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A method for rapidly screening functionality of actin mutants and tagged actins

Biological Procedures Online volume 6, pages 235–249 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Recombinant production and biochemical analysis of actin mutants has been hampered by the fact that actin has an absolute requirement for the eukaryotic chaperone CCT to reach its native state. We therefore have developed a method to rapidly screen the folding capacity and functionality of actin variants, by combining in vitro expression of labelled actin with analysis on native gels, band shift assays or copolymerization tests. Additionally, we monitor, using immuno-fluorescence, incorporation of actin variants in cytoskeletal structures in transfected cells. We illustrate the method by two examples. In one we show that tagged versions of actin do not always behave native-like and in the other we study some of the molecular defects of three β-actin mutants that have been associated with diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB 09) and Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000, Gent, Belgium

    Heidi Rommelaere, Davy Waterschoot, Katrien Neirynck, Joël Vandekerckhove & Christophe Ampe

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  1. Heidi Rommelaere
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  2. Davy Waterschoot
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  3. Katrien Neirynck
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  4. Joël Vandekerckhove
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  5. Christophe Ampe
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Correspondence to Heidi Rommelaere.

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Published: October 25, 2004.

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Rommelaere, H., Waterschoot, D., Neirynck, K. et al. A method for rapidly screening functionality of actin mutants and tagged actins. Biol. Proced. Online 6, 235–249 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1251/bpo94

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1251/bpo94

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