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J A Spudich

Publications and source records attributed to J A Spudich.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Actin in triton-treated cortical preparations of unfertilized and fertilized sea urchin eggs.

Triton-treated cortical fragments of unfertilized and fertilized sea urchin eggs prepared in the presence of greater than or equal to 5 mM EGTA contain 15-30% of the total egg actin. However, actin filaments are not readily apparent by electron microscopy on the cortical fragments of unfertilized eggs but are numerous on those of fertilized eggs. The majority of the actin associated with cortical fragments of unfertilized eggs is solubilized by dialysis against a low ionic strength buffer at pH 7.5. This soluble actin preparation (less than 50% pure actin) does not form proper filaments in 0.1 M KCl and 3 mM MgCl2, whereas actin purified from this preparation does, as judged by electron microscopy. Optical diffraction analysis reveals that these purified actin filaments have helical parameters very similar to those of muscle actin. Furthermore, the properties of the purified actin with regard to activation of myosin ATPase are similar to those of actin from other cell types. The possibility that actin is maintained in a nonfilamentous form on the inner surface of the unfertilized egg plasma membrane and is induced to assemble upon fertilization is discussed.

Actins↗
PubMed1979

Cytochalasin inhibits the rate of elongation of actin filament fragments.

Submicromolar concentrations of cytochalasin inhibit the rate of assembly of highly purified dictyostelium discoideum actin, using a cytochalasin concentration range in which the final extent of assembly is minimally affected. Cytochalasin D is a more effective inhibitor than cytochalasin B, which is in keeping with the effects that have been reported on cell motility and with binding to a class of high-affinity binding sites from human erythrocyte membranes (Lin and Lin. 1978. J. Biol. CHem. 253:1415; Lin and Lin. 1979. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76:2345); 5x10(-7) M cytochalasin B lowers it to 70 percent of the control value, whereas 10(-7) M cytochalasin B lowers the rate to 25 percent. Fragments of F-actin were used to increase the rate of assembly fivefold by providing more filament ends on to which monomers could add. Under these conditions, cytochalasin has an even more dramatic effect on the assembly rate; the concentrations of cytochalasin B and cytochalasin D required for half-maximal inhibition are 2x10(-7) M and 10(-8) M, respectively. The assembly rate is most sensitive to cytochalasin when actin assembly is carried out in the absence of ATP (with 3 mM ADP present to stabilize the actin). In this case, the concentrations of cytochalasin B and cytochalasin D required for half-maximal inhibition are 4x10(-8) M and 1x10(-9) M, respectively. A scatchard plot has been obtained using [(3)H]cytochalasin B binding to F-actin in the absence of ATP. The K(d) from this plot (approximately 4x10(-8) M) agrees well with the concentration of cytochalasin B required for half-maximal inhibition of the rate of assembly under these conditions. The number of cytochalasin binding sites is roughly one per F-actin filament, suggesting that cytochalasin has a specific action on actin filament ends.

Actins↗
PubMed1978

Biochemical and structural characterization of actin from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Actin has been purified from amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum by a procedure which is notable in that proteolysis has been diminished to undetectable levels and "selective" purification steps have been avoided. The overall yield of this procedure is 5- to 10- fold greater than that of a previous report (Spudich, J. A. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 6013-6020). The detailed biochemical and structural properties of this new preparation (preparation B) have been compared to those of Dictyostelium actin prepared by the previous procedure (preparation A) as well as to rabbit skeletal muscle actin. Preparation B actin is similar to muscle actin in its molecular weight, ability to activate myosin, filament structure, and polymerization properties. Preparation B actin has the same molecular weight and isoelectric point as preparation A actin, which is more acidic than that of skeletal muscle actin. However, preparation B actin and muscle actin form longer filaments than preparation A actin, as judged by viscometry and electron microscopy.

Actins↗
PubMed1977

Actin microheterogeneity in chick embryo fibroblasts.

Secondary chick embryo fibroblasts contain three distinct actin species--alpha, beta, and lambda, in the approximate ratio of 1:6:3--with the same molecular weights but different isoelectric points. The most acidic of these components, alpha, comigrates on isoelectric focusing gels with the major actin of cardiac and skeletal muscle, while lambda, the most basic of the actins, comigrates with smooth muscle actin. The three components have overlapping methionine-containing tryptic peptides. All three actins are found to be present in actomyosin and cytoskeleton preparations from chick embryo fibroblasts. Identification of alpha-actin as the major actin from sarcomere-containing cells is confirmed by comparing embryonic chicken pre- and post-fusion myoblast cultures. Following myoblast fusion, the relative amount of alpha-actin increases until it changes from a minor actin component to the predominant actin species in the culture.

Actins↗
PubMed1976

Cytoskeletal elements of chick embryo fibroblasts revealed by detergent extraction.

Treatment of chick embryo fibroblasts with 0.5% Triton X-100 extracts most of the cell protein, leaving an organized part of the cell structure attached to the tissue culture dish. This "Triton cytoskeleton" consists largely of intermediate-sized filaments and bundles of microfilaments. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals that this cytoskeleton is made up of three main proteins. One protein component is 42,000 daltons and co-migrates with muscle actin. The other two components are 52,000 and 230,000 daltons and remain quantitatively associated with the cytoskeleton during the detergent extraction. The possible identity of these three protein components and their organization into a supramolecular structure is discussed.

Actins↗
PubMed1976

Calcium control of actin-activated myosin adenosine triphosphatase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

A protein fraction from the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum confers Ca2+-sensitivity on the activation of purified myosin adenosinetriphosphatase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) from Dictyostelium by purified Dictyostelium actin. That is, the fraction inhibits the actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase activity in the absence of Ca+ but not in the presence of Ca2+. This Ca2+-sensitizing factor affects only the actin-activated myosin adenosine triphosphatase and not the enzyme activity of myosin alone. The Ca2+-sensitivity is conserved when muscle actin replaces Dictyostelium actin, but is lost when muscle myosin replaces Dictyostelium myosin. The factor appears to be a protein since it is nondialyzable, is heat labile, and can be precipitated with ammonium sulfate. The factor can be purified 70-fold on an actin-affinity column.

Actins↗
PubMed1975

Supramolecular forms of actin from amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Actin purified from amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum polymerizes into filaments at 24 degrees upon addition of KCl, as judged by a change in optical density at 232 nm and by electron microscopy. The rate and extent of formation of this supramolecular assembly and the optimal KCl concentrations (0.1 M) for assembly are similar to those of striated muscle actin. The apparent equilibrium constant for the monomer-polymer transition is 1.3 muM for both Dictyostelium and muscle actin. Although assembly of highly purified Dictyostelium actin monomers into individual actin filaments resembles that of muscle actin, Dictyostelium actin but not muscle actin was observed to assemble into two-dimensional nets in 10 mM CaCl2. The Dictyostelium actin also forms filament bundles which are 0.1 mum in diameter and which assemble in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2. These bundles formed from partially purified Dictyostelium actin preparations but not from highly purified preparations, suggesting that their formation may depend on the presence of another component. These actin bundles reconstituted in vitro resemble the actin-containing bundles found in situ by microscopy in many non-muscle cells.

Actins↗
PubMed1975

Visualization of actin fibers associated with the cell membrane in amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum were attached to a surface coated with polylysine, and the upper portion of the cells was sheared off with a stream of buffer. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed that the cytoplasmic surface of the exposed membrane was covered with fibers consisting of actin-containing filaments. The actin was identified by its solubility properties and its ability to interact with muscle myosin.

Actins↗