Effects of Mechanical Stimuli on Profilin- and Formin-Mediated Actin Polymerization

Self-assembling actin filaments not only form the basis of the cytoskeleton network in cells but also are utilized as nanosized building blocks to make novel active matter in which the dynamic polymerization and depolymerization of actin filaments play a key role. Formins belong to a main family of actin nucleation factors that bind to the barbed end of actin filaments and regulate actin polymerization through an interaction with profilin. Due to actomyosin contractility and relative rotation between formin and actin filaments, formin-dependent actin polymerization is subject to force and rotation constraints. However, it remains unclear how force and rotation constraints affect formin-dependent actin polymerization in the presence of profilin. Here, we show that for rotation-unconstrained actin filaments, elongation is accelerated by both force and profilin. The combined effect leads to surprisingly fast actin elongation that can approach the diffusion-limited rate at forces of a few piconewtons. The elongation of rotation-constrained filaments is also accelerated by profilin but is insensitive to applied force. We show that FH2, the main actin binding domain, plays the primary mechanosensing role. Together, the findings not only significantly advance our understanding of the mechanochemical regulation of formin-mediated actin polymerization in cells but also can potentially be utilized to make novel actin-based active matter.