Profilin connects actin assembly with microtubule dynamics

0473129 - ÚMG 2017 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Nejedla, M. - Sadi, S. - Sulimenko, Vadym - de Almeida, F.N. - Blom, H. - Dráber, Pavel - Aspenstrom, P. - Karlsson, R.
Profilin connects actin assembly with microtubule dynamics.
Molecular Biology of the Cell. Roč. 27, č. 15 (2016), s. 2381-2393. ISSN 1059-1524. E-ISSN 1939-4586
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-25159S
Institutional support: RVO:68378050
Keywords : cross-linked profilin * arp2/3 complex * f-actin * microfilament system * migrating cells * focal adhesions * cultured-cells * messenger-rna * living cells * protein
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 3.685, year: 2016

Profilin controls actin nucleation and assembly processes in eukaryotic cells. Actin nucleation and elongation promoting factors (NEPFs) such as Ena/VASP, formins, and WASP-family proteins recruit profilin: actin for filament formation. Some of these are found to be microtubule associated, making actin polymerization from microtubule-associated platforms possible. Microtubules are implicated in focal adhesion turnover, cell polarity establishment, and migration, illustrating the coupling between actin and microtubule systems. Here we demonstrate that profilin is functionally linked to microtubules with formins and point to formins as major mediators of this association. To reach this conclusion, we combined different fluorescence microscopy techniques, including superresolution microscopy, with siRNA modulation of profilin expression and drug treatments to interfere with actin dynamics. Our studies show that profilin dynamically associates with microtubules and this fraction of profilin contributes to balance actin assembly during homeostatic cell growth and affects microtubule dynamics. Hence profilin functions as a regulator of microtubule (+)-end turnover in addition to being an actin control element.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0270296