A- Reactions containing 20 nM Arp2/3, 1 nM VCA and 1.5 μM actin were mixed with 2 μM phalloidin and incubated at 4°C overnight to reach equilibrium. An equal volume of 0.56 μM Coronin 1B, 0.63 μM Cortactin or buffer was added to each reaction 5 min before negative staining. Samples were visualized by TEM. Yellow arrowheads indicate abnormal actin branch structures. Scale bars = 100 nm.
B- Angles between the mother and daughter filaments were quantified and presented as mean ± 95% CI. Dunnett's multiple comparison test was used after one-way ANOVA to generate the p values (***, p<0.0001).
C- Actin (0.5 μM, 30% Oregon green labeled) was mixed 26 nM Arp2/3 complex and 37 nM VCA and actin branches were allowed to form in the flow chamber. After 20 min (time point 0 in the panel), 0.13 nM AlexaFluor-568 labeled Coronin 1B (labeled with ∼one dye molecule/protein) in imaging buffer was flowed into the chamber. Scale bars = 1 μm.
D- Reactions containing 20 nM Arp2/3, 1 nM VCA, 1.5 μM actin and either 150 nM Coronin 1B or 60 nM Cortactin were mixed with 1:100 dilution of primary antibodies, 1:25 dilution of colloidal gold secondary antibodies and 2 μM phalloidin and incubated at 4°C overnight. Samples were prepared by negative staining and visualized by TEM. Anti rabbit secondary antibodies were conjugated to 18-nm gold; anti-mouse secondary antibodies were conjugated to 6-nm gold. Stains: 1, polyclonal anti-Coronin 1B; 2, monoclonal anti-His tag (Coronin 1B-His); 3, polyclonal anti-p34Arc; 4, monoclonal anti-Cortactin; 5-6, monoclonal anti-Cortactin and polyclonal anti-p34Arc. Green circles highlight the 6-nm colloidal gold particles. Scale bars = 100 nm.
E- Samples were processed as in (D). Data compiled from 3 independent experiments. Chi squared test between the Cortactin-stained group (1) and the Coronin 1B-stained group (2) shows p = 0.0021. An expanded version of this table including staining controls is in the supplemental data section.
F- Platinum replica electron micrographs of lamellipodia in mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) immunolabeled for Coronin 1B with 18-nm gold (white dots). Expanded views of boxed regions (a-f) are presented in the lower panels; gold particles indicated by yellow arrowheads. Scale bar = 500 nm.
G,H- MEF cells were treated with either 0.05 μM or 0.1 μM cytochalasin D for 10 min and immunolabeled for Coronin 1B (G) or Arp2/3 complex (H). Yellow arrowheads indicate actin branches containing gold particles. Scale bars = 50 nm.
I- The distribution of Coronin 1B-labeled (red) or Arp2/3-labeled (green) actin branch angles. The 3D nature of platinum replica EM likely leads to a slight under-estimation of branch angle. Data compiled from 3 independent experiments. Student's t test of the branch angle shows p<0.001; (N = number of cells, n = number of branches).