title: Muscle LIM protein interacts with cofilin 2 and regulates F-actin dynamics in cardiac and skeletal muscle.
abstract: The muscle LIM protein (MLP) and cofilin 2 (CFL2) are important regulators of striated myocyte function. Mutations in the corresponding genes have been directly associated with severe human cardiac and skeletal myopathies, and aberrant expression patterns have often been observed in affected muscles. Herein, we have investigated whether MLP and CFL2 are involved in common molecular mechanisms, which would promote our understanding of disease pathogenesis. We have shown for the first time, using a range of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods, that MLP binds directly to CFL2 in human cardiac and skeletal muscles. The interaction involves the inter-LIM domain, amino acids 94 to 105, of MLP and the amino-terminal domain, amino acids 1 to 105, of CFL2, which includes part of the actin depolymerization domain. The MLP/CFL2 complex is stronger in moderately acidic (pH 6.8) environments and upon CFL2 phosphorylation, while it is independent of Ca(2+) levels. This interaction has direct implications in actin cytoskeleton dynamics in regulating CFL2-dependent F-actin depolymerization, with maximal depolymerization enhancement at an MLP/CFL2 molecular ratio of 2:1. Deregulation of this interaction by intracellular pH variations, CFL2 phosphorylation, MLP or CFL2 gene mutations, or expression changes, as observed in a range of cardiac and skeletal myopathies, could impair F-actin depolymerization, leading to sarcomere dysfunction and disease.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Soranou Efesiou 4, Athens 115-27, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papalouka
authors.forename: Demetrios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Arvanitis
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vafiadaki
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mavroidis
authors.forename: Stavroula A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Papadodima
authors.forename: Chara A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
authors.forename: Dimitrios T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Kremastinos
authors.forename: Evangelia G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Kranias
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanoudou
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051340:Cofilin 2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021381:Protein Transport; D012518:Sarcomeres / Q000378:metabolism; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D051340:Cofilin 2; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C090114:cysteine and glycine-rich protein 3; D002118:Calcium