Open AccessSpontaneous Structural Changes in Actin Regulate G-F Transformation
Author(s) -
Masatoshi Morimatsu,
Yuichi Togashi,
So Nishikawa,
Mitsuhiro Sugawa,
Atsuko H. Iwane,
Toshio Yanagida
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0045864
Subject(s) - förster resonance energy transfer , actin , biophysics , monomer , cytokinesis , chemistry , polymerization , morphing , crystallography , fluorescence , polymer , biology , physics , biochemistry , cell , cell division , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , computer science , computer vision
Transformations between G- (monomeric) and F-actin (polymeric) are important in cellular behaviors such as migration, cytokinesis, and morphing. In order to understand these transitions, we combined single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to examine conformational changes of individual actin protomers. We found that the protomers can take different conformational states and that the transition interval is in the range of hundreds of seconds. The distribution of these states was dependent on the environment, suggesting that actin undergoes spontaneous structural changes that accommodate itself to polymerization.