Emmanuel Derivery - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Emmanuel Derivery

Research paper thumbnail of Assaying WAVE and WASH complex constitutive activities toward the Arp2/3 complex

Methods in enzymology, 2010

The Arp2/3 complex generates branched actin networks when activated by Nucleation Promoting Facto... more The Arp2/3 complex generates branched actin networks when activated by Nucleation Promoting Factors (NPFs). Among these, WAVE proteins are required for lamellipodia and ruffle formation, whereas WASH proteins are required for the fission of endosomes. Both WASH and WAVE NPFs are embedded into multiprotein complexes that provide additional functions and regulations. Understanding how these complexes regulate the activity of their NPF starts with the determination of the constitutive activity of the complex. In this chapter, we describe how to efficiently purify the WAVE and WASH complexes from human stable cell lines. We also describe how to verify that these complexes are not aggregated, a prerequisite for activity assays. We then provide a protocol to measure their activity toward the Arp2/3 complex using the well-established pyrene actin assay. Finally, we show how our fast purification protocol can be modified to detect the endogenous activity of the WAVE complex, providing an ea...

Research paper thumbnail of Evolutionary conservation of the WASH complex, an actin polymerization machine involved in endosomal fission

Communicative & integrative biology, 2010

WASH is the Arp2/3 activating protein that is localized at the surface of endosomes, where it ind... more WASH is the Arp2/3 activating protein that is localized at the surface of endosomes, where it induces the formation of branched actin networks. This activity of WASH favors, in collaboration with dynamin, the fission of transport intermediates from endosomes, and hence regulates endosomal trafficking of several cargos. We have purified a novel stable multiprotein complex containing WASH, the WASH complex, and we examine here the evolutionary conservation of its seven subunits across diverse eukaryotic phyla. This analysis supports the idea that the invention of the WASH complex has involved the incorporation of an independent complex, the CapZ alpha/beta heterodimer, forming the so-called Capping Protein (CP), as illustrated by the yeasts S. cerevisiae and S. pombe, which possess the CP heterodimer but no other subunits of the WASH complex. The alignements of the orthologous genes that we have generated give a view on the conservation of the different subunits and on their organizat...

Research paper thumbnail of Actin Polymerization Controls the Organization of WASH Domains at the Surface of Endosomes

PLoS ONE, 2012

Sorting of cargoes in endosomes occurs through their selective enrichment into sorting platforms,... more Sorting of cargoes in endosomes occurs through their selective enrichment into sorting platforms, where transport intermediates are generated. The WASH complex, which directly binds to lipids, activates the Arp2/3 complex and hence actin polymerization onto such sorting platforms. Here, we analyzed the role of actin polymerization in the physiology of endosomal domains containing WASH using quantitative image analysis. Actin depolymerization is known to enlarge endosomes. Using a novel colocalization method that is insensitive to the heterogeneity of size and shape of endosomes, we further show that preventing the generation of branched actin networks induces endosomal accumulation of the WASH complex. Moreover, we found that actin depolymerization induces a dramatic decrease in the recovery of endosomal WASH after photobleaching. This result suggests a built-in turnover, where the actin network, i.e. the product of the WASH complex, contributes to the dynamic exchange of the WASH complex by promoting its detachment from endosomes. Our experiments also provide evidence for a role of actin polymerization in the lateral compartmentalization of endosomes: several WASH domains exist at the surface of enlarged endosomes, however, the WASH domains coalesce upon actin depolymerization or Arp2/3 depletion. Branched actin networks are thus involved in the regulation of the size of WASH domains. The potential role of this regulation in membrane scission are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Une nouvelle machine moléculaire impliquée dans le trafic des endosomes

Research paper thumbnail of Free Brick1 Is a Trimeric Precursor in the Assembly of a Functional Wave Complex

PLoS ONE, 2008

Background: The Wave complex activates the Arp2/3 complex, inducing actin polymerization in lamel... more Background: The Wave complex activates the Arp2/3 complex, inducing actin polymerization in lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. The Wave complex is composed of five subunits, the smallest of which, Brick1/Hspc300 (Brk1), is the least characterized. We previously reported that, unlike the other subunits, Brk1 also exists as a free form.

