title: WICH, a novel verprolin homology domain-containing protein that functions cooperatively with N-WASP in actin-microspike formation.
abstract: We describe a novel protein that contains a verprolin-homology (V) region, through which several actin-regulating proteins, including Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) family members, bind directly to actin. The amino acid sequence is homologous to the sequences of WASP-interacting protein (WIP) and CR16, both of which associate with WASP and/or N-WASP, and thus these three proteins constitute a new protein family. We named the protein WICH (WIP- and CR16-homologous protein). WICH associates strongly with N-WASP but only weakly with WASP via its C-terminal WASP-interacting (W) region. Ectopic expression of WICH induces actin-microspike formation through cooperation with N-WASP. In addition, expression of the W fragment of WICH suppresses microspike formation induced by N-WASP, indicating an essential role for WICH in N-WASP-induced microspike formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Souichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Tadaomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takenawa
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C090350:VRP1 protein, S cerevisiae; C495771:WASL protein, human; C109903:WIPF1 protein, human; C465744:WIPF2 protein, human; C491670:Wipf1 protein, rat; C105364:Wipf3 protein, rat; D051317:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal