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Mammalian formin-1 participates in adherens junctions and polymerization of linear actin cables

Nature Cell Biology volume 6, pages 21–30 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

During epithelial sheet formation, linear actin cables assemble at nascent adherens junctions. This process requires α-catenin and actin polymerization, although the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that formin-1 interacts with α-catenin, localizes to adherens junctions and nucleates unbranched actin filaments. Furthermore, disruption of the α-catenin–formin-1 interaction blocks assembly of radial actin cables and perturbs intercellular adhesion. A fusion protein of the β-catenin-binding domain of α-catenin with the actin polymerization domains of formin-1 rescues formation of adherens junctions and associated actin cables in α-catenin-null keratinocytes. These findings provide new insight into how α-catenin orchestrates actin dynamics during intercellular junction formation.

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Figure 1: Formin 1 is a putative interacting protein for α-catenin.
Figure 2: The localization of Formin-1 is dependent on α-catenin.
Figure 3: Formin-1 and α-catenin interact specifically.
Figure 4: Formin-1 (FH1-FH2) nucleates actin filaments in vitro.
Figure 5: The formin-1 α-cat-BD perturbs intercellular junctions.
Figure 6: Rescuing intercellular junctions in α-catenin-null keratinocytes.

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Acknowledgements

E.F. is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. We thank V. Vasioukhin for valuable discussions in the early stages of this work, W. Lowry for assistance with the actin polymerization studies, A. North and A. Vaezi for their assistance with Deltavision imaging, and P. Leder, A. Alberts, S. Narumiya and L. Cantley for reagents. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (RO1-AR27883 to E. F.) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, Box 300, New York, 10021-6399, NY, USA

    Agnieszka Kobielak, H. Amalia Pasolli & Elaine Fuchs

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Correspondence to Elaine Fuchs.

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Kobielak, A., Pasolli, H. & Fuchs, E. Mammalian formin-1 participates in adherens junctions and polymerization of linear actin cables. Nat Cell Biol 6, 21–30 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1075

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