SALS, a WH2-domain-containing protein, promotes sarcomeric actin filament elongation from pointed ends during Drosophila muscle growth

Dev Cell. 2007 Dec;13(6):828-42. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2007.10.003.

Abstract

Organization of actin filaments into a well-organized sarcomere structure is critical for muscle development and function. However, it is not completely understood how sarcomeric actin/thin filaments attain their stereotyped lengths. In an RNAi screen in Drosophila primary muscle cells, we identified a gene, sarcomere length short (sals), which encodes an actin-binding, WH2 domain-containing protein, required for proper sarcomere size. When sals is knocked down by RNAi, primary muscles display thin myofibrils with shortened sarcomeres and increased sarcomere number. Both loss- and gain-of-function analyses indicate that SALS may influence sarcomere lengths by promoting thin-filament lengthening from pointed ends. Furthermore, the complex localization of SALS and other sarcomeric proteins in myofibrils reveals that the full length of thin filaments is achieved in a two-step process, and that SALS is required for the second elongation phase, most likely because it antagonizes the pointed-end capping protein Tropomodulin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton / physiology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Drosophila / growth & development*
  • Drosophila / metabolism
  • Drosophila Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Microfilament Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscle, Striated / physiology*
  • Myofibrils / physiology*
  • Phenotype
  • RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology
  • Sarcomeres / physiology*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • SALS protein, Drosophila