Identification of an actin binding surface on vinculin that mediates mechanical cell and focal adhesion properties.

ABSTRACT: Vinculin, a cytoskeletal scaffold protein essential for embryogenesis and cardiovascular function, localizes to focal adhesions and adherens junctions, connecting cell surface receptors to the actin cytoskeleton. While vinculin interacts with many adhesion proteins, its interaction with filamentous actin regulates cell morphology, motility, and mechanotransduction. Disruption of this interaction lowers cell traction forces and enhances actin flow rates. Although a model for the vinculin:actin complex exists, we recently identified actin-binding deficient mutants of vinculin outside sites predicted to bind actin and developed an alternative model to better define this actin-binding surface, using negative-stain electron microscopy (EM), discrete molecular dynamics, and mutagenesis. Actin-bi

SUBMITTER: Thompson PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4039106 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature