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Dimeric WH2 domains in Vibrio VopF promote actin filament barbed-end uncapping and assisted elongation

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 20, pages 1069–1076 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Proteins containing repeats of the WASP homology 2 (WH2) actin-binding module are multifunctional regulators of actin nucleation and assembly. The bacterial effector VopF in Vibrio cholerae, like VopL in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, is a unique homodimer of three WH2 motifs linked by a C-terminal dimerization domain. We show that only the first and third WH2 domains of VopF bind G-actin in a non-nucleating, sequestered conformation. Moreover, dimeric WH2 domains in VopF give rise to unprecedented regulation of actin assembly. Specifically, two WH2 domains on opposite protomers of VopF direct filament assembly from actin or profilin–actin by binding terminal subunits and uncapping capping protein from barbed ends by a new mechanism. Thus, VopF does not nucleate filaments by capping a pointed-end F-actin hexamer. These properties may contribute to VopF pathogenicity, and they show how dimeric WH2 peptides may mediate processive filament growth.

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Figure 1: Characterization of VopF constructs and complex formation with actin.
Figure 2: VopF nucleates actin filaments and sequesters G-actin.
Figure 3: VopF constructs containing three WH2 domains and the V1 moiety, in monomer or dimer form, sever filaments.
Figure 4: Dimerization of WH2 domains in VopF promotes their binding to barbed ends and is associated with permissive assembly from actin and profilin–actin.
Figure 5: VopF uncaps barbed ends from capping protein by a new mechanism.
Figure 6: Structural model for barbed-end binding and uncapping by VopF.
Figure 7: Model for VopF-assisted filament nucleation and barbed-end growth.

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Acknowledgements

M.-F.C. acknowledges support from an European Research Council advanced grant (249982), EU FP7 grant (241548), the Agence Nationale de la Recherce (Physique et Chimie du Vivant program 2006-2010) and the Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer (équipe labellisée). J.O. acknowledges the support of a short-term European Molecular Biology Organization fellowship (ASTF 256-2012). We thank K. Zeth and V. Chellamuthu for providing VopF protein in the initial stages of the work, Y. Maeda for kindly providing the atomic coordinates of capping protein bound to barbed ends and members of the European Research Council team for discussions. M.-F.C. dedicates this paper to the memory of Annemarie Weber.

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  1. Jozsef Orban

    Present address: Present address: Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cytoskeleton Dynamics and Motility Group, Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Julien Pernier, Jozsef Orban, Balendu Sankara Avvaru, Antoine Jégou, Guillaume Romet-Lemonne, Bérengère Guichard & Marie-France Carlier

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Contributions

M.-F.C. conducted research; J.P. and J.O. designed and performed biochemical experiments and analyzed data; J.P., A.J. and G.R.-L. performed TIRF experiments; B.S.A. modeled capping protein and VopF on F-actin; B.G. purified proteins; M.-F.C. and J.P. wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Marie-France Carlier.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–7 and Supplementary Table 1 (PDF 687 kb)

Filament remains capped

In this movie (field width= 8 μm) the filament remains capped and does not grow upon flowing in 2 nM CP. (AVI 28 kb)

VopF uncaps barbed ends from capping protein

In this movie (field width= 17 μm), the filament is uncapped and grows at the same rate as when free upon flowing in 2 nM CP and 20 nM V2. (AVI 32 kb)

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Pernier, J., Orban, J., Avvaru, B. et al. Dimeric WH2 domains in Vibrio VopF promote actin filament barbed-end uncapping and assisted elongation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 20, 1069–1076 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2639

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