Research paper thumbnail of The Crystal Structure of Pectate Lyase PelI from Soft Rot Pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi in Complex with Its Substrate

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2008

The crystallographic structure of the family 3 polysaccharide lyase (PL-3) PelI from Erwinia chry... more The crystallographic structure of the family 3 polysaccharide lyase (PL-3) PelI from Erwinia chrysanthemi has been solved to 1.45 A resolution. It consists of an N-terminal domain harboring a fibronectin type III fold linked to a catalytic domain displaying a parallel beta-helix topology. The N-terminal domain is located away from the active site and is not involved in the catalytic process. After secretion in planta, the two domains are separated by E. chrysanthemi proteases. This event turns on the hypersensitive response of the host. The structure of the single catalytic domain determined to 2.1 A resolution shows that the domain separation unveils a "Velcro"-like motif of asparagines, which might be recognized by a plant receptor. The structure of PelI in complex with its substrate, a tetragalacturonate, has been solved to 2.3 A resolution. The sugar binds from subsites -2 to +2 in one monomer of the asymmetric unit, although it lies on subsites -1 to +3 in the other. These two "Michaelis complexes" have never been observed simultaneously before and are consistent with the dual mode of bond cleavage in this substrate. The bound sugar adopts a mixed 2(1) and 3(1) helical conformation similar to that reported in inactive mutants from families PL-1 and PL-10. However, our study suggests that the catalytic base in PelI is not a conventional arginine but a lysine as proposed in family PL-9.

Research paper thumbnail of Generation of branched actin networks: assembly and regulation of the N-WASP and WAVE molecular machines

BioEssays, 2010

The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that generates branched actin networks responsible for ... more The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that generates branched actin networks responsible for membrane remodeling during cell migration, endocytosis, and other morphogenetic events. This machine requires activators, which themselves are multiprotein complexes. This review focuses on recent advances concerning the assembly of stable complexes containing the most-studied activators, N-WASP and WAVE proteins, and the level of regulation that is provided by these complexes. N-WASP is the paradigmatic auto-inhibited protein, which is activated by a conformational opening. Even though this regulation has been successfully reconstituted in vitro with isolated N-WASP, the native dimeric complex with a WIP family protein has unique additional properties. WAVE proteins are part of a pentameric complex, whose basal state and activated state when bound to the Rac GTPase were recently clarified. Moreover, this review attempts to put together diverse observations concerning the WAVE complex in the conceptual frame of an in vivo assembly pathway that has gained support from the recent identification of a precursor.

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular dissection of Salmonella -induced membrane ruffling versus invasion

Cellular Microbiology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Polarized endosome dynamics by spindle asymmetry during asymmetric cell division

Nature, Jan 10, 2015

During asymmetric division, fate determinants at the cell cortex segregate unequally into the two... more During asymmetric division, fate determinants at the cell cortex segregate unequally into the two daughter cells. It has recently been shown that Sara (Smad anchor for receptor activation) signalling endosomes in the cytoplasm also segregate asymmetrically during asymmetric division. Biased dispatch of Sara endosomes mediates asymmetric Notch/Delta signalling during the asymmetric division of sensory organ precursors in Drosophila. In flies, this has been generalized to stem cells in the gut and the central nervous system, and, in zebrafish, to neural precursors of the spinal cord. However, the mechanism of asymmetric endosome segregation is not understood. Here we show that the plus-end kinesin motor Klp98A targets Sara endosomes to the central spindle, where they move bidirectionally on an antiparallel array of microtubules. The microtubule depolymerizing kinesin Klp10A and its antagonist Patronin generate central spindle asymmetry. This asymmetric spindle, in turn, polarizes endo...

Research paper thumbnail of A Novel Mechanism for Actin Filament Bundle Formation by a Non-processive Formin

Research paper thumbnail of SiR–Hoechst is a far-red DNA stain for live-cell nanoscopy

Nature Communications, 2015

Cell-permeable DNA stains are popular markers in live-cell imaging. Currently used DNA stains for... more Cell-permeable DNA stains are popular markers in live-cell imaging. Currently used DNA stains for live-cell imaging are either toxic, require illumination with blue light or are not compatible with super-resolution microscopy, thereby limiting their utility. Here we describe a far-red DNA stain, SiR-Hoechst, which displays minimal toxicity, is applicable in different cell types and tissues, and is compatible with super-resolution microscopy. The combination of these properties makes this probe a powerful tool for live-cell imaging.

