Binding of gelsolin domain 2 to actin. An actin interface distinct from that of gelsolin domain 1 and from ADF/cofilin.

It is generally assumed that of the six domains that comprise gelsolin, domain 2 is primarily responsible for the initial contact with the actin filament that will ultimately result in the filament being severed. Other actin-binding regions within domains 1 and 4 are involved in gelsolin's severing and subsequent capping activity. The overall fold of all gelsolin repeated domains are similar to the actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin family of actin-binding proteins and it has been proposed that there is a similarity in the actin-binding interface. Gelsolin domains 1 and 4 bind G-actin in a similar manner and compete with each other, whereas domain 2 binds F-actin at physiological salt concentrations, and does not compete with domain 1. Here we investigate the domain 2 : actin interface and compare this to our recent studies of the cofilin : actin interface. We conclude that important differences exist between the interfaces of actin with gelsolin domains 1 and 2, and with ADF/cofilin. We present a model for F-actin binding of domain 2 with respect to the F-actin severing and capping activity of the whole gelsolin molecule.

Rapid formation and high diffusibility of actin-cofilin cofilaments at low pH.

Cofilin is a small actin-binding protein that is known to bind both F-actin and G-actin, severing the former. The interaction of cofilin with actin is pH-sensitive, F-actin being preferentially bound at low pH and G-actin at higher pH, within the physiological range. Diffusion coefficients of F-actin with cofilin were measured by the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique. This has the potential for simultaneous and direct measurement of average polymer length via the average diffusion coefficient of the polymers (DLM) as well as the fraction of polymerized actin, fLM, present in solution. In the range of cofilin-actin ratios up to 1 : 1 and at both pH 6.5 and pH 8.0, the diffusion coefficients of the polymers increased with the amount of cofilin present in the complex, in a co-operative manner to a plateau. We interpret this as indicating co-operative binding/severing and that filaments less than a certain length cannot be severed further. Under the conditions used here, filaments were found to be more motile at pH 6.5 than at pH 8.0. At pH 8.0, some actin is expected to be sequestered as ADP-actin-cofilin complexes, with the remaining actin being present as long slowly diffusing filaments. At pH 6.5, however, cofilin binds to F-actin to form short rapidly diffusing cofilaments. These filaments form very rapidly from cofilin-actin monomeric complexes, possibly indicating that this complex is able to polymerize without dissociation. These findings may be relevant to the nuclear import of actin-cofilin complexes.

Domain 2 of gelsolin binds directly to tropomyosin.

Gelsolin is an actin filament severing protein composed of six similar structured domains that differ with respect to actin, calcium and polyphospho-inositide binding. Previous work has established that gelsolin binds tropomyosin [Koepf, E.K. and Burtnick, L.D. (1992) FEBS Lett. 309, 56-58]. We have produced various specific gelsolin domains in Escherichia coli in order to establish which of the six domains binds tropomyosin. Gelsolin domains 1-3 (G1-3), G1-2 and G2 all bind tropomyosin in a pH and calcium insensitive manner whereas binding of G4-6 to tropomyosin was barely detectable under the conditions tested. We conclude that gelsolin binds tropomyosin via domain 2 (G2).

The identification of a second cofilin binding site on actin suggests a novel, intercalated arrangement of F-actin binding.

The cofilins are members of a protein family that binds monomeric and filamentous actin, severs actin filaments, and increases monomer off-rate from the pointed end. Here, we characterize the cofilin-actin interface. We confirm earlier work suggesting the importance of the lower region of subdomain 1 encompassing the N and C termini (site 1) in cofilin binding. In addition, we report the discovery of a new cofilin binding site (site 2) from residues 112-125 that form a helix toward the upper, rear surface of subdomain 1 in the standard actin orientation (Kabsch, W., Mannherz, H. G., Suck, D., Pai, E. F., and Holmes, K. C. (1990) Nature 347, 37-44). We propose that cofilin binds "behind" one monomer and "in front" of the other longitudinally associated monomer, accounting for the fact that cofilin alters the twist in the actin (McGough, A., Pope, B., Chiu, W., and Weeds, A. (1997) J. Cell Biol. 138, 771-781). The characterization of the cofilin-actin interface will facilitate an understanding of how cofilin severs and depolymerizes filaments and may shed light on the mechanism of the gelsolin family because they share a similar fold with the cofilins (Hatanaka, H., Ogura, K., Moriyama, K., Ichikawa, S., Yahara, I., and Inagiki, F. (1996) Cell 85, 1047-1055).

