title: The actin-binding domain of Slac2-a/melanophilin is required for melanosome distribution in melanocytes.
abstract: Melanosomes containing melanin pigments are transported from the cell body of melanocytes to the tips of their dendrites by a combination of microtubule- and actin-dependent machinery. Three proteins, Rab27A, myosin Va, and Slac2-a/melanophilin (a linker protein between Rab27A and myosin Va), are known to be essential for proper actin-based melanosome transport in melanocytes. Although Slac2-a directly interacts with Rab27A and myosin Va via its N-terminal region (amino acids 1 to 146) and the middle region (amino acids 241 to 405), respectively, the functional importance of the putative actin-binding domain of the Slac2-a C terminus (amino acids 401 to 590) in melanosome transport has never been elucidated. In this study we showed that formation of a tripartite protein complex between Rab27A, Slac2-a, and myosin Va alone is insufficient for peripheral distribution of melanosomes in melanocytes and that the C-terminal actin-binding domain of Slac2-a is also required for proper melanosome transport. When a Slac2-a deletion mutant (DeltaABD) or point mutant (KA) that lacks actin-binding ability was expressed in melanocytes, the Slac2-a mutants induced melanosome accumulation in the perinuclear region, possibly by a dominant negative effect, the same as the Rab27A-binding-defective mutant of Slac2-a or the myosin Va-binding-defective mutant. Our findings indicate that Slac2-a organizes actin-based melanosome transport in cooperation with Rab27A, myosin Va, and actin.
authors.affiliation: Fukuda Initiative Research Unit, RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: Taruho S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000737:chemistry; D024701:Myosin Type V / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017354:Point Mutation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014162:Transfection; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D000075745:rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C492410:MLPH protein, human; C435724:Mlph protein, mouse; C513082:Myo5a protein, mouse; D000075745:rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D024701:Myosin Type V; C512962:Rab27a protein, mouse; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins