Structure Of Gelsolin Research Articles

The crystal structure of the C-terminus of adseverin reveals the actin-binding interface

Adseverin is a member of the calcium-regulated gelsolin superfamily of actin severing and capping proteins. Adseverin comprises 6 homologous domains (A1-A6), which share 60% identity with the 6 domains from gelsolin (G1-G6). Adseverin is truncated in comparison to gelsolin, lacking the C-terminal extension that masks the F-actin binding site in calcium-free gelsolin. Biochemical assays have indicated differences in the interaction of the C-terminal halves of adseverin and gelsolin with actin. Gelsolin contacts actin through a major site on G4 and a minor site on G6, whereas adseverin uses a site on A5. Here, we present the X-ray structure of the activated C-terminal half of adseverin (A4-A6). This structure is highly similar to that of the activated form of the C-terminal half of gelsolin (G4-G6), both in arrangement of domains and in the 3 bound calcium ions. Comparative analysis of the actin-binding surfaces observed in the G4-G6/actin structure suggests that adseverin in this conformation will also be able to interact with actin through A4 and A6, whereas the A5 surface is obscured. A single residue mutation in A4-A6 located at the predicted A4/actin interface completely abrogates actin sequestration. A model of calcium-free adseverin, constructed from the structure of gelsolin, predicts that in the absence of a gelsolin-like C-terminal extension the interaction between A2 and A6 provides the steric inhibition to prevent interaction with F-actin. We propose that calcium binding to the N terminus of adseverin dominates the activation process to expose the F-actin binding site on A2.

Deconstructing gelsolin: identifying sites that mimic or alter binding to actin and phosphoinositides.

Gelsolin is involved in cytoskeletal remodeling as it can fragment and guide reassembly of actin networks. Recent advances in defining the structure of gelsolin identified functionally important sites. These structural insights could lead to the design of small molecule analogs to enhance, inhibit or mimic the functions of gelsolin.

The Crystal Structure of Plasma Gelsolin: Implications for Actin Severing, Capping, and Nucleation

The structure of gelsolin has been determined by crystallography and comprises six structurally related domains that, in a Ca2+-free environment, pack together to form a compact globular structure in which the putative actin-binding sequences are not sufficiently exposed to enable binding to occur. We propose that binding Ca2+ can release the connections that join the N- and C-terminal halves of gelsolin, enabling each half to bind actin relatively independently. Domain shifts are proposed in response to Ca2+ as bases for models of how gelsolin acts to sever, cap, or nucleate F-actin filaments. The structure also invites discussion of polyphosphoinositide binding to segment 2 and suggests how mutation at Asp-187 could initiate a series of events that lead to deposition of amyloid plaques, as observed in victims of familial amyloidosis (Finnish type).