Crystal structure of the C-terminal half of tropomodulin and structural basis of actin filament pointed-end capping

Biophys J. 2002 Nov;83(5):2716-25. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(02)75281-8.

Abstract

Tropomodulin is the unique pointed-end capping protein of the actin-tropomyosin filament. By blocking elongation and depolymerization, tropomodulin regulates the architecture and the dynamics of the filament. Here we report the crystal structure at 1.45-A resolution of the C-terminal half of tropomodulin (C20), the actin-binding moiety of tropomodulin. C20 is a leucine-rich repeat domain, and this is the first actin-associated protein with a leucine-rich repeat. Binding assays suggested that C20 also interacts with the N-terminal fragment, M1-M2-M3, of nebulin. Based on the crystal structure, we propose a model for C20 docking to the actin subunit at the pointed end. Although speculative, the model is consistent with the idea that a tropomodulin molecule competes with an actin subunit for a pointed end. The model also suggests that interactions with tropomyosin, actin, and nebulin are all possible sources of influences on the dynamic properties of pointed-end capping by tropomodulin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / chemistry*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Chickens
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Microfilament Proteins*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Tropomodulin

Substances

  • Actins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Tropomodulin

Associated data

  • PDB/1IO0