, and WH2 motif-mediated depolymerization. This pseudo-steady state condition occurs whether starting from actin filaments or monomers. The rate-limiting step of the cycle is nucleotide exchange of ADP for ATP on actin monomers after release from the INF2/actin complex. Profilin addition has two effects: 1) to accelerate filament turnover 6-fold by accelerating nucleotide exchange and 2) to shift the equilibrium toward polymerization, resulting in longer filaments. In sum, our findings show that the combination of multiple interactions of INF2 with actin can work in concert to increase the ATP turnover rate of actin. Depending on the ratio of INF2:actin, this increased flux can result in rapid filament depolymerization or maintenance of short filaments. We also show that high concentrations of cytochalasin D accelerate ATP turnover by actin but through a different mechanism from that of INF2.     

几丁质和flg22诱导的辣椒幼苗先天免疫生理响应特征

【目的】明确几丁质和鞭毛蛋白衍生肽flg22诱导的辣椒幼苗先天免疫生理响应特征,探讨辣椒先天免疫生理响应与辣椒抗多种病害的关系。【方法】以5个四川本地辣椒品种幼苗为试材,鉴定它们的青枯病和疫病病情指数和抗性水平,采用水培法培育幼苗并进行外施几丁质和flg22处理,检测各品种不同诱导时间下幼苗根系生长、气孔孔径、胼胝质沉积、活性氧（ROS）积累和SOD、CAT活性,以及先天免疫相关基因表达量的变化,并运用生物统计学综合评价其生理响应及其与抗病性关系。【结果】（1）幼苗青枯病和疫病病情指数以‘川腾10号’最低,抗病性最强,以‘本地条椒’最高,抗病性最弱。（2）外源几丁质和flg22抑制了各品种幼苗根系生长速率,诱导离体叶片气孔闭合,促进叶片细胞壁胼胝质沉积加厚,ROS含量持续增加,SOD和CAT活性不断提高。各品种幼苗先天免疫生理响应指标的平均隶属函数值以‘川腾10号’最高,‘本地条椒’最低,并且平均隶属函数值与疫病、青枯病病情指数均具有显著负相关性。（3）外源flg22和几丁质诱导‘川腾10号’幼苗先天免疫相关基因CaWRKY22、CaMAPK7和ChiIV3显著上调表达。【结论】外源flg22和几丁质可诱导辣椒幼苗先天免疫生理响应,且响应程度强弱在品种间存在差异,依据生理响应指标通过隶属函数可综合评价辣椒品种的抗病水平;‘川腾10号’的平均隶属函数值最高,多抗性水平相对最好,这与其先天免疫相关基因CaWRKY22、CaMAPK7和ChiIV3的显著上调表达有关。     

An Arabidopsis Class II Formin,AtFH19, Nucleates Actin Assembly,Binds to the Barbed End of Actin Filaments and Antagonizes the Effect of AtFH1 on Actin Dynamics

Formin is a major protein responsible for regulating the nucleation of actin filaments, and as such, it permits the cell to control where and when to assemble actin arrays. It is encoded by a multigene family comprising 21 members in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Arabidopsis formins can be separated into two phylogenetically-distinct classes: there are 11 class I formins and 10 class II formins. Significant questions remain unanswered regarding the molecular mechanism of actin nucleation and elongation stimulated by each formin isovariant, and how the different isovariants coordinate to regulate actin dynamics in cells. Here, we characterize a class II formin, AtFH19, biochemically. We found that AtFH19 retains all general properties of the formin family, including nucleation and barbed end capping activity. It can also generate actin filaments from a pool of actin monomers bound to profilin. However, both the nucleation and barbed end capping activities of AtFH19 are less efficient compared to those of another well-characterized formin, AtFH1. Interestingly, AtFH19 FH1FH2 competes with AtFH1 FH1FH2 in binding actin filament barbed ends, and inhibits the effect of AtFH1 FH1FH2 on actin. We thus propose a mechanism in which two quantitatively different formins coordinate to regulate actin dynamics by competing for actin filament barbed ends.     

Arp2/3 and Mena/VASP Require Profilin 1 for Actin Network Assembly at the Leading Edge

1. Download : Download high-res image (306KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Actin cytoskeleton remodeling primes RIG-I-like receptor activation

1. Download : Download high-res image (186KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

An Immune-Responsive Cytoskeletal-Plasma Membrane Feedback Loop in Plants

1. Download high-res image (117KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

Receptor-Like Kinases in Plant Innate Immunity

Plants employ a highly effective surveillance system to detect potential pathogens, which is critical for the success of land plants in an environment surrounded by numerous microbes. Recent efforts have led to the identification of a number of immune receptors and components of immune receptor complexes. It is now clear that receptor-like kinases （RLKs） and receptor-like proteins （RLPs） are key pattern-recognition receptors （PRRs） for microbe- and plant-derived molecular patterns that are associated with pathogen invasion. RLKs and RLPs involved in immune signaling belong to large gene families in plants and have undergone lineage specific expansion. Molecular evolution and population studies on phytopathogenic molecular signatures and their receptors have provided crucial insight into the co-evolution between plants and pathogens.     

The Receptor-like Cytoplasmic Kinase BIK1 Localizes to the Nucleus and Regulates Defense Hormone Expression during Plant Innate Immunity

1. Download high-res image (205KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

PAMP (Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern)-induced Changes in Plasma Membrane Compartmentalization Reveal Novel Components of Plant Immunity

Plasma membrane compartmentalization spatiotemporally regulates cell-autonomous immune signaling in animal cells. To elucidate immediate early protein dynamics at the plant plasma membrane in response to the bacterial pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) flagellin (flg22) we employed quantitative mass spectrometric analysis on detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) of Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells. This approach revealed rapid and profound changes in DRM protein composition following PAMP treatment, prominently affecting proton ATPases and receptor-like kinases, including the flagellin receptor FLS2. We employed reverse genetics to address a potential contribution of a subset of these proteins in flg22-triggered cellular responses. Mutants of three candidates (DET3, AHA1, FER) exhibited a conspicuous defect in the PAMP-triggered accumulation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, these mutants showed altered mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, a defect in PAMP-triggered stomatal closure as well as altered bacterial infection phenotypes, which revealed three novel players in elicitor-dependent oxidative burst control and innate immunity. Our data provide evidence for dynamic elicitor-induced changes in the membrane compartmentalization of PAMP signaling components.     

Cytoskeletal Exposure in the Regulation of Immunity and Initiation of Tissue Repair

This article reviews and discusses emerging evidence suggesting an evolutionarily‐conserved connection between injury‐associated exposure of cytoskeletal proteins and the induction of tolerance to infection, repair of tissue damage and restoration of homeostasis. While differences exist between vertebrates and invertebrates with respect to the receptor(s), cell types, and effector mechanisms involved, the response to exposed cytoskeletal proteins appears to be protective and to rely on a conserved signaling cassette involving Src family kinases, the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Syk, and tyrosine phosphatases. A case is made for research programs that integrate different model organisms in order to increase the understanding of this putative response to tissue damage.