Research paper thumbnail of Ropers et al.HumanMolGenet2011

Research paper thumbnail of Fluorescent Flippers for Mechanosensitive Membrane Probes

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2015

In this report, "fluorescent flippers" are introduced to create planarizable push−pull probes wit... more In this report, "fluorescent flippers" are introduced to create planarizable push−pull probes with the mechanosensitivity and fluorescence lifetime needed for practical use in biology. Twisted push−pull scaffolds with large and bright dithienothiophenes and their S,Sdioxides as the first "fluorescent flippers" are shown to report on the lateral organization of lipid bilayers with quantum yields above 80% and lifetimes above 4 ns. Their planarization in liquid-ordered (L o ) and solid-ordered (S o ) membranes results in red shifts in excitation of up to +80 nm that can be transcribed into red shifts in emission of up to +140 nm by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). These unique properties are compatible with multidomain imaging in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and cells by confocal laser scanning or fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Controls indicate that strong push−pull macrodipoles are important, operational probes do not relocate in response to lateral membrane reorganization, and two flippers are indeed needed to "really swim," i.e., achieve high mechanosensitivity.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Data The Arp2/3 Activator WASH Controls the Fission of Endosomes through a Large Multiprotein Complex

Research paper thumbnail of The Wave complex is intrinsically inactive

Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Identification of a novel candidate gene for non-syndromic autosomal recessive intellectual disability: the WASH complex member SWIP

Human Molecular Genetics, 2011

High throughput sequencing has greatly facilitated the elucidation of genetic disorders, but comp... more High throughput sequencing has greatly facilitated the elucidation of genetic disorders, but compared to recessive X-linked diseases, the search for genetic defects underlying autosomal recessive disorders remains a challenge. In a large consanguineous family with autosomal recessive intellectual disability, we have combined homozygosity mapping, targeted exon enrichment and high throughput sequencing to identify the underlying gene defect.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arp2/3 Activator WASH Controls the Fission of Endosomes through a Large Multiprotein Complex

Research paper thumbnail of Clathrin is required for Scar/Wave-mediated lamellipodium formation

Development, 2011

The Scar/Wave complex (SWC) generates lamellipodia through Arp2/3-dependent polymerisation of bra... more The Scar/Wave complex (SWC) generates lamellipodia through Arp2/3-dependent polymerisation of branched actin networks. In order to identify new SWC regulators, we conducted a screen in Drosophila cells combining proteomics with functional genomics. This screen identified Clathrin heavy chain (CHC) as a protein that binds to the SWC and whose depletion affects lamellipodium formation. This role of CHC in lamellipodium formation can be uncoupled from its role in membrane trafficking by several experimental approaches. Furthermore, CHC is detected in lamellipodia in the absence of the adaptor and accessory proteins of endocytosis. We found that CHC overexpression decreased membrane recruitment of the SWC, resulting in reduced velocity of protrusions and reduced cell migration. By contrast, when CHC was targeted to the membrane by fusion to a myristoylation sequence, we observed an increase in membrane recruitment of the SWC, protrusion velocity and cell migration. Together these data suggest that, in addition to its classical role in membrane trafficking, CHC brings the SWC to the plasma membrane, thereby controlling lamellipodium formation.

Research paper thumbnail of A Novel Mechanism for the Formation of Actin-Filament Bundles by a Nonprocessive Formin

Current Biology, 2006

Actin-filament bundles (or cables) have a structural role during cell division and morphogenesis,... more Actin-filament bundles (or cables) have a structural role during cell division and morphogenesis, but also serve as important ''tracks'' for the transport of materials during cytokinesis and polarized cell growth. However, the dynamic formation of these longitudinal actin-filament higher-order structures is not understood. Recently, several lines of evidence suggest that formins provide one avenue for the initiation of actin cables in vivo . A popular model for the mechanism of polymerization of actin filaments by formin involves the processive movement of formin attached at the barbed end of an elongating filament . In the present study, we use an in vitro system to reconstitute the dynamic formation of actin-filament bundles generated by Arabidopsis FORMIN1 (AFH1). To be able to visualize individual events in such a complex system, we used real-time evanescent-wave microscopy. Surprisingly, we find that AFH1 is a nonprocessive formin that moves from the barbed end to the side of an actin filament after the nucleation event. We show why this new mechanism of nucleation by a member of the formin family is important for bundle formation. Finally, we analyze the different parameters controlling the dynamic formation of such longitudinal actin-filament bundles.

