2020
Structures of cofilin-induced structural changes reveal local and asymmetric perturbations of actin filaments
Huehn AR, Bibeau JP, Schramm AC, Cao W, De La Cruz EM, Sindelar CV. Structures of cofilin-induced structural changes reveal local and asymmetric perturbations of actin filaments. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2020, 117: 1478-1484. PMID: 31900364, PMCID: PMC6983403, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915987117.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFilament severingActin filamentsSevering activityCofilin/ADF familyActin conformational changesActin filament severingFilament-severing activityCryo-electron microscopy dataSevers actin filamentsWeak severing activityUnique binding modeCofilin clustersActin structuresCofilin bindingCofilin-decorated segmentsCofilinMolecular understandingBarbed endsConformational changesCooperative bindingBinding cooperativityFilament endsPositive cooperativityBinding modesSevering
2018
The actin filament twist changes abruptly at boundaries between bare and cofilin-decorated segments
Huehn A, Cao W, Elam WA, Liu X, De La Cruz EM, Sindelar CV. The actin filament twist changes abruptly at boundaries between bare and cofilin-decorated segments. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2018, 293: 5377-5383. PMID: 29463680, PMCID: PMC5900768, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ac118.001843.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCofilin-decorated segmentsConformational changesCofilin/ADF proteinsActin-remodeling proteinsBind actin filamentsActin filament interactionsCofilin-induced changesEffects of cofilinCooperative conformational changesProtein occupancyADF proteinsCellular processesCell divisionStructure-based methodsCryo-EMActin segmentsIntracellular transportActin filamentsFilament twistCooperative bindingCofilinTwist changesActinFluorophore labelingSubunits
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