Dataset Information

The Actin Nucleator Cobl Is Controlled by Calcium and Calmodulin.

ABSTRACT: Actin nucleation triggers the formation of new actin filaments and has the power to shape cells but requires tight control in order to bring about proper morphologies. The regulation of the members of the novel class of WASP Homology 2 (WH2) domain-based actin nucleators, however, thus far has largely remained elusive. Our study reveals signal cascades and mechanisms regulating Cordon-Bleu (Cobl). Cobl plays some, albeit not fully understood, role in early arborization of neurons and nucleates actin by a mechanism that requires a combination of all three of its actin monomer-binding WH2 domains. Our experiments reveal that Cobl is regulated by Ca2+ and multiple, direct associations of the Ca2+ sensor Calmodulin (CaM). Overexpression analyses and rescue experiments of Cobl loss-of-function phenotypes with Cobl mutants in primary neurons and in tissue slices demonstrated the importance of CaM binding for Cobl's functions. Cobl-induced dendritic branch initiation was preceded by Ca2+ signals and coincided with local F-actin and CaM accumulations. CaM inhibitor studies showed that Cobl-mediated branching is strictly dependent on CaM activity. Mechanistic studies revealed that Ca2+/CaM modulates Cobl's actin binding properties and furthermore promotes Cobl's previously identified interactions with the membrane-shaping F-BAR protein syndapin I, which accumulated with Cobl at nascent dendritic protrusion sites. The findings of our study demonstrate a direct regulation of an actin nucleator by Ca2+/CaM and reveal that the Ca2+/CaM-controlled molecular mechanisms we discovered are crucial for Cobl's cellular functions. By unveiling the means of Cobl regulation and the mechanisms, by which Ca2+/CaM signals directly converge on a cellular effector promoting actin filament formation, our work furthermore sheds light on how local Ca2+ signals steer and power branch initiation during early arborization of nerve cells-a key process in neuronal network formation.

SUBMITTER: Hou W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4559358 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Actin Nucleator Cobl Is Controlled by Calcium and Calmodulin.

Hou Wenya W Izadi Maryam M Nemitz Sabine S Haag Natja N Kessels Michael M MM Qualmann Britta B

PLoS biology 20150903 9

Actin nucleation triggers the formation of new actin filaments and has the power to shape cells but requires tight control in order to bring about proper morphologies. The regulation of the members of the novel class of WASP Homology 2 (WH2) domain-based actin nucleators, however, thus far has largely remained elusive. Our study reveals signal cascades and mechanisms regulating Cordon-Bleu (Cobl). Cobl plays some, albeit not fully understood, role in early arborization of neurons and nucleates a ...[more]

PMID: 26334624

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Project description:Screening of cDNA expression libraries with labelled calmodulin (CaM) as a probe resulted in the isolation of cDNA encoding proteins designated CAMTA (for calmodulin-binding transcription activators). The Arabidopsis genome contains 6 members of this protein family (AtCAMTA1-6) all containing in addition to a defined CaM-binding domain a DNA-binding domain and ankyrin-repeat motifs. RT-PCR analysis revealed that all 6 genes are expressed in all organ throughout plant development. Therefore functional regulation of AtCAMTA proteins is likely mediated by second messengers (e.g. calcium/calmodulin signalling) and protein levels rather than by or in addition to gene expression levels. Based on domain organisation and sequence homologies we identified putative members of this protein family in C. elegans and in human. A yeast system was used to express chimeric fusion proteins comprised of the DNA-binding domain of the bacterial LexA protein with various segments of AtCAMTA1. This analysis revealed a distinct domain of AtCAMTA1 capable of activating transcription. Similar results were obtained with two human CAMTA homologues. To identify the gene targets of CAMTA proteins in Arabidopsiswe plan to analyse the transcriptome in loss_of_function and gain_of_function AtCAMTA mutants. For this we have already isolated a T-DNA insertion mutant of AtCAMTA1 (two alleles) and have requested two other insertion mutants of AtCAMTA2 and AtCAMTA3 identified in other labs. Screening for insertion mutants in the three remaining genes is underway. In addition we have initiated a gain_of_function approach in which DL10 proteins are expressed under the control of the dexamethasone-inducible promoter. Genes whose expression will be found modulated in the mutant plants will be considered candidate targets of AtCAMTA proteins. This analysis will complement an in vitro study of DNA-protein interactions to identify target-binding sites (part of the BBSRC funded project). As a first step in the project proposed to GARNet we suggest to compare the transcriptome in WT whole plants (2 weeks old) with that of three T-DNA insertion AtCAMTA mutants and one line expressing AtCAMTA1 under the control of an inducible promoter. Keywords: strain_or_line_design

Dataset Information

The Actin Nucleator Cobl Is Controlled by Calcium and Calmodulin.

Publications

The Actin Nucleator Cobl Is Controlled by Calcium and Calmodulin.

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