Aliphatic N-substituted functional eight-membered cyclic carbonates were synthesized from N-substituted diethanolamines by intramolecular cyclization. On the basis of the N-substituent, three major subclasses of carbonate monomers were synthesized (N-aryl, N-alkyl and N-carbamate). Organocatalytic ring opening polymerization (ROP) of eight-membered cyclic carbonates was explored as a route to access narrowly dispersed polymers of predictable molecular weights. Polymerization kinetics was highly dependent on the substituent on the nitrogen atom and the catalyst used for the reaction. The use of triazabicyclodecene (TBD), instead of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), as the catalyst for the N-alkyl substituted monomers significantly enhanced the rate of polymerizations. Computational studies were performed to rationalize the observed trends for TBD catalyzed polymerizations. With the optimal organocatalyst all monomers could be polymerized generating well-defined polymers within a timespan of ≤2 h with relatively high monomer conversion (≥80%) and low molar-mass dispersity (Đ(M) ≤ 1.3). Both the glass transition temperatures (T(g)) and onset of degradation temperatures (T(onset)) of these polymers were found to be N-substituent dependent and were in the range of about -45 to 35 °C and 230 to 333 °C, respectively. The copolymerization of the eight membered monomers with 6-membered cyclic comonomers including commercially available l-lactide and trimethylene carbonate produced novel copolymers. The combination of inexpensive starting materials, ease of ring-closure and subsequent polymerization makes this an attractive route to functional polycarbontes.

INF2 is a member of the formin family of actin assembly factors. Dominant mis-sense mutations in INF2 link to two diseases: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a kidney disease; and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD), a neuropathy. All disease mutations map to the autoinhibitory Diaphanous Inhibitory Domain (DID). Curiously, purified INF2 is not autoinhibited, suggesting the existence of additional cellular inhibitors. We purified an INF2 inhibitor from mouse brain, and identified it as a complex between lysine-acetylated actin (KAc-actin) and cyclase-associated protein (CAP). Inhibition of INF2 by CAP/KAc-actin requires INF2 DID. Treatment of CAP/KAc-actin with histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) releases INF2 inhibition, while HDAC6 inhibitors block cellular INF2 activation. INF2 disease mutants are poorly inhibited by CAP/KAc-actin, suggesting that FSGS and CMTD result from reduced CAP/KAc-actin binding. These findings reveal a role for lysine-acetylated actin in the regulation of an actin assembly factor by a mechanism which we call facilitated auto-inhibition.

statement: Mitochondrial depolarization induces Arp2/3 complex-dependent actin clouds that restrain mitochondrial shape changes induced by Oma1 on the inner mitochondrial membrane. A distinct actin network stimulