Both NMIIA and NMIIB isoforms are required for proper transverse arc function in lamellar flattening, and NMIIA cannot replace NMIIB in ventral stress fiber formation.
Preclinical only; leaves open non-redundant NMII isoform roles in cytoskeletal architecture for further validation.
Stress fibers (SFs) are contractile, force-generating bundled structures that can be classified into three subtypes, namely ventral SFs (vSFs), transverse arcs (TAs), and dorsal SFs. Nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) is the main component of SFs. This study examined the roles of the NMII isoforms NMIIA and NMIIB in the organization of each SF subtype in immortalized fibroblasts. Knockdown (KD) of NMIIA (a major isoform) resulted in loss of TAs from the lamella and caused the lamella to lose its flattened shape. Exogenous expression of NMIIB rescued this defect in TA formation. However, the TAs that formed on exogenous NMIIB expression in NMIIA-KD cells and the remaining TAs in NMIIB-KD cells, which mainly consisted of NMIIB and NMIIA, respectively, failed to rescue the defect in lamellar flattening. These results indicate that both isoforms are required for the proper function of TAs in lamellar flattening. KD of NMIIB resulted in loss of vSFs from the central region of the cell body, and this defect was not rescued by exogenous expression of NMIIA, indicating that NMIIA cannot replace the function of NMIIB in vSF formation. Moreover, we raised the possibility that actin filaments in vSFs are in a stretched conformation.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Kuragano et al. (2018) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: