Journal
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
Volume 180, Issue 5, Pages 887-895Publisher
ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200709092
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex mediates the formation of branched actin. laments at the leading edge of motile cells and in the comet tails moving certain intracellular pathogens. Crystal structures of the Arp2/3 complex are available, but the architecture of the junction formed by the Arp2/3 complex at the base of the branch was not known. In this study, we use electron tomography to reconstruct the branch junction with sufficient resolution to show how the Arp2/3 complex interacts with the mother. lament. Our analysis reveals conformational changes in both the mother. lament and Arp2/3 complex upon branch formation. The Arp2 and Arp3 subunits reorganize into a dimer, providing a short-pitch template for elongation of the daughter. lament. Two subunits of the mother. lament undergo conformational changes that increase stability of the branch. These data provide a rationale for why branch formation requires cooperative interactions among the Arp2/3 complex, nucleation-promoting factors, an actin monomer, and the mother. lament.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available