2014
Site-specific cation release drives actin filament severing by vertebrate cofilin
Kang H, Bradley MJ, Cao W, Zhou K, Grintsevich EE, Michelot A, Sindelar CV, Hochstrasser M, De La Cruz EM. Site-specific cation release drives actin filament severing by vertebrate cofilin. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2014, 111: 17821-17826. PMID: 25468977, PMCID: PMC4273407, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413397111.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFilament severingActin filamentsActin filament severingKey regulatory functionsConcentration of endsActin filament fragmentationEukaryotic cellsCation-binding sitesProtein cofilinDeletion mutantsS. cerevisiaeSubunit exchangeFilament turnoverActin polymerizationEssential functionsSite-specific interactionsCofilinMolecular mechanismsAssembly dynamicsRegulatory functionsActin moleculesFilament fragmentationFilament structureSustained motilitySevering
2012
Identification of cation-binding sites on actin that drive polymerization and modulate bending stiffness
Kang H, Bradley MJ, McCullough BR, Pierre A, Grintsevich EE, Reisler E, De La Cruz EM. Identification of cation-binding sites on actin that drive polymerization and modulate bending stiffness. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2012, 109: 16923-16927. PMID: 23027950, PMCID: PMC3479481, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211078109.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCation-binding sitesActin assemblyEukaryotic biologyLong-pitch helixActin functionSalt-dependent effectsCell divisionCell motilityActin polymerizationFilament assemblyAdjacent subunitsIntracellular transportActin filamentsPhysiological salt concentrationsActin monomersCellular shapeNonspecific ionic strength effectsDiscrete sites