Regulation of the actin filament pointed end dynamics in health and disease

与心脏/骨骼肌收缩有关的细纤维的改变经常产生

Alterations in the thin filaments involved in cardiac/skeletal muscle contraction often produce cardiomyopathies/nemaline myopathies with fatal consequences. Our long-term goal is to identify the components and molecular mechanisms regulating actin architecture in muscle during normal development and disease. In the proposal supported by the ongoing grant, our short-term goal is to determine the mechanisms of how thin filament lengths are regulated by the actin filament pointed end binding proteins, leiomodin (Lmod) and tropomoduin (Tmod). Polymerization at the pointed end determines thin filament length and is regulated directly by the binding of Tmod and Lmod. This binding is enhanced by the integral thin filament component, tropomyosin. We hypothesize that maintenance of thin filament length requires the antagonistic action of Tmod and Lmod; that is, the role of Tmod is to prevent elongation at the pointed end while Lmod allows elongation. We also predict that Tmod and Lmod binding and action at the pointed end is determined by different arrangements of their tropomyosin- and actin-binding sites. In our submitted renewal proposal, we will evaluate how Lmod and Tmod affect the formation and then the structure of the thin filament. We will test our recently proposed molecular mechanism for the Lmod/Tmod-dependent regulation of the pointed end of the thin filaments. We will also study the structural and functional consequences of Lmod binding to sides of the already formed thin filaments. Finally, we will establish mechanisms of regulation of Lmod functions. Our data will provide a comprehensive identification of critical components of the regulatory mechanisms underlying thin filament assembly and maintenance in health and disease.The proposed experiments will connect Lmod-related thin filament alterations with familial myopathies. A better understanding of thin filament function and of its regulation is critical to better understand muscle disease pathogenesis, to improve diagnostics and to potentially identify novel drug targets.