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| Subject Categories: Cell & Tissue Architecture | Structural Biology |
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| The EMBO Journal
(2007) 26, 4597–4606, doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601874 Published online 4 October 2007 |
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| Structural basis for the recruitment of profilin–actin complexes during filament elongation by Ena/VASP |
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| François Ferron, Grzegorz Rebowski, Sung Haeng Lee and Roberto Dominguez |
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Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA To whom correspondence should be addressed Roberto Dominguez, Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, A507 Richards Building, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058, USA. Tel.: +1 215 573 4559; Fax: +1 215 573 5851; E-mail: droberto@mail.med.upenn.edu Received 18 July 2007; Accepted 10 September 2007; Published online 4 October 2007. |
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| Abstract |
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| Cells sustain high rates of actin filament elongation by maintaining a large pool of actin monomers above the critical concentration for polymerization. Profilin–actin complexes constitute the largest fraction of polymerization-competent actin monomers. Filament elongation factors such as Ena/VASP and formin catalyze the transition of profilin–actin from the cellular pool onto the barbed end of growing filaments. The molecular bases of this process are poorly understood. Here we present structural and energetic evidence for two consecutive steps of the elongation mechanism: the recruitment of profilin–actin by the last poly-Pro segment of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and the binding of profilin–actin simultaneously to this poly-Pro and to the G-actin-binding (GAB) domain of VASP. The actin monomer bound at the GAB domain is proposed to be in position to join the barbed end of the growing filament concurrently with the release of profilin. |
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| Keywords: actin, cytoskeleton dynamics, filament elongation, profilin |
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Top of page MORE ARTICLES LIKE THISThese links to content published by NPG are automatically generated NEWS AND VIEWSRocket-based motility: a universal mechanism? Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Jun 1999) Cell motility Sharks' teeth and dunes Nature News and Views (30 May 2002) RESEARCHThe EMBO Journal Article A role for VASP in RhoA-Diaphanous signalling to actin dynamics and SRF activity The EMBO Journal Article (16 Jun 2003) |
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