Purification and architecture of the ubiquitous Wave complex

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Mar 30;101(13):4379-83. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0400628101. Epub 2004 Mar 19.

Abstract

The Wave proteins are major activators of the Arp2/3 complex. The ubiquitous Wave-2 is required for actin polymerization at the leading edge of migrating cells. Here we purify Wave-2 from HeLa cells. Five proteins, Sra, Nap, Wave-2, Abi, and Hspc, are copurified, indicating that they form a tight complex. These proteins are only present in the complexed form, with the exception of Hspc, which displays a free pool. We reconstitute the Wave-2 complex by cotranslating in vitro the five subunits and use this system together with specific immunoprecipitations to study the molecular architecture of the complex. The complex is organized around a core of Nap and Abi. Sra is a peripheral subunit recruited on the Nap side, whereas the Wave and Hspc subunits are recruited on the Abi side of the core.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Centrifugation, Density Gradient
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Microfilament Proteins / chemistry*
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics*
  • Microfilament Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Protein Subunits / chemistry
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Protein Subunits
  • WASF2 protein, human
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family