2024
Cryo-EM structures reveal how phosphate release from Arp3 weakens actin filament branches formed by Arp2/3 complex
Chavali S, Chou S, Cao W, Pollard T, De La Cruz E, Sindelar C. Cryo-EM structures reveal how phosphate release from Arp3 weakens actin filament branches formed by Arp2/3 complex. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 2059. PMID: 38448439, PMCID: PMC10918085, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46179-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsArp2/3 complexActin filamentsCryo-EM structureMother filamentDaughter filamentArp2/3 complex nucleates branched actin filamentsActin filament branchingBranched actin filamentsDissociation of PiADP-PiFilament branchingOrganelle movementADP stateBranch junctionsArp3A-resolutionActinArp2/3ADP-BeFxFilamentsADPPhosphate releaseFilament mechanismArp2OrganellesToxoplasma gondii actin filaments are tuned for rapid disassembly and turnover
Hvorecny K, Sladewski T, De La Cruz E, Kollman J, Heaslip A. Toxoplasma gondii actin filaments are tuned for rapid disassembly and turnover. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 1840. PMID: 38418447, PMCID: PMC10902351, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46111-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsActin filamentsDynamic properties of actin filamentsProperties of actin filamentsCytoskeletal protein actinFilamentous actin networkSkeletal muscle actinCryo-EM structureIn vitro assemblyOrganelle inheritanceD-loopActin networkNucleotide exchangeLive cell imagingProteins actinSkeletal actinConserved structureEvolutionary changesActinApicomplexan parasitesAssembly contactsIntracellular parasitesMonomer dissociationApicomplexanFilamentsBiophysical propertiesDistinct functional constraints driving conservation of the cofilin N-terminal regulatory tail
Sexton J, Potchernikov T, Bibeau J, Casanova-Sepúlveda G, Cao W, Lou H, Boggon T, De La Cruz E, Turk B. Distinct functional constraints driving conservation of the cofilin N-terminal regulatory tail. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 1426. PMID: 38365893, PMCID: PMC10873347, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45878-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsN-terminal regionActin bindingSequence requirementsLIM kinaseAnalysis of individual variantsInactivates cofilinS. cerevisiaeRegulatory tailFamily proteinsActin depolymerizationPhosphorylation sitesKinase recognitionSequence variantsInhibitory phosphorylationCofilinN-terminusIndividual variantsFunctional constraintsActinDisordered sequencesPhosphorylationSequenceBiochemical analysisSequence constraintsKinase
2023
Friction patterns guide actin network contraction
Colin A, Orhant-Prioux M, Guérin C, Savinov M, Cao W, Vianay B, Scarfone I, Roux A, De La Cruz E, Mogilner A, Théry M, Blanchoin L. Friction patterns guide actin network contraction. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2300416120. PMID: 37725653, PMCID: PMC10523593, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300416120.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFriction forceTwist response of actin filaments
Bibeau J, Pandit N, Gray S, Nejad N, Sindelar C, Cao W, De La Cruz E. Twist response of actin filaments. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2208536120. PMID: 36656858, PMCID: PMC9942836, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208536120.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
Clusters of a Few Bound Cofilins Sever Actin Filaments
Bibeau JP, Gray S, De La Cruz EM. Clusters of a Few Bound Cofilins Sever Actin Filaments. Journal Of Molecular Biology 2021, 433: 166833. PMID: 33524412, PMCID: PMC8689643, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166833.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchStructural basis of fast- and slow-severing actin–cofilactin boundaries
Hocky GM, Sindelar CV, Cao W, Voth GA, De La Cruz EM. Structural basis of fast- and slow-severing actin–cofilactin boundaries. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2021, 296: 100337. PMID: 33508320, PMCID: PMC7961102, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100337.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
Force and phosphate release from Arp2/3 complex promote dissociation of actin filament branches
Pandit NG, Cao W, Bibeau J, Johnson-Chavarria EM, Taylor EW, Pollard TD, De La Cruz EM. Force and phosphate release from Arp2/3 complex promote dissociation of actin filament branches. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2020, 117: 13519-13528. PMID: 32461373, PMCID: PMC7306818, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911183117.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsActin filament branchesArp2/3 complexMother filamentFilament branchesTotal internal reflection fluorescence microscopyEssential cellular functionsMechanical forcesActin filament networkReflection fluorescence microscopyCellular functionsActin networkCell motilityComplex generatesActin filamentsArp2/3Filament networkFluorescence microscopyState 1Branch junctionsState 2FilamentsComplexesPhosphate releaseMuscle actinADP
2019
Active cargo positioning in antiparallel transport networks
Richard M, Blanch-Mercader C, Ennomani H, Cao W, De La Cruz EM, Joanny JF, Jülicher F, Blanchoin L, Martin P. Active cargo positioning in antiparallel transport networks. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2019, 116: 14835-14842. PMID: 31289230, PMCID: PMC6660773, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900416116.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPlastic Deformation and Fragmentation of Strained Actin Filaments
