Why the study?
Myosin 2 motors are not traditionally viewed as processive, but recent in vitro experiments showed purified non-muscle myosin 2 filaments could move processively, leaving cellular processivity unestablished.
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Population
Central nervous system-derived CAD cells and fibroblasts
Comparison
NM2A vs NM2B isoforms
Design
In vivo cell-based laboratory study
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
NM2 processivity in cells extends cytoskeletal transport models; leaves open roles in cardiovascular cell dynamics.
Directed transport of cellular components is often dependent on the processive movements of cytoskeletal motors. Myosin 2 motors predominantly engage actin filaments of opposing orientation to drive contractile events, and are therefore not traditionally viewed as processive. However, recent in vitro experiments with purified non-muscle myosin 2 (NM2) demonstrated myosin 2 filaments could move processively. Here, we establish processivity as a cellular property of NM2. Processive runs in central nervous system-derived CAD cells are most apparent as processive movements on bundled actin in protrusions that terminate at the leading edge. We find that processive velocities in vivo are consistent with in vitro measurements. NM2 makes these processive runs in its filamentous form against lamellipodia retrograde flow, though anterograde movement can still occur in the absence of actin dynamics. Comparing the processivity of NM2 isoforms, we find that NM2A moves slightly faster than NM2B. Finally, we demonstrate that this is not a cell-specific property, as we observe processive-like movements of NM2 in the lamella and subnuclear stress fibers of fibroblasts. Collectively, these observations further broaden NM2 functionality and the biological processes in which the already ubiquitous motor can contribute.
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Vitriol et al. (2023) studied this question.
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