How Actin Filaments Release Phosphate
Author Information
Author(s): Jégou Antoine, Niedermayer Thomas, Orbán József, Didry Dominique, Lipowsky Reinhard, Carlier Marie-France, Romet-Lemonne Guillaume
Primary Institution: Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Hypothesis
What is the mechanism of ATP hydrolysis and phosphate release in actin filaments?
Conclusion
The study reveals that phosphate release from actin filaments is a random process and is accelerated by profilin.
Supporting Evidence
- Phosphate release from the depolymerizing barbed end is faster and further accelerated by profilin.
- Filaments grown from MgATP-actin depolymerize at a constant rate.
- Profilin increases the depolymerization velocities of actin filaments.
Takeaway
This study shows how tiny parts of proteins called actin filaments work together to help cells move, and how a helper protein called profilin makes this process faster.
Methodology
A microfluidic setup was developed to monitor the depolymerization of individual actin filaments and determine their local ADP-Pi content.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on individual filaments and may not fully represent bulk behavior.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0068
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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