This study identifies the non-conventional myosin motor myosin1b as a new type of actin depolymerase.
Myosin1b sliding promotes barbed-end actin depolymerization; leaves open its role in cellular cytoskeletal regulation.
The regulation of actin dynamics is essential for various cellular processes. Former evidence suggests a correlation between the function of non-conventional myosin motors and actin dynamics. We investigate the contribution of myosin1b to actin dynamics using sliding motility assays. We observe that sliding on myosin1b immobilized or bound to a fluid bilayer enhances actin depolymerization at the barbed end, while sliding on myosin II, although 5 times faster, has no effect. This work reveals a non-conventional myosin motor as a new type of depolymerase and points to its singular interactions with the actin barbed end.
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A 2018 study studied this question.