Nishimoto N, Watanabe M, Watanabe S, Sugimoto N, Yugawa T, Ikura T, Koiwai O, Kiyono T, Fujita M

Although nuclear actin and Arps (actin-related proteins) are often identified as components of multi-protein, chromatin-modifying enzyme complexes such as chromatin remodeling and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, their molecular functions still remain largely elusive. We have investigated the role of BAF53/human Arp4 in Brg1 chromatin remodeling complexes. Depletion of Arp4 by ...

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RNA interference impaired their integrity and accelerated degradation of Brg1, indicating a crucial role in maintenance, at least in certain human cell lines. We further found that Arp4 can form a heterocomplex with β-actin. Based on structural similarities between conventional actin and Arp4 and the assumption that actin-Arp4 binding might mimic actin-actin binding, we introduced a series of mutations in Arp4 by which interactions with β-actin might be impaired. Some of them indeed caused reduced binding to β-actin. Interestingly, such mutant Arp4 proteins also showed reduced incorporation into Brg1 complexes and interactions with c-myc-associated complexes as well as Tip60 HAT complexes were also impaired. Based on these findings, we propose that β-actin-Arp4 complex formation may be a crucial feature in some chromatin-modifying enzyme complexes like the Brg1 complex.

Date: May. 08, 2012

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