Members of the cysteine-rich protein (CRP) family are LIM domain proteins that have been implicated in muscle differentiation. One strategy for defining the mechanism by which CRPs potentiate myogenesis is to characterize the repertoire of CRP binding partners. In order to identify proteins that interact with CRP1, a prominent protein in fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, we subjected an avia...

OBJECTIVES Atrial fibrosis, a marker of atrial structural remodeling, plays a critical role in atrial fibrillation (AF). α- Actinin-2 is associated with structural remodeling related to stretching. The transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad pathway plays an important role in atrial fibrosis. We investigated the effects of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway on α-actinin-2 in atrial fibrosis in...

Members of the cysteine-rich protein (CRP) family are LIM domain proteins that have been implicated in muscle differentiation. One strategy for defining the mechanism by which CRPs potentiate myogenesis is to characterize the repertoire of CRP binding partners. In order to identify proteins that interact with CRP1, a prominent protein in fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, we subjected an avia...

Zyxin is an 82-kD protein first identified as a component of adhesion plaques and the termini of stress fibers near where they associate with the cytoplasmic face of the adhesive membrane. We report here that zyxin interacts with the actin cross-linking protein a-actinin . Zyxin cosediments with filamentous actin in an a-actinin-dependent manner and an association between zyxin and a-actinin is...

The epithelial junction experiences mechanical force exerted by endogenous actomyosin activities and from interactions with neighboring cells. We hypothesize that tension generated at cell-cell adhesive contacts contributes to the maturation and assembly of the junctional complex. To test our hypothesis, we used a hydraulic apparatus that can apply mechanical force to intercellular junction in ...

BACKGROUND High-grade neuroendocrine tumours (HGNTs) of the lung manifest a wide spectrum of clinical behaviour, but no method for predicting their outcome has been established. MATERIALS AND METHODS We newly established a monoclonal antibody specifically recognizing the product of the alternatively spliced ACTN4 transcript (namely, variant actinin-4), and used it to examine the expression of...

In addition to its well-known role as a crosslinker of actin filaments at focal-adhesion sites, actinin-4 is known to be localized to the nucleus. In this study, we reveal the molecular mechanism underlying nuclear localization of actinin-4 and its novel interactions with transcriptional regulators. We found that actinin-4 is imported into the nucleus through the nuclear pore complex in an impo...

Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton may play a crucial role in cell motility and cancer invasion. We have produced a monoclonal antibody (NCC- Lu-632, IgM, k) reactive with an antigenic protein that is upregulated upon enhanced cell movement. The cDNA for the antigen molecule was found to encode a novel isoform of nonmuscle alpha-actinin. This isoform (designated actinin-4) was concentrated in...

Viable cancer cells can commonly be recovered from surgical sites and venous blood during tumor resection. The adhesion of these cells to surrounding tissues may impact patient outcomes. Iatrogenic exposure to increased extracellular pressure modulates integrin binding affinity and stimulates colon cancer cell adhesion in vitro through an alpha-actinin-1-dependent signaling pathway. We hypothes...

Actin filaments and associated actin binding proteins play an essential role in governing the mechanical properties of eukaryotic cells. Even though cells have multiple actin binding proteins (ABPs) that exist simultaneously to maintain the structural and mechanical integrity of the cellular cytoskeleton, how these proteins work together to determine the properties of actin networks is not clea...