A crucial role for profilin-actin in the intracellular motility of Listeria monocytogenes.
We have examined the effect of covalently crosslinked profilin-actin (PxA), which closely matches the biochemical properties of ordinary profilin-actin and interferes with actin polymerization in vitro and in vivo, on Listeria monocytogenes motility. PxA caused a marked reduction in bacterial motility, which was accompanied by the detachment of bacterial tails. The effect of PxA was dependent on its binding to proline-rich sequences, as shown by the inability of PH133SxA, which cannot interact with such sequences, to impair Listeria motility. PxA did not alter the motility of a Listeria mutant that is unable to recruit Ena (Enabled)/VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) proteins and profilin to its surface. Finally, PxA did not block the initiation of actin-tail formation, indicating that profilin-actin is only required for the elongation of actin filaments at the bacterial surface. Our findings provide further evidence that profilin-actin is important for actin-based processes, and show that it has a key function in Listeria motility.
Grenklo
Staffan
S
Department of Cell Biology, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Geese
Marcus
M
Lindberg
Uno
U
Wehland
Jürgen
J
Karlsson
Roger
R
Sechi
Antonio S
AS
D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D003285:Contractile Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008845:Microinjections; D051304:Profilins; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection
D000199:Actins; D003285:Contractile Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D051304:Profilins; D011506:Proteins; C024782:profilactin; D011392:Proline