Schramm AC, Hocky GM, Voth GA, Martiel JL, De La Cruz EM. Plastic Deformation and Fragmentation of Strained Actin Filaments. Biophysical Journal 2019, 117: 453-463. PMID: 31301801, PMCID: PMC6697348, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.06.018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRegulation of axon growth by myosin II–dependent mechanocatalysis of cofilin activity
Zhang XF, Ajeti V, Tsai N, Fereydooni A, Burns W, Murrell M, De La Cruz EM, Forscher P. Regulation of axon growth by myosin II–dependent mechanocatalysis of cofilin activity. Journal Of Cell Biology 2019, 218: 2329-2349. PMID: 31123185, PMCID: PMC6605792, DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201810054.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2018
Insights into the Cooperative Nature of ATP Hydrolysis in Actin Filaments
Katkar HH, Davtyan A, Durumeric AEP, Hocky GM, Schramm AC, De La Cruz EM, Voth GA. Insights into the Cooperative Nature of ATP Hydrolysis in Actin Filaments. Biophysical Journal 2018, 115: 1589-1602. PMID: 30249402, PMCID: PMC6260209, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.08.034.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2017
Actin Filament Strain Promotes Severing and Cofilin Dissociation
Schramm AC, Hocky GM, Voth GA, Blanchoin L, Martiel JL, De La Cruz EM. Actin Filament Strain Promotes Severing and Cofilin Dissociation. Biophysical Journal 2017, 112: 2624-2633. PMID: 28636918, PMCID: PMC5479148, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.05.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsContinuum mechanics modelStrain energy distributionMechanical propertiesMechanics modelFilament twistingEnhanced spatial resolutionFilament mechanical propertiesElastic energyTorsional rigidityShape deformationSpatial resolutionContinuum modelTorsional flexibilityFilament bendingCofilactin filamentsDynamics simulationsMolecular dynamics simulationsBucklingCofilin-decorated segmentsDeformationBendingBoundariesEnergy distributionLoadFilament model
2016
Cations Stiffen Actin Filaments by Adhering a Key Structural Element to Adjacent Subunits
Hocky GM, Baker JL, Bradley MJ, Sinitskiy AV, De La Cruz EM, Voth GA. Cations Stiffen Actin Filaments by Adhering a Key Structural Element to Adjacent Subunits. The Journal Of Physical Chemistry B 2016, 120: 4558-4567. PMID: 27146246, PMCID: PMC4959277, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b02741.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsActin filamentsRegulatory proteinsD-loopSite-specific mutagenesisSpecific divalent cationsFilament severingStructural bioinformaticsAdjacent subunitsAccessible conformational spaceSubunit conformationActin subunitsKey structural elementsAmino acidsLarge-scale changesConformational spaceSubunitsFilament mechanical propertiesProteinFilamentsDivalent cationsMagnesium ionsMolecular dynamics simulationsConformationSitesCofilinArchitecture and Connectivity Govern Actin Network Contractility
Ennomani H, Letort G, Guérin C, Martiel JL, Cao W, Nédélec F, De La Cruz EM, Théry M, Blanchoin L. Architecture and Connectivity Govern Actin Network Contractility. Current Biology 2016, 26: 616-626. PMID: 26898468, PMCID: PMC4959279, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.069.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2015
Metavinculin Tunes the Flexibility and the Architecture of Vinculin-Induced Bundles of Actin Filaments
Durer Z, McGillivary RM, Kang H, Elam WA, Vizcarra CL, Hanein D, De La Cruz EM, Reisler E, Quinlan ME. Metavinculin Tunes the Flexibility and the Architecture of Vinculin-Induced Bundles of Actin Filaments. Journal Of Molecular Biology 2015, 427: 2782-2798. PMID: 26168869, PMCID: PMC4540644, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.07.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMetavinculin tail domainVinculin tail domainActin filamentsTail domainSevering activityCell-extracellular matrix junctionsF-actinC-terminal tail domainTotal internal reflection fluorescence microscopy experimentsLonger splice isoformsLimited proteolysis experimentsActin filament bundlesFluorescence microscopy experimentsMatrix junctionsSite-directed labelingSplice isoformsAbundant proteinsProteolysis experimentsMuscle cell functionFilament organizationVinculinFilament bundlesInterprotomer contactsCell functionFilament flexibilityActin Mechanics and Fragmentation*
De La Cruz EM, Gardel ML. Actin Mechanics and Fragmentation*. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2015, 290: 17137-17144. PMID: 25957404, PMCID: PMC4498053, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r115.636472.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2013
Regulation of Actin by Ion-Linked Equilibria
Kang H, Bradley MJ, Elam WA, De La Cruz EM. Regulation of Actin by Ion-Linked Equilibria. Biophysical Journal 2013, 105: 2621-2628. PMID: 24359734, PMCID: PMC3882474, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.10.032.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCompetitive displacement of cofilin can promote actin filament severing
Elam WA, Kang H, De La Cruz EM. Competitive displacement of cofilin can promote actin filament severing. Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications 2013, 438: 728-731. PMID: 23911787, PMCID: PMC3785092, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.07.109.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchActin organization and dynamics: novel regulatory mechanisms from the biophysical to the tissue level
Miller AL, De La Cruz EM. Actin organization and dynamics: novel regulatory mechanisms from the biophysical to the tissue level. Molecular Biology Of The Cell 2013, 24: 677-677. PMID: 23486401, PMCID: PMC3596237, DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e12-12-0879.Peer-Reviewed Original Research