Molecular basis of F-actin regulation and sarcomere assembly via myotilin

PLoS Biol. 2021 Apr 12;19(4):e3001148. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001148. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Sarcomeres, the basic contractile units of striated muscle cells, contain arrays of thin (actin) and thick (myosin) filaments that slide past each other during contraction. The Ig-like domain-containing protein myotilin provides structural integrity to Z-discs-the boundaries between adjacent sarcomeres. Myotilin binds to Z-disc components, including F-actin and α-actinin-2, but the molecular mechanism of binding and implications of these interactions on Z-disc integrity are still elusive. To illuminate them, we used a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering, cross-linking mass spectrometry, and biochemical and molecular biophysics approaches. We discovered that myotilin displays conformational ensembles in solution. We generated a structural model of the F-actin:myotilin complex that revealed how myotilin interacts with and stabilizes F-actin via its Ig-like domains and flanking regions. Mutant myotilin designed with impaired F-actin binding showed increased dynamics in cells. Structural analyses and competition assays uncovered that myotilin displaces tropomyosin from F-actin. Our findings suggest a novel role of myotilin as a co-organizer of Z-disc assembly and advance our mechanistic understanding of myotilin's structural role in Z-discs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton / chemistry
  • Actin Cytoskeleton / genetics
  • Actin Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Actins / chemistry
  • Actins / genetics
  • Actins / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microfilament Proteins / chemistry
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscle Contraction / genetics
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Protein Binding / genetics
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs / genetics
  • Protein Multimerization* / genetics
  • Sarcomeres / genetics
  • Sarcomeres / metabolism*
  • Tropomyosin / chemistry
  • Tropomyosin / genetics
  • Tropomyosin / metabolism

Substances

  • Actins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Myot protein, mouse
  • Tropomyosin