Research paper thumbnail of Inhibitory signalling to the Arp2/3 complex steers cell migration

Research paper thumbnail of Assaying WAVE and WASH complex constitutive activities toward the Arp2/3 complex

Methods in enzymology, 2010

The Arp2/3 complex generates branched actin networks when activated by Nucleation Promoting Facto... more The Arp2/3 complex generates branched actin networks when activated by Nucleation Promoting Factors (NPFs). Among these, WAVE proteins are required for lamellipodia and ruffle formation, whereas WASH proteins are required for the fission of endosomes. Both WASH and WAVE NPFs are embedded into multiprotein complexes that provide additional functions and regulations. Understanding how these complexes regulate the activity of their NPF starts with the determination of the constitutive activity of the complex. In this chapter, we describe how to efficiently purify the WAVE and WASH complexes from human stable cell lines. We also describe how to verify that these complexes are not aggregated, a prerequisite for activity assays. We then provide a protocol to measure their activity toward the Arp2/3 complex using the well-established pyrene actin assay. Finally, we show how our fast purification protocol can be modified to detect the endogenous activity of the WAVE complex, providing an ea...

Research paper thumbnail of Evolutionary conservation of the WASH complex, an actin polymerization machine involved in endosomal fission

Communicative & integrative biology, 2010

WASH is the Arp2/3 activating protein that is localized at the surface of endosomes, where it ind... more WASH is the Arp2/3 activating protein that is localized at the surface of endosomes, where it induces the formation of branched actin networks. This activity of WASH favors, in collaboration with dynamin, the fission of transport intermediates from endosomes, and hence regulates endosomal trafficking of several cargos. We have purified a novel stable multiprotein complex containing WASH, the WASH complex, and we examine here the evolutionary conservation of its seven subunits across diverse eukaryotic phyla. This analysis supports the idea that the invention of the WASH complex has involved the incorporation of an independent complex, the CapZ alpha/beta heterodimer, forming the so-called Capping Protein (CP), as illustrated by the yeasts S. cerevisiae and S. pombe, which possess the CP heterodimer but no other subunits of the WASH complex. The alignements of the orthologous genes that we have generated give a view on the conservation of the different subunits and on their organizat...

Research paper thumbnail of Actin Polymerization Controls the Organization of WASH Domains at the Surface of Endosomes

PLoS ONE, 2012

Sorting of cargoes in endosomes occurs through their selective enrichment into sorting platforms,... more Sorting of cargoes in endosomes occurs through their selective enrichment into sorting platforms, where transport intermediates are generated. The WASH complex, which directly binds to lipids, activates the Arp2/3 complex and hence actin polymerization onto such sorting platforms. Here, we analyzed the role of actin polymerization in the physiology of endosomal domains containing WASH using quantitative image analysis. Actin depolymerization is known to enlarge endosomes. Using a novel colocalization method that is insensitive to the heterogeneity of size and shape of endosomes, we further show that preventing the generation of branched actin networks induces endosomal accumulation of the WASH complex. Moreover, we found that actin depolymerization induces a dramatic decrease in the recovery of endosomal WASH after photobleaching. This result suggests a built-in turnover, where the actin network, i.e. the product of the WASH complex, contributes to the dynamic exchange of the WASH complex by promoting its detachment from endosomes. Our experiments also provide evidence for a role of actin polymerization in the lateral compartmentalization of endosomes: several WASH domains exist at the surface of enlarged endosomes, however, the WASH domains coalesce upon actin depolymerization or Arp2/3 depletion. Branched actin networks are thus involved in the regulation of the size of WASH domains. The potential role of this regulation in membrane scission are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Une nouvelle machine moléculaire impliquée dans le trafic des endosomes

Research paper thumbnail of Free Brick1 Is a Trimeric Precursor in the Assembly of a Functional Wave Complex

PLoS ONE, 2008

Background: The Wave complex activates the Arp2/3 complex, inducing actin polymerization in lamel... more Background: The Wave complex activates the Arp2/3 complex, inducing actin polymerization in lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. The Wave complex is composed of five subunits, the smallest of which, Brick1/Hspc300 (Brk1), is the least characterized. We previously reported that, unlike the other subunits, Brk1 also exists as a free form.

