mDia1 senses both force and torque during F-actin filament polymerization

Miao Yu, Xin Yuan, Chen Lu, Shimin Le, Ryo Kawamura, Artem K. Efremov, Zhihai Zhao, Michael M. Kozlov, Michael Sheetz, Alexander Bershadsky () and Jie Yan ()
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Miao Yu: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Xin Yuan: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Chen Lu: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Shimin Le: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Ryo Kawamura: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Artem K. Efremov: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Zhihai Zhao: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Michael M. Kozlov: Tel Aviv University
Michael Sheetz: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Alexander Bershadsky: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Jie Yan: Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Formins, an important family of force-bearing actin-polymerizing factors, function as homodimers that bind with the barbed end of actin filaments through a ring-like structure assembled from dimerized FH2 domains. It has been hypothesized that force applied to formin may facilitate transition of the FH2 ring from an inhibitory closed conformation to a permissive open conformation, speeding up actin polymerization. We confirm this hypothesis for mDia1 dependent actin polymerization by stretching a single-actin filament in the absence of profilin using magnetic tweezers, and observe that increasing force from 0.5 to 10 pN can drastically speed up the actin polymerization rate. Further, we find that this force-promoted actin polymerization requires torsionally unconstrained actin filament, suggesting that mDia1 also senses torque. As actin filaments are subject to complex mechanical constraints in living cells, these results provide important insights into how formin senses these mechanical constraints and regulates actin organization accordingly.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01745-4

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