Cytochalasin D acts as an inhibitor of the actin-cofilin interaction

  • Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Jul 20;424(1):52-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.06.063.
Kazuyasu Shoji  1 ,  Kazumasa Ohashi ,  Kaori Sampei ,  Masato Oikawa ,  Kensaku Mizuno
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan.
PMID: 22728040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.06.063
Abstract

Cofilin, a key regulator of Actin filament dynamics, binds to G- and F-actin and promotes Actin filament turnover by stimulating depolymerization and severance of Actin filaments. In this study, cytochalasin D (CytoD), a widely used inhibitor of Actin dynamics, was found to act as an inhibitor of the G-actin-cofilin interaction by binding to G-actin. CytoD also inhibited the binding of cofilin to F-actin and decreased the rate of both Actin polymerization and depolymerization in living cells. CytoD altered cellular F-actin organization but did not induce net Actin polymerization or depolymerization. These results suggest that CytoD inhibits Actin filament dynamics in cells via multiple mechanisms, including the well-known barbed-end capping mechanism and as shown in this study, the inhibition of G- and F-actin binding to cofilin.

Products