The specificity of sty SKI, a type I restriction enzyme, implies a structure with rotational symmetry.

The type I restriction and modification (R-M) enzyme from Salmonella enterica serovar kaduna ( Sty SKI) recognises the DNA sequence 5'-CGAT(N)7GTTA, an unusual target for a type I R-M system in that it comprises two tetranucleotide components. The amino target recognition domain (TRD) of Sty SKI recognises 5'-CGAT and shows 36% amino acid identity with the carboxy TRD of Eco R124I which recognises the complementary, but degenerate, sequence 5'-RTCG. Current models predict that the amino and carboxy TRDs of the specificity subunit are in inverted orientations within a structure with 2-fold rotational symmetry. The complementary target sequences recognised by the amino TRD of Sty SKI and the carboxy TRD of Eco R124I are consistent with the predicted inverted positions of the TRDs. Amino TRDs of similar amino acid sequence have been shown to recognise the same nucleotide sequence. The similarity reported here, the first example of one between amino and carboxy TRDs, while consistent with a conserved mechanism of target recognition, offers additional flexibility in the evolution of sequence specificity by increasing the potential diversity of DNA targets for a given number of TRDs. Sty SKI identifies the first member of the IB family in Salmonella species.

A third family of allelic hsd genes in Salmonella enterica: sequence comparisons with related proteins identify conserved regions implicated in restriction of DNA.

Salmonella enterica serovar blegdam has a restriction and modification system encoded by genes linked to serB. We have cloned these genes, putative alleles of the hsd locus of Escherichia coli K-12, and confirmed by the sequence similarities of flanking DNA that the hsd genes of S. enterica serovar blegdam have the same chromosomal location as those of E. coli K-12 and Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium LT2. There is, however, no obvious similarity in their nucleotide sequences, and while the gene order in S. enterica serovar blegdam is serB hsdM, S and R, that in E. coli K-12 and S. enterica serovar typhimurium LT2 is serB hsdR, M and S. The hsd genes of S. enterica serovar blegdam identify a third family of serB-linked hsd genes (type ID). The polypeptide sequence predicted from the three hsd genes show some similarities (18-50% identity) with the polypeptides of known and putative type I restriction and modification systems; the highest levels of identity are with sequences of Haemophilus influenzae Rd. The HsdM polypeptide has the motifs characteristic of adenine methyltransferases. Comparisons of the HsdR sequence with those for three other families of type I systems and three putative HsdR polypeptides identify two highly conserved regions in addition to the seven proposed DEAD-box motifs.

Restriction by EcoKI is enhanced by co-operative interactions between target sequences and is dependent on DEAD box motifs.

One subunit of both type I and type III restriction and modification enzymes contains motifs characteristic of DEAD box proteins, which implies that these enzymes may be DNA helicases. This subunit is essential for restriction, but not modification. The current model for restriction by both types of enzyme postulates that DNA cutting is stimulated when two enzyme complexes bound to neighbouring target sequences meet as the consequence of ATP-dependent DNA translocation. For type I enzymes, this model is supported by in vitro experiments, but the predicted co-operative interactions between targets have not been detected by assays that monitor restriction in vivo. The experiments reported here clearly establish the required synergistic effect but, in contrast to earlier experiments, they use Escherichia coli K-12 strains deficient in the restriction alleviation function associated with the Rac prophage. In bacteria with elevated levels of EcoKI the co-operative interactions are obscured, consistent with co-operation between free enzyme and that bound at target sites. We have made changes in three of the motifs characteristic of DEAD box proteins, including motif III, which in RecG is implicated in the migration of Holliday junctions. Conservative changes in each of the three motifs impair restriction.