Structural highlights
FunctionACTS_CHICK Actins are highly conserved proteins that are involved in various types of cell motility and are ubiquitously expressed in all eukaryotic cells. Publication Abstract from PubMedThe E-cadherin-beta-catenin-alphaE-catenin (cadherin-catenin) complex couples the cytoskeletons of neighboring cells at adherens junctions (AJs) to mediate force transmission across epithelia. Mechanical force and auxiliary binding partners converge to stabilize the cadherin-catenin complex's inherently weak binding to actin filaments (F-actin) through unclear mechanisms. Here we show that afadin's coiled-coil (CC) domain and vinculin synergistically enhance the cadherin-catenin complex's F-actin engagement. The cryo-EM structure of an E-cadherin-beta-catenin-alphaE-catenin-vinculin-afadin-CC supra-complex bound to F-actin reveals that afadin-CC bridges adjacent alphaE-catenin actin-binding domains along the filament, stabilizing flexible alphaE-catenin segments implicated in mechanical regulation. These cooperative binding contacts promote the formation of supra-complex clusters along F-actin. Additionally, cryo-EM variability analysis links supra-complex binding along individual F-actin strands to nanoscale filament curvature, a deformation mode associated with cytoskeletal forces. Collectively, this work elucidates a mechanistic framework by which vinculin and afadin tune cadherin-catenin complex-cytoskeleton coupling to support AJ function across varying mechanical regimes. Afadin mediates cadherin-catenin complex clustering on F-actin linked to cooperative binding and filament curvature.,Gong R, Reynolds MJ, Sun X, Alushin GM bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Oct 11:2024.10.08.617332. doi: , 10.1101/2024.10.08.617332. PMID:39415991[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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