Research paper thumbnail of The Crystal Structure of Pectate Lyase PelI from Soft Rot Pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi in Complex with Its Substrate

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2008

The crystallographic structure of the family 3 polysaccharide lyase (PL-3) PelI from Erwinia chry... more The crystallographic structure of the family 3 polysaccharide lyase (PL-3) PelI from Erwinia chrysanthemi has been solved to 1.45 A resolution. It consists of an N-terminal domain harboring a fibronectin type III fold linked to a catalytic domain displaying a parallel beta-helix topology. The N-terminal domain is located away from the active site and is not involved in the catalytic process. After secretion in planta, the two domains are separated by E. chrysanthemi proteases. This event turns on the hypersensitive response of the host. The structure of the single catalytic domain determined to 2.1 A resolution shows that the domain separation unveils a "Velcro"-like motif of asparagines, which might be recognized by a plant receptor. The structure of PelI in complex with its substrate, a tetragalacturonate, has been solved to 2.3 A resolution. The sugar binds from subsites -2 to +2 in one monomer of the asymmetric unit, although it lies on subsites -1 to +3 in the other. These two "Michaelis complexes" have never been observed simultaneously before and are consistent with the dual mode of bond cleavage in this substrate. The bound sugar adopts a mixed 2(1) and 3(1) helical conformation similar to that reported in inactive mutants from families PL-1 and PL-10. However, our study suggests that the catalytic base in PelI is not a conventional arginine but a lysine as proposed in family PL-9.

Research paper thumbnail of Generation of branched actin networks: assembly and regulation of the N-WASP and WAVE molecular machines

BioEssays, 2010

The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that generates branched actin networks responsible for ... more The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that generates branched actin networks responsible for membrane remodeling during cell migration, endocytosis, and other morphogenetic events. This machine requires activators, which themselves are multiprotein complexes. This review focuses on recent advances concerning the assembly of stable complexes containing the most-studied activators, N-WASP and WAVE proteins, and the level of regulation that is provided by these complexes. N-WASP is the paradigmatic auto-inhibited protein, which is activated by a conformational opening. Even though this regulation has been successfully reconstituted in vitro with isolated N-WASP, the native dimeric complex with a WIP family protein has unique additional properties. WAVE proteins are part of a pentameric complex, whose basal state and activated state when bound to the Rac GTPase were recently clarified. Moreover, this review attempts to put together diverse observations concerning the WAVE complex in the conceptual frame of an in vivo assembly pathway that has gained support from the recent identification of a precursor.

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular dissection of Salmonella -induced membrane ruffling versus invasion

Cellular Microbiology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Polarized endosome dynamics by spindle asymmetry during asymmetric cell division

Nature, Jan 10, 2015

During asymmetric division, fate determinants at the cell cortex segregate unequally into the two... more During asymmetric division, fate determinants at the cell cortex segregate unequally into the two daughter cells. It has recently been shown that Sara (Smad anchor for receptor activation) signalling endosomes in the cytoplasm also segregate asymmetrically during asymmetric division. Biased dispatch of Sara endosomes mediates asymmetric Notch/Delta signalling during the asymmetric division of sensory organ precursors in Drosophila. In flies, this has been generalized to stem cells in the gut and the central nervous system, and, in zebrafish, to neural precursors of the spinal cord. However, the mechanism of asymmetric endosome segregation is not understood. Here we show that the plus-end kinesin motor Klp98A targets Sara endosomes to the central spindle, where they move bidirectionally on an antiparallel array of microtubules. The microtubule depolymerizing kinesin Klp10A and its antagonist Patronin generate central spindle asymmetry. This asymmetric spindle, in turn, polarizes endo...

Research paper thumbnail of A Novel Mechanism for Actin Filament Bundle Formation by a Non-processive Formin

Research paper thumbnail of SiR–Hoechst is a far-red DNA stain for live-cell nanoscopy

Nature Communications, 2015

Cell-permeable DNA stains are popular markers in live-cell imaging. Currently used DNA stains for... more Cell-permeable DNA stains are popular markers in live-cell imaging. Currently used DNA stains for live-cell imaging are either toxic, require illumination with blue light or are not compatible with super-resolution microscopy, thereby limiting their utility. Here we describe a far-red DNA stain, SiR-Hoechst, which displays minimal toxicity, is applicable in different cell types and tissues, and is compatible with super-resolution microscopy. The combination of these properties makes this probe a powerful tool for live-cell imaging.

