Bundle-shaped tail filament binding
The tail domain of vinculin (Vt) contains determinants necessary for binding and bundling of actin filaments. See commentary " Vinculin regulation of F-actin bundle formation " in Cell Adh Migr, volume 7 on page 219. Vinculin is an essential and highly conserved cell adhesion protein, found at both focal adhesions and adherens junctions, where it couples integrins or cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. Actin monomers assemble into double-stranded helical filaments as well as higher-ordered structures such as bundles and networks. Here we studied the interactions of activated full-length vinculin with actin and the way it regulates the organization and dynamics of the Arp2/3 complex-mediated branched actin network. Through a combination of surface patterning and light microscopy experiments we show that vinculin can bundle.
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