Biological Assembly 1  

 3D View: Structure | 1D-3D View | Electron Density | Validation Report | Ligand Interaction

Global Symmetry: Asymmetric - C1 
Global Stoichiometry: Hetero 7-mer - A5B2 Local Symmetry: Helical - H  (3D View)
Local Stoichiometry: Homo 5-mer - A5 

Local Symmetry: Helical - H  (3D View)
Local Stoichiometry: Homo 5-mer - A5 

Biological assembly 1 assigned by authors.

Biological Assembly Evidence: microscopy

Macromolecule Content

• Total Structure Weight: 459.55 kDa 
• Atom Count: 16896 
• Modelled Residue Count: 2152 
• Deposited Residue Count: 4143 
• Unique protein chains: 2

6UPW

Metavinculin ABD-F-actin complex

• PDB DOI: 10.2210/pdb6UPW/pdb
• EM Map EMD-20844:EMDBEMDataResource

• Classification: CELL ADHESION
• Organism(s): Homo sapiens, Gallus gallus
• Expression System: Escherichia coli
• Mutation(s): No 


• Deposited: 2019-10-18 Released: 2020-09-30 
• Deposition Author(s): Mei, L., Alushin, G.M.
• Funding Organization(s): National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH/NIDCR)

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Experimental Data Snapshot

• Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• Resolution: 2.90 Å
• Aggregation State: HELICAL ARRAY 
• Reconstruction Method: HELICAL 

Literature

Molecular mechanism for direct actin force-sensing by alpha-catenin.

Mei, L., Espinosa de Los Reyes, S., Reynolds, M.J., Leicher, R., Liu, S., Alushin, G.M.

(2020) Elife 9

• PubMed: 32969337 
• DOI: 10.7554/eLife.62514
• Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
  6UPV, 6UPW


• PubMed Abstract: 
  

The actin cytoskeleton mediates mechanical coupling between cells and their tissue microenvironments. The architecture and composition of actin networks are modulated by force; however, it is unclear how interactions between actin filaments (F-actin) and associated proteins are mechanically regulated. Here we employ both optical trapping and biochemical reconstitution with myosin motor proteins to show single piconewton forces applied solely to F-actin enhance binding by the human version of the essential cell-cell adhesion protein αE-catenin but not its homolog vinculin. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of both proteins bound to F-actin reveal unique rearrangements that facilitate their flexible C-termini refolding to engage distinct interfaces. Truncating α-catenin's C-terminus eliminates force-activated F-actin binding, and addition of this motif to vinculin confers force-activated binding, demonstrating that α-catenin's C-terminus is a modular detector of F-actin tension. Our studies establish that piconewton force on F-actin can enhance partner binding, which we propose mechanically regulates cellular adhesion through α-catenin.

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Organizational Affiliation: 

Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, United States.

Macromolecules

Entity ID: 1
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Vinculin	A [auth L], C [auth M]	1134	Homo sapiens	Mutation(s): 0  Gene Names: VCL
UniProt & NIH Common Fund Data Resources
Find proteins for P18206 (Homo sapiens) Explore P18206  Go to UniProtKB:  P18206
PHAROS:  P18206 GTEx:  ENSG00000035403

Entity ID: 2
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Actin, alpha skeletal muscle	E [auth A], D [auth B], B [auth C], F [auth D], G [auth E]	375	Gallus gallus	Mutation(s): 0  Gene Names: ACTA1, ACTA
UniProt
Find proteins for P68139 (Gallus gallus) Explore P68139  Go to UniProtKB:  P68139

Small Molecules

Ligands 2 Unique
ID	Chains	Name / Formula / InChI Key	2D Diagram
ADP	H [auth C], J [auth B], L [auth A], N [auth D], P [auth E]	ADENOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE C10 H15 N5 O10 P2 XTWYTFMLZFPYCI-KQYNXXCUSA-N
MG	I [auth C], K [auth B], M [auth A], O [auth D], Q [auth E]	MAGNESIUM ION Mg JLVVSXFLKOJNIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Modified Residues  1 Unique
ID	Chains	Type	Formula	2D Diagram	Parent
HIC	B [auth C], D [auth B], E [auth A], F [auth D], G [auth E]	L-PEPTIDE LINKING	C7 H11 N3 O2		HIS

Experimental Data & Validation

Experimental Data

• Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• Resolution: 2.90 Å
• Aggregation State: HELICAL ARRAY 
• Reconstruction Method: HELICAL 

Structure Validation

Entry History & Funding Information

Deposition Data

• Deposited Date: 2019-10-18 
• Released Date: 2020-09-30 
Deposition Author(s): Mei, L., Alushin, G.M.

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Funding Organization	Location	Grant Number
National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH/NIDCR)	United States	5DP5OD017885

Revision History  

• Version 1.0: 2020-09-30
  Type: Initial release
  
• Version 1.1: 2020-10-07
  Changes: Database references