Mitotic spindle positioning protein (MISP) preferentially binds to aged F-actin.

Actin bundling proteins crosslink filaments into polarized structures that shape and support membrane protrusions including filopodia, microvilli, and stereocilia. In the case of epithelial microvilli, mitotic spindle positioning protein (MISP) is an actin bundler that localizes specifically to the basal rootlets, where the pointed ends of core bundle filaments converge. Previous studies established that MISP is prevented from binding more distal segments of the core bundle by competition with other actin-binding proteins. Yet whether MISP holds a preference for binding directly to rootlet actin remains an open question. By immunostaining native intestinal tissue sections, we found that microvillar rootlets are decorated with the severing protein, cofilin, suggesting high levels of ADP-actin in these structures. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy assays, we also found that purified MISP exhibits a binding preference for ADP- versus ADP-Pi-actin-containing filaments. Consistent with this, assays with actively growing actin filaments revealed that MISP binds at or near their pointed ends. Moreover, although substrate attached MISP assembles filament bundles in parallel and antiparallel configurations, in solution MISP assembles parallel bundles consisting of multiple filaments exhibiting uniform polarity. These discoveries highlight nucleotide state sensing as a mechanism for sorting actin bundlers along filaments and driving their accumulation near filament ends. Such localized binding might drive parallel bundle formation and/or locally modulate bundle mechanical properties in microvilli and related protrusions.

Salivary gland developmental mechanics.

The salivary gland undergoes branching morphogenesis to elaborate into a tree-like structure with numerous saliva-secreting acinar units, all joined by a hierarchical ductal system. The expansive epithelial surface generated by branching morphogenesis serves as the structural basis for the efficient production and delivery of saliva. Here, we elucidate the process of salivary gland morphogenesis, emphasizing the role of mechanics. Structurally, the developing salivary gland is characterized by a stratified epithelium tightly encased by the basement membrane, which is in turn surrounded by a mesenchyme consisting of a dense network of interstitial matrix and mesenchymal cells. Diverse cell types and extracellular matrices bestow this developing organ with organized, yet spatially varied mechanical properties. For instance, the surface epithelial sheet of the bud is highly fluidic due to its high cell motility and weak cell-cell adhesion, rendering it highly pliable. In contrast, the inner core of the bud is more rigid, characterized by reduced cell motility and strong cell-cell adhesion, which likely provide structural support for the tissue. The interactions between the surface epithelial sheet and the inner core give rise to budding morphogenesis. Furthermore, the basement membrane and the mesenchyme offer mechanical constraints that could play a pivotal role in determining the higher-order architecture of a fully mature salivary gland.

Mitotic spindle positioning protein (MISP) is an actin bundler that senses ADP-actin and binds near the pointed ends of filaments.

Actin bundling proteins crosslink filaments into polarized structures that shape and support membrane protrusions including filopodia, microvilli, and stereocilia. In the case of epithelial microvilli, mitotic spindle positioning protein (MISP) is an actin bundler that localizes specifically to the basal rootlets, where the pointed ends of core bundle filaments converge. Previous studies established that MISP is prevented from binding more distal segments of the core bundle by competition with other actin binding proteins. Yet whether MISP holds a preference for binding directly to rootlet actin remains an open question. Using in vitro TIRF microscopy assays, we found that MISP exhibits a clear binding preference for filaments enriched in ADP-actin monomers. Consistent with this, assays with actively growing actin filaments revealed that MISP binds at or near their pointed ends. Moreover, although substrate attached MISP assembles filament bundles in parallel and antiparallel configurations, in solution MISP assembles parallel bundles consisting of multiple filaments exhibiting uniform polarity. These discoveries highlight nucleotide state sensing as a mechanism for sorting actin bundlers along filaments and driving their accumulation near filament ends. Such localized binding might drive parallel bundle formation and/or locally modulate bundle mechanical properties in microvilli and related protrusions.

Building the brush border, one microvillus at a time.

Microvilli are actin bundle-supported surface protrusions assembled by diverse cell types to mediate biochemical and physical interactions with the external environment. Found on the surface of some of the earliest animal cells, primordial microvilli likely contributed to bacterial entrapment and feeding. Although millions of years of evolution have repurposed these protrusions to fulfill diverse roles such as detection of mechanical or visual stimuli in inner ear hair cells or retinal pigmented epithelial cells, respectively, solute uptake remains a key essential function linked to these structures. In this mini review, we offer a brief overview of the composition and structure of epithelial microvilli, highlight recent discoveries on the growth of these protrusions early in differentiation, and point to fundamental questions surrounding microvilli biogenesis that remain open for future studies.

Mitotic Spindle Positioning (MISP) is an actin bundler that selectively stabilizes the rootlets of epithelial microvilli.

Microvilli are conserved actin-based surface protrusions that have been repurposed throughout evolution to fulfill diverse cell functions. In the case of transporting epithelia, microvilli are supported by a core of actin filaments bundled in parallel by villin, fimbrin, and espin. Remarkably, microvilli biogenesis persists in mice lacking all three of these factors, suggesting the existence of unknown bundlers. We identified Mitotic Spindle Positioning (MISP) as an actin-binding factor that localizes specifically to the rootlet end of the microvillus. MISP promotes rootlet elongation in cells, and purified MISP exhibits potent filament bundling activity in vitro. MISP-bundled filaments also recruit fimbrin, which further elongates and stabilizes bundles. MISP confinement to the rootlet is enforced by ezrin, which prevents decoration of the membrane-wrapped distal end of the core bundle. These discoveries reveal how epithelial cells optimize apical membrane surface area and offer insight on the remarkable robustness of microvilli biogenesis.

Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and Other Trypanosomatids in Frequently-Hunted Wild Mammals from the Peruvian Amazon.

To better understand the ecology of Trypanosoma cruzi in the northeastern Peruvian Amazon, we evaluated the prevalence of T. cruzi and other trypanosomatids in four orders of wild mammals hunted and consumed by inhabitants of three remote indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Of 300 wild mammals sampled, 115 (38.3%) were infected with trypanosomatids and 15 (5.0%) with T. cruzi. The prevalence of T. cruzi within each species was as follows: large rodents (Cuniculus paca, 5.5%; Dasyprocta spp., 2.6%), edentates (Dasypus novemcinctus, 4.2%), and carnivores with higher prevalence (Nasua nasua, 18.8%). The high prevalence of T. cruzi and other trypanosomatids in frequently hunted wild mammals suggests a sizeable T. cruzi sylvatic reservoir in remote Amazonian locations.

Molecular Epidemiology of Trypanosomatids and Trypanosoma cruzi in Primates from Peru.

We determined the prevalence rate and risk of infection of Trypanosoma cruzi and other trypanosomatids in Peruvian non-human primates (NHPs) in the wild (n = 126) and in different captive conditions (n = 183). Blood samples were collected on filter paper, FTA cards, or EDTA tubes and tested using a nested PCR protocol targeting the 24Sα rRNA gene. Main risk factors associated with trypanosomatid and T. cruzi infection were genus and the human-animal context (wild vs captive animals). Wild NHPs had higher prevalence of both trypanosomatids (64.3 vs 27.9%, P < 0.001) and T. cruzi (8.7 vs 3.3%, P = 0.057), compared to captive NHPs, suggesting that parasite transmission in NHPs occurs more actively in the sylvatic cycle. In terms of primate family, Pitheciidae had the highest trypanosomatid prevalence (20/22, 90.9%) and Cebidae had the highest T. cruzi prevalence (15/117, 12.8%). T. cruzi and trypanosomatids are common in Peruvian NHPs and could pose a health risk to human and animals that has not been properly studied.