SUMMARY Transporting and sensory epithelial cells shape apical specializations using protocadherin-based adhesion. In the enterocyte brush border, protocadherin function requires a complex of cytoplasmic binding partners, although the composition of this complex and logic governing its assembly remain poorly understood. We found that ankyrin repeat and sterile alpha motif domain containing 4B (ANKS4B) localizes to the tips of adherent brush border microvilli and is essential for intermicrovillar adhesion. ANKS4B interacts with USH1C and MYO7B, which link protocadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. ANKS4B and USH1C also bind to the MYO7B cargo-binding tail at distinct sites. However, a tripartite complex only forms if ANKS4B and MYO7B are first activated by USH1C. This study uncovers an essential role for ANKS4B in brush border assembly, reveals a hierarchy in the molecular interactions that drive intermicrovillar adhesion, and informs our understanding of diseases caused by mutations in USH1C and ankyrin repeat proteins, such as Usher syndrome.

SUMMARY Transporting epithelial cells interact with the luminal environment using a tightly packed array of microvilli known as the ‘brush border’. During intestinal epithelial differentiation, microvillar packing and organization are driven by cadherin-dependent adhesion complexes, which localize to the distal tips of microvilli where they drive physical interactions between neighboring protrusions. Although enrichment of the “intermicrovillar adhesion complex” (IMAC) at distal tips is required for proper function, the mechanism driving tip accumulation of these factors remains unclear. Here, we report that the actin-based motor, Myo7b, promotes the accumulation of IMAC components at microvillar tips. Myo7b is highly enriched at the tips of microvilli in both kidney and intestinal brush borders, and loss of Myo7b in differentiating intestinal epithelial cells disrupts intermicrovillar adhesion and thus, brush border assembly. Analysis of cells lacking Myo7b revealed that IMAC components and the resulting intermicrovillar adhesion links are mislocalized along the microvillar axis rather than enriched at the distal tips. We also found that Myo7b motor domains are capable of supporting tip-directed transport. However, motor activity is supplemented by other passive targeting mechanisms, which together drive highly efficient IMAC accumulation at the tips. These findings illuminate the molecular basis of IMAC enrichment at microvillar tips and hold important implications for understanding apical morphogenesis in transporting and sensory epithelial tissues.

Unconventional myosin 7a (Myo7a), myosin 7b (Myo7b), and myosin 15a (Myo15a) all contain MyTH4-FERM domains (myosin tail homology 4-band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, moesin; MF) in their cargo binding tails and are essential for the growth and function of microvilli and stereocilia. Numerous mutations have been identified in the MyTH4-FERM tandems of these myosins in patients suffering visual and hearing impairment. Although a number of MF domain binding partners have been identified, the molecular basis of interactions with the C-terminal MF domain (CMF) of these myosins remains poorly understood. Here we report the high-resolution crystal structure of Myo7b CMF in complex with the extended PDZ3 domain of USH1C (a.k.a., Harmonin), revealing a previously uncharacterized interaction mode both for MyTH4-FERM tandems and for PDZ domains. We predicted, based on the structure of the Myo7b CMF/USH1C PDZ3 complex, and verified that Myo7a CMF also binds to USH1C PDZ3 using a similar mode. The structure of the Myo7b CMF/USH1C PDZ complex provides mechanistic explanations for >20 deafness-causing mutations in Myo7a CMF. Taken together, these findings suggest that binding to PDZ domains, such as those from USH1C, PDZD7, and Whirlin, is a common property of CMFs of Myo7a, Myo7b, and Myo15a.M icrovilli and stereocilia are both actin bundle-based, fingerlike protrusions found on apical surfaces of many epithelial cells (1). Microvilli line the apical surface of epithelial cells forming a densely packed structure known as the brush border in tube-like tissues, such as intestines, kidney, and lung (2-5). The best known function of microvilli is to massively increase membrane surface area of these tissues to promote solute exchange, although these protrusions may also allow cells to communicate with their extracellular surroundings (6). Stereocilia, on the other hand, are composed of several rows of protrusions with graded height forming a staircase-like structure on the apical surface of inner ear hair cells, which collectively function to sense sound waves (7,8). Despite clear morphological and functional differences, microvilli and stereocilia share certain features at the molecular level. For example, the packing and organization of microvilli and stereocilia both rely on homologous cadherin-based tip-link complexes that target to the distal ends of these protrusions (9, 10). Additionally, a set of homologous unconventional myosins-including Myo1, Myo3, Myo6, and Myo7-are shared by and critical for the development, maintenance, and functions of microvilli and stereocilia (1,11,12).This study focuses on Myo7b, an unconventional myosin enriched in the microvilli of transporting epithelial cells (11, 13). Myo7b is characterized by a pair of MyTH4-FERM tandems in its tail cargo-binding domain. In addition to Myo7b, Myo7a, Myo10, and Myo15a also contain one or two MyTH4-FERM tandems in their tail domains (14). A common property of MyTH4-FERM myosins is their involvement in the formation or elongation/stabilization of actin-bundle support...

Class III myosins (MYO3A and MYO3B) are proposed to function as transporters as well as length and ultrastructure regulators within stable actin-based protrusions such as stereocilia and calycal processes. MYO3A differs from MYO3B in that it contains an extended tail domain with an additional actin-binding motif. We examined how the properties of the motor and tail domains of human class III myosins impact their ability to enhance the formation and elongation of actin protrusions. Direct examination of the motor and enzymatic properties of human MYO3A and MYO3B revealed that MYO3A is a 2-fold faster motor with enhanced ATPase activity and actin affinity. A chimera in which the MYO3A tail was fused to the MYO3B motor demonstrated that motor activity correlates with formation and elongation of actin protrusions. We demonstrate that removal of individual exons (30-34) in the MYO3A tail does not prevent filopodia tip localization but abolishes the ability to enhance actin protrusion formation and elongation in COS7 cells. Interestingly, our results demonstrate that MYO3A slows filopodia dynamics and enhances filopodia lifetime in COS7 cells. We also demonstrate that MYO3A is more efficient than MYO3B at increasing formation and elongation of stable microvilli on the surface of cultured epithelial cells. We propose that the unique features of MYO3A, enhanced motor activity, and an extended tail with tail actin-binding motif, allow it to play an important role in stable actin protrusion length and ultrastructure maintenance.

Unconventional myosins are actin-based molecular motors that serve a multitude of roles within the cell, contributing to cell shape and function. One group of myosin motors, MyTH4-FERM myosins, plays an integral part in building and maintaining finger-like protrusions, which allows cells to interact with their external environment. Suggested to act primarily as transporters, these motor proteins enrich adhesion molecules, actin-regulatory proteins and other factors at the tips of filopodia, microvilli, and stereocilia. Below we review data from biophysical, biochemical, and cell biological studies, which implicate these myosins as central players in the assembly, maintenance and function of actin-based protrusions.