Expansion and concatenation of non-muscle myosin IIA filaments drive cellular contractile system formation during interphase and mitosis.

ABSTRACT: Cell movement and cytokinesis are facilitated by contractile forces generated by the molecular motor, non-muscle myosin II (NMII). NMII molecules form a filament (NMII-F) through interactions of their C-terminal rod domains, positioning groups of N-terminal motor domains on opposite sides. The NMII motors then bind and pull actin filaments toward the NMII-F, thus driving contraction. Inside of crawling cells, NMIIA-Fs form large macromolecular ensembles (i.e., NMIIA-F stacks) but how this occurs is unknown. Here we show NMIIA-F stacks are formed through two non-mutually exclusive mechanisms: expansion and concatenation. During expansion, NMIIA molecules within the NMIIA-F spread out concurrent with addition of new NMIIA molecules. Concatenation occurs when multiple NMIIA-F/NMIIA-F stacks m

SUBMITTER: Fenix AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4850034 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature