We previously reported that actin-depolymerizing agents promote the alkalization of the Golgi stack and the trans-Golgi network. The main determinant of acidic pH at the Golgi is the vacuolar-type H ؉ -translocating ATPase (V-ATPase), whose V 1 domain subunits B and C bind actin. We have generated a GFPtagged subunit B2 construct (GFP-B2) that is incorporated into the V 1 domain, which in turn is coupled to the V 0 sector. GFP-B2 subunit is enriched at distal Golgi compartments in HeLa cells. Subcellular fractionation, immunoprecipitation, and inversal FRAP experiments show that the actin depolymerization promotes the dissociation of V 1 -V 0 domains, which entails subunit B2 translocation from Golgi membranes to the cytosol. Moreover, molecular interaction between subunits B2 and C1 and actin were detected. In addition, Golgi membrane lipid order disruption by D-ceramide-C6 causes Golgi pH alkalization. We conclude that actin regulates the Golgi pH homeostasis maintaining the coupling of V 1 -V 0 domains of V-ATPase through the binding of microfilaments to subunits B and C and preserving the integrity of detergent-resistant membrane organization. These results establish the Golgi-associated V-ATPase activity as the molecular link between actin and the Golgi pH.The secretory pathway is characterized by progressive lumen acidification of its organelles, from almost neutral in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) 4 (pH Ϸ7.1-7.2), along the cis-to-trans Golgi stack (pH Ϸ6.7-6.0), to more acidic in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and secretory vesicles/granules (pH Ϸ5.0) (1-3). This pH gradient is crucial for post-translational modifications and membrane trafficking events (4, 5). The main molecular determinant of the progressive fall in pH along the secretory pathway is the vacuolar [H ϩ ]ATPase (V-ATPase) (6 -8). V-ATPase is a multisubunit complex composed of two large domains, V 0 and V 1 . The V 0 domain is a 260-kDa integral membrane complex made up of five different subunits (a, b, c, cЈ, cЉ, d, and e), which mediates proton translocation; the V 1 domain is a 600 -650-kDa peripheral complex composed of eight different subunits (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H), which is responsible for the ATP hydrolysis that provides the mechanical force necessary for proton (H ϩ ) translocation (7, 9 -11). Whereas they are the primary source of proton delivery to endomembranes consuming ATP, the final steady-state pH in the secretory pathway is the result of the balance between active H ϩ pumping by the V-ATPase, passive H ϩ efflux through organelle endogenous H ϩ permeability, and differences in counter-ion conductance (3, 12).How differences in the pH of individual secretory compartments are generated is not well understood. Differential VATPase density and/or local regulatory mechanisms in secretory organelles and subcompartments are possible (13). In this respect, V-ATPase-dependent proton translocation could be regulated by several mechanisms, which include the following: (a) differential V-ATPase subunit expression; (b) intracel...