Research paper thumbnail of Ropers et al.HumanMolGenet2011

Research paper thumbnail of Fluorescent Flippers for Mechanosensitive Membrane Probes

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2015

In this report, "fluorescent flippers" are introduced to create planarizable push−pull probes wit... more In this report, "fluorescent flippers" are introduced to create planarizable push−pull probes with the mechanosensitivity and fluorescence lifetime needed for practical use in biology. Twisted push−pull scaffolds with large and bright dithienothiophenes and their S,Sdioxides as the first "fluorescent flippers" are shown to report on the lateral organization of lipid bilayers with quantum yields above 80% and lifetimes above 4 ns. Their planarization in liquid-ordered (L o ) and solid-ordered (S o ) membranes results in red shifts in excitation of up to +80 nm that can be transcribed into red shifts in emission of up to +140 nm by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). These unique properties are compatible with multidomain imaging in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and cells by confocal laser scanning or fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Controls indicate that strong push−pull macrodipoles are important, operational probes do not relocate in response to lateral membrane reorganization, and two flippers are indeed needed to "really swim," i.e., achieve high mechanosensitivity.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Data The Arp2/3 Activator WASH Controls the Fission of Endosomes through a Large Multiprotein Complex

Research paper thumbnail of The Wave complex is intrinsically inactive

Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Identification of a novel candidate gene for non-syndromic autosomal recessive intellectual disability: the WASH complex member SWIP

Human Molecular Genetics, 2011

High throughput sequencing has greatly facilitated the elucidation of genetic disorders, but comp... more High throughput sequencing has greatly facilitated the elucidation of genetic disorders, but compared to recessive X-linked diseases, the search for genetic defects underlying autosomal recessive disorders remains a challenge. In a large consanguineous family with autosomal recessive intellectual disability, we have combined homozygosity mapping, targeted exon enrichment and high throughput sequencing to identify the underlying gene defect.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arp2/3 Activator WASH Controls the Fission of Endosomes through a Large Multiprotein Complex

Research paper thumbnail of Clathrin is required for Scar/Wave-mediated lamellipodium formation

Development, 2011

The Scar/Wave complex (SWC) generates lamellipodia through Arp2/3-dependent polymerisation of bra... more The Scar/Wave complex (SWC) generates lamellipodia through Arp2/3-dependent polymerisation of branched actin networks. In order to identify new SWC regulators, we conducted a screen in Drosophila cells combining proteomics with functional genomics. This screen identified Clathrin heavy chain (CHC) as a protein that binds to the SWC and whose depletion affects lamellipodium formation. This role of CHC in lamellipodium formation can be uncoupled from its role in membrane trafficking by several experimental approaches. Furthermore, CHC is detected in lamellipodia in the absence of the adaptor and accessory proteins of endocytosis. We found that CHC overexpression decreased membrane recruitment of the SWC, resulting in reduced velocity of protrusions and reduced cell migration. By contrast, when CHC was targeted to the membrane by fusion to a myristoylation sequence, we observed an increase in membrane recruitment of the SWC, protrusion velocity and cell migration. Together these data suggest that, in addition to its classical role in membrane trafficking, CHC brings the SWC to the plasma membrane, thereby controlling lamellipodium formation.

Research paper thumbnail of A Novel Mechanism for the Formation of Actin-Filament Bundles by a Nonprocessive Formin

Current Biology, 2006

Actin-filament bundles (or cables) have a structural role during cell division and morphogenesis,... more Actin-filament bundles (or cables) have a structural role during cell division and morphogenesis, but also serve as important ''tracks'' for the transport of materials during cytokinesis and polarized cell growth. However, the dynamic formation of these longitudinal actin-filament higher-order structures is not understood. Recently, several lines of evidence suggest that formins provide one avenue for the initiation of actin cables in vivo . A popular model for the mechanism of polymerization of actin filaments by formin involves the processive movement of formin attached at the barbed end of an elongating filament . In the present study, we use an in vitro system to reconstitute the dynamic formation of actin-filament bundles generated by Arabidopsis FORMIN1 (AFH1). To be able to visualize individual events in such a complex system, we used real-time evanescent-wave microscopy. Surprisingly, we find that AFH1 is a nonprocessive formin that moves from the barbed end to the side of an actin filament after the nucleation event. We show why this new mechanism of nucleation by a member of the formin family is important for bundle formation. Finally, we analyze the different parameters controlling the dynamic formation of such longitudinal actin-filament bundles.

Research paper thumbnail of Inhibitory signalling to the Arp2/3 complex steers cell migration