F-actin Binding Region of SPIN90 C-terminus Is Essential for Actin Polymerization and Lamellipodia Formation

Abstract

We recently reported that SPIN90 is able to bind with several proteins involved in regulating actin cytoskeleton networks, including dynamin, WASP, β PIX, and Nck. Based on these findings, we investigated how SPIN90 regulates the actin cytoskeleton and promotes actin assembly. This study demonstrated that aluminium fluoride-induced localization of SPIN90 to lamellipodia requires amino acids 582-722 at the SPIN90 C-terminus, which is also essential for F-actin binding and Arp2/3 complex mediated polymerization of actin into branched actin filaments. Furthermore, after deletion of the F-actin binding region (582-722 SPIN90) failed to localize at the membrane edge and was unable to promote lamellipodia formation, suggesting that the F-actin binding region in the SPIN90 C-terminus is essential for the formation of branched actin networks and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton at the leading edge of cells.

Keywords:

• SPIN90
• Arp2/3 complex
• lamellipodia
• actin polymerization
• F-actin
• actin filament branching