Activation by Cdc42 and Pip2 of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (Wasp) Stimulates Actin Nucleation by Arp2/3 Complex

HN Higgs, TD Pollard - The Journal of cell biology, 2000 - rupress.org
The Journal of cell biology, 2000rupress.org
We purified native WASp (Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein) from bovine thymus and
studied its ability to stimulate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex. WASp alone is inactive in
the presence or absence of 0.5 μM GTP-Cdc42. Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5 bisphosphate
(PIP2) micelles allowed WASp to activate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex, and this was
further enhanced twofold by GTP-Cdc42. Filaments nucleated by Arp2/3 complex and WASp
in the presence of PIP2 and Cdc42 concentrated around lipid micelles and vesicles …
We purified native WASp (Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein) from bovine thymus and studied its ability to stimulate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex. WASp alone is inactive in the presence or absence of 0.5 μM GTP-Cdc42. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2) micelles allowed WASp to activate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex, and this was further enhanced twofold by GTP-Cdc42. Filaments nucleated by Arp2/3 complex and WASp in the presence of PIP2 and Cdc42 concentrated around lipid micelles and vesicles, providing that Cdc42 was GTP-bound and prenylated. Thus, the high concentration of WASp in neutrophils (9 μM) is dependent on interactions with both acidic lipids and GTP-Cdc42 to activate actin nucleation by Arp2/3 complex. The results also suggest that membrane binding increases the local concentrations of Cdc42 and WASp, favoring their interaction.
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