Inverted formin 2 in focal adhesions promotes dorsal stress fiber and fibrillar adhesion formation to drive extracellular matrix assembly.

ABSTRACT: Actin filaments and integrin-based focal adhesions (FAs) form integrated systems that mediate dynamic cell interactions with their environment or other cells during migration, the immune response, and tissue morphogenesis. How adhesion-associated actin structures obtain their functional specificity is unclear. Here we show that the formin-family actin nucleator, inverted formin 2 (INF2), localizes specifically to FAs and dorsal stress fibers (SFs) in fibroblasts. High-resolution fluorescence microscopy and manipulation of INF2 levels in cells indicate that INF2 plays a critical role at the SF-FA junction by promoting actin polymerization via free barbed end generation and centripetal elongation of an FA-associated actin bundle to form dorsal SF. INF2 assembles into FAs during maturation ra

SUBMITTER: Skau CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4434736 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature