Plasma gelsolin levels decrease in diabetic state and increase upon treatment with F-actin depolymerizing versions of gelsolin.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Khatri N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4247973 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) binds actin and bioactive mediators to localize inflammation. Low pGSN correlates with adverse outcomes in acute injury, whereas administration of recombinant pGSN reduces mortality in experimental sepsis. We found that mean pGSN levels of 150 patients randomly selected from 10,044 starting chronic hemodialysis were 140 +/- 42 mg/L, 30 to 50% lower than levels reported for healthy individuals. In a larger sample, we performed a case-control analysis to evaluate the relationship of pGSN and circulating actin with mortality; pGSN levels were significantly lower in 114 patients who died within 1 yr of dialysis initiation than in 109 survivors (117 +/- 38 mg/L versus 147 +/- 42 mg/L, P < 0.001). pGSN levels had a graded, inverse relationship with 1-yr mortality, such that patients with pGSN < 130 mg/L experienced a > 3-fold risk for mortality compared with those with pGSN > or = 150 mg/L. The 69% of patients with detectable circulating actin had lower pGSN levels than those without (127 +/- 45 mg/L versus 141 +/- 36 mg/L, P = 0.026). Compared with patients who had elevated pGSN and no detectable actin, those with low pGSN levels and detectable actin had markedly increased mortality (odds ratio 9.8, 95% confidence interval 2.9 to 33.5). Worsening renal function correlated with pGSN decline in 53 subjects with CKD not on dialysis. In summary, low pGSN and detectable circulating actin identify chronic hemodialysis patients at highest risk for 1-yr mortality.
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Project description:Proteins in the actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin family are essential for rapid F-actin turnover, and most depolymerize actin in a pH-dependent manner. Complexes of human and plant ADF with F-actin at different pH were examined using electron microscopy and a novel method of image analysis for helical filaments. Although ADF changes the mean twist of actin, we show that it does this by stabilizing a preexisting F-actin angular conformation. In addition, ADF induces a large ( approximately 12 degrees ) tilt of actin subunits at high pH where filaments are readily disrupted. A second ADF molecule binds to a site on the opposite side of F-actin from that of the previously described ADF binding site, and this second site is only largely occupied at high pH. All of these states display a high degree of cooperativity that appears to be an integral part of F-actin.
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Project description:Dendritic spines are the postsynaptic sites of most excitatory synapses in the brain, and spine enlargement and shrinkage give rise to long-term potentiation and depression of synapses, respectively. Because spine structural plasticity is accompanied by remodeling of actin scaffolds, we hypothesized that the filamentous actin regulatory protein cofilin plays a crucial role in this process. Here we investigated the diffusional properties of cofilin, the actin-severing and depolymerizing actions of which are activated by dephosphorylation. Cofilin diffusion was measured using fluorescently labeled cofilin fusion proteins and two-photon imaging. We show that cofilins are highly diffusible along dendrites in the resting state. However, during spine enlargement, wild-type cofilin and a phosphomimetic cofilin mutant remain confined to the stimulated spine, whereas a nonphosphorylatable mutant does not. Moreover, inhibition of cofilin phosphorylation with a competitive peptide disables spine enlargement, suggesting that phosphorylated-cofilin accumulation is a key regulator of enlargement, which is localized to individual spines. Conversely, spine shrinkage spreads to neighboring spines, even though triggered by weaker stimuli than enlargement. Diffusion of exogenous cofilin injected into a pyramidal neuron soma causes spine shrinkage and reduced PSD95 in spines, suggesting that diffusion of dephosphorylated endogenous cofilin underlies the spreading of spine shrinkage and long-term depression.
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Project description:Gelsolin is a Ca2(+)-dependent protein which severs actin filaments, caps their fast-growing ends and promotes nucleation. We report here results that delimit one of the interfaces between serum gelsolin and actin monomer. An actin-derived synthetic peptide (amino acids 305-326 of actin) coupled to a hydrophilic resin was tested for its possible interaction with gelsolin. We selected this sequence because it corresponds to a region implicated in the gelsolin-actin complex in a previous work [Boyer, Feinberg, Hue, Capony, Benyamin & Roustan (1987) Biochem. J. 248, 359-364]. We showed that this actin sequence is located at the surface of the actin molecule and observed a Ca2(+)-sensitive binding of gelsolin to this actin-derived peptide. In addition, by using a chymotryptic digest of gelsolin, we reported that only the C-terminal half of gelsolin interacts with the actin-(305-326)-peptide. These results that the Ca2(+)-sensitive interface includes both amino acids 305-326 of actin and probably amino acids 660-738 of gelsolin.
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Project description:ADF/cofilins (AC) are essential F- and G-actin binding proteins that modulate microfilament turnover. The genome of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite causing malaria, contains two members of the AC family. Interestingly, P. falciparum ADF1 lacks the F-actin binding residues of the AC consensus. Reverse genetics in the rodent malaria model system suggest that ADF1 performs vital functions during the pathogenic red blood cell stages, whereas ADF2 is not present in these stages. We show that recombinant PfADF1 interacts with monomeric actin but does not bind to actin polymers. Although other AC proteins inhibit nucleotide exchange on monomeric actin, the Plasmodium ortholog stimulates nucleotide exchange. Thus, PfADF1 differs in its biochemical properties from previously known AC proteins and seems to promote turnover exclusively by interaction with actin monomers. These findings provide important insights into the low cytosolic abundance and unique turnover characteristics of actin polymers in parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa.
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Project description:Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. Parasites in this phylum utilize a unique process of motility termed gliding, which is dependent on parasite actin filaments. Surprisingly, 98% of parasite actin is maintained as G-actin, suggesting that filaments are rapidly assembled and turned over. Little is known about the regulated disassembly of filaments in the Apicomplexa. In higher eukaryotes, the related actin depolymerizing factor (ADF) and cofilin proteins are essential regulators of actin filament turnover. ADF is one of the few actin-binding proteins conserved in apicomplexan parasites. In this study we examined the mechanism by which T. gondii ADF (TgADF) regulates actin filament turnover. Unlike other members of the ADF/cofilin (AC) family, apicomplexan ADFs lack key F-actin binding sites. Surprisingly, this promotes their enhanced disassembly of actin filaments. Restoration of the C-terminal F-actin binding site to TgADF stabilized its interaction with filaments but reduced its net filament disassembly activity. Analysis of severing activity revealed that TgADF is a weak severing protein, requiring much higher concentrations than typical AC proteins. Investigation of TgADF interaction with T. gondii actin (TgACT) revealed that TgADF disassembled short TgACT oligomers. Kinetic and steady-state polymerization assays demonstrated that TgADF has strong monomer-sequestering activity, inhibiting TgACT polymerization at very low concentrations. Collectively these data indicate that TgADF promoted the efficient turnover of actin filaments via weak severing of filaments and strong sequestering of monomers. This suggests a dual role for TgADF in maintaining high G-actin concentrations and effecting rapid filament turnover.
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Project description:Actin dynamics provide the driving force for many cellular processes including motility and endocytosis. Among the central cytoskeletal regulators are actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin, which depolymerizes actin filaments, and twinfilin, which sequesters actin monomers and caps filament barbed ends. Both interact with actin through an ADF homology (ADF-H) domain, which is also found in several other actin-binding proteins. However, in the absence of an atomic structure for the ADF-H domain in complex with actin, the mechanism by which these proteins interact with actin has remained unknown. Here, we present the crystal structure of twinfilin's C-terminal ADF-H domain in complex with an actin monomer. This domain binds between actin subdomains 1 and 3 through an interface that is conserved among ADF-H domain proteins. Based on this structure, we suggest a mechanism by which ADF/cofilin and twinfilin inhibit nucleotide exchange of actin monomers and present a model for how ADF/cofilin induces filament depolymerization by weakening intrafilament interactions.
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Project description:Apicomplexan parasites rely on actin-based gliding motility to move across the substratum, cross biological barriers, and invade their host cells. Gliding motility depends on polymerization of parasite actin filaments, yet ∼98% of actin is nonfilamentous in resting parasites. Previous studies suggest that the lack of actin filaments in the parasite is due to inherent instability, leaving uncertain the role of actin-binding proteins in controlling dynamics. We have previously shown that the single allele of Toxoplasma gondii actin depolymerizing factor (TgADF) has strong actin monomer-sequestering and weak filament-severing activities in vitro. Here we used a conditional knockout strategy to investigate the role of TgADF in vivo. Suppression of TgADF led to accumulation of actin-rich filaments that were detected by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Parasites deficient in TgADF showed reduced speed of motility, increased aberrant patterns of motion, and inhibition of sustained helical gliding. Lack of TgADF also led to severe defects in entry and egress from host cells, thus blocking infection in vitro. These studies establish that the absence of stable actin structures in the parasite are not simply the result of intrinsic instability, but that TgADF is required for the rapid turnover of parasite actin filaments, gliding motility, and cell invasion.
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Project description:Woundhealing disorders characterized by impaired or delayed re-epithelialization are a serious medical problem that is painful and difficult to treat. Gelsolin (GSN), a known actin modulator, supports epithelial cell regeneration and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential of recombinant gelsolin (rhu-pGSN) for ocular surface regeneration to establish a novel therapy for delayed or complicated wound healing. We analyzed the influence of gelsolin on cell proliferation and wound healing in vitro, in vivo/ex vivo and by gene knockdown. Gelsolin is expressed in all tested tissues of the ocular system as shown by molecular analysis. The concentration of GSN is significantly increased in tear fluid samples of patients with dry eye disease. rhu-pGSN induces cell proliferation and faster wound healing in vitro as well as in vivo/ex vivo. TGF-β dependent transcription of SMA is significantly decreased after GSN gene knockdown. Gelsolin is an inherent protein of the ocular system and is secreted into the tear fluid. Our results show a positive effect on corneal cell proliferation and wound healing. Furthermore, GSN regulates the synthesis of SMA in myofibroblasts, which establishes GSN as a key protein of TGF-β dependent cell differentiation.
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Project description:Actin is one of the most conserved proteins in nature. Its assembly and disassembly are regulated by many proteins, including the family of actin-depolymerizing factor homology (ADF-H) domains. ADF-H domains can be divided into five classes: ADF/cofilin, glia maturation factor (GMF), coactosin, twinfilin, and Abp1/drebrin. The best-characterized class is ADF/cofilin. The other four classes have drawn much less attention and very few structures have been reported. This study presents the solution NMR structure of the ADF-H domain of human HIP-55-drebrin-like protein, the first published structure of a drebrin-like domain (mammalian), and the first published structure of GMF beta (mouse). We also determined the structures of mouse GMF gamma, the mouse coactosin-like domain and the C-terminal ADF-H domain of mouse twinfilin 1. Although the overall fold of the five domains is similar, some significant differences provide valuable insights into filamentous actin (F-actin) and globular actin (G-actin) binding, including the identification of binding residues on the long central helix. This long helix is stabilized by three or four residues. Notably, the F-actin binding sites of mouse GMF beta and GMF gamma contain two additional beta-strands not seen in other ADF-H structures. The G-actin binding site of the ADF-H domain of human HIP-55-drebrin-like protein is absent and distorted in mouse GMF beta and GMF gamma.
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