The tail of yeast myosin II is localized to the division site by two distinct molecular pathways and sufficient for promoting actomyosin ring assembly, furrow ingression, and guidance in ECM remodeling.

Myosin VI challenges the prevailing theory of how myosin motors move on actin: the lever arm hypothesis. While the reverse directionality and large powerstroke of myosin VI can be attributed to unusual properties of a subdomain of the motor (converter with a unique insert), these adaptations cannot account for the large step size on actin. Either the lever arm hypothesis needs modification, or myosin VI has some unique form of extension of its lever arm. We determined the structure of the region immediately distal to the lever arm of the motor and show that it is a 3-helix bundle. Based on C-terminal truncations that display the normal range of step sizes on actin, CD, fluorescence studies, and a partial deletion of the bundle, we demonstrate that this bundle unfolds upon dimerization of two myosin VI monomers. This unprecedented mechanism generates an extension of the lever arm of myosin VI.

Myosin VI is a reverse direction actin-based motor capable of taking large steps (30-36 nm) when dimerized. However, all dimeric myosin VI molecules so far examined have included non-native coiled-coil sequences, and reports on full-length myosin VI have failed to demonstrate the existence of dimers. Herein, we demonstrate that full-length myosin VI is capable of forming stable, processive dimers when monomers are clustered, which move up to 1-2 mum in approximately 30 nm, hand-over-hand steps. Furthermore, we present data consistent with the monomers being prevented from dimerizing unless they are held in close proximity and that dimerization is somewhat inhibited by the cargo binding tail. A model thus emerges that cargo binding likely clusters and initiates dimerization of full-length myosin VI molecules. Although this mechanism has not been previously described for members of the myosin superfamily, it is somewhat analogous to the proposed mechanism of dimerization for the kinesin Unc104.

Although myosin VI has properties that would allow it to function optimally as a dimer, full-length myosin VI exists as a monomer in isolation. Based on the ability of myosin VI monomers to dimerize when held in close proximity, we postulated that cargo binding normally regulates dimerization of myosin VI. We tested this hypothesis by expressing a known dimeric cargo adaptor protein of myosin VI, optineurin, and the myosin VI-binding segment from a monomeric cargo adaptor protein, Dab2. In the presence of these adaptor proteins, full-length myosin VI has ATPase properties of a dimer, appears as a dimer in electron micrographs, and moves processively on actin filaments. The results support a model in which cargo binding exposes internal dimerization sequences within full-length myosin VI. Because, unexpectedly, a monomeric fragment of Dab2 triggers dimerization, it would appear that myosin VI is designed to function as a dimer in cells.Dab2 ͉ directionality ͉ motility ͉ optineurin ͉ unconventional myosin W ithin the myosin superfamily there are at least 35 classes of molecular motors that move along actin filaments (1). Myosin VI is the only class of myosin known to move toward the minus-end of actin filaments (2, 3). Myosin VI dimers take large and variable steps on actin (average of 30-36 nm) using a short lever arm and a unique lever arm extension (4-6). Not only is the myosin VI dimer capable of processive movement (i.e., can move as a single molecule) along an actin filament (4-6), it also functions as a load-dependent actin anchoring protein (7). Thus myosin VI can potentially fulfill a number of specialized cell biological functions (8-10). Paradoxically, although these functional features suggest that myosin VI is designed to work in cells as a dimer, myosin VI as isolated from cells is a monomer, and expressed full-length myosin VI is also monomeric (4,5,11).A number of cargo adaptor proteins that recruit myosin VI have been identified (8). For example, it has been demonstrated that optineurin is essential for myosin VI localization to the Golgi complex (12), and binds to a site within the globular tail of myosin VI. Dab2 (13,14) and Sap97 (15) mediate the recruitment of myosin VI to clathrin-coated pits and vesicles, whereas GipC serves this role on uncoated vesicles (16,17).The myosin VI molecule has discrete structural domains, as diagrammed in Fig. 1, using the terminology of Spink et al. (18). We have demonstrated that internal dimerization (probably coiled coil) occurs between residues 913 and 936 (6). However, we noted that this dimerization is weak and forms only if the molecules are held in close proximity (5, 6). We postulated that in vivo dimerization is initiated upon binding of myosin VI to a dimeric cargo, which would then trigger the weak internal dimerization (5, 6).Subsequently, it was shown that a headless myosin VI construct containing the entire tail and cargo-binding domains dimerized with relatively high affinity (18). Thus there may be two separate regions of the myosin VI molecule...

The yeast class V myosin Myo4p moves processively in vivo in a cargo-dependent manner following formation of a double-headed complex with the adapter protein She3p and the mRNA-binding protein She2p.