Actin Isoform-specific Conformational Differences Observed with Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Actin can exist in multiple conformations necessary for normal function. Actin isoforms, although highly conserved in sequence, exhibit different biochemical properties and cellular roles. We used amide proton hydrogen/deuterium (HD) exchange detected by mass spectrometry to analyze conformational differences between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and muscle actins in the G and F forms to gain insight into these differences. We also utilized HD exchange to study interdomain and allosteric communication in yeast-muscle hybrid actins to better understand the conformational dynamics of actin. Areas showing differences in HD exchange between G-and F-actins are areas of intermonomer contacts, consistent with the current filament models. Our results showed greater exchange for yeast G-actin compared with muscle actin in the barbed end pivot region and areas in subdomains 1 and 2 and for F-actin in monomer-monomer contact areas. These results suggest greater flexibility of the yeast actin monomer and filament compared with muscle actin. For hybrid G-actins, the muscle-like and yeastlike parts of the molecule generally showed exchange characteristics resembling their parent actins. A few exceptions were a peptide on top of subdomain 2 and the pivot region between subdomains 1 and 3 with muscle actin-like exchange characteristics although the areas were yeastlike. These results demonstrate that there is cross-talk between subdomains 1 and 2 and the large and small domains. Hybrid F-actin data showing greater exchange compared with both yeast and muscle actins are consistent with mismatched yeast-muscle interfaces resulting in decreased stability of the hybrid filament contacts.The ability of actin to engage in a wide range of physiological functions requires that it be subject to complex spatial and temporal control by a large array of actin-binding proteins (1-3). Such regulation demands that both the monomeric and filamentous forms of actin be able to exist in a number of different conformations. Some of these may be differentially recognized by different actin-binding proteins, and some might actually be induced by the interaction of actin with these proteins.Actin is highly conserved from yeast to humans. There is 87% sequence identity between yeast and muscle actin and 91% sequence identity between yeast and nonmuscle actins. Even with this high sequence similarity and minor differences in crystal structures, there are some major differences in yeast and muscle actin behavior. Yeast, compared with muscle actin, polymerizes faster and exchanges its bound nucleotide faster. In contrast to muscle actin, the yeast actin filament releases its P i almost immediately after ATP hydrolysis and the filament fragments more readily (4). Yeast cells cannot survive with muscle actin as the sole actin, and with ␤-nonmuscle actin as the only actin, yeast cells are very sick (5). A set of biochemical data indicates that the muscle filament is less flexible than yeast (6, 7). However, conformational and structural differences that could ex...

Vascular disease-causing mutation R258C in ACTA2 disrupts actin dynamics and interaction with myosin

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Mutant Profilin Suppresses Mutant Actin-dependent Mitochondrial Phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

“…Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Analyzed by Mass Spectrometry-Hydrogen-deuterium exchange analyzed by mass spectrometry was performed as described previously (37). Briefly, 40 M G-actin was diluted 16-fold in deuterated G buffer at room temperature to start the exchange reaction.…”

Allele-specific Effects of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection α-Smooth Muscle Actin Mutations on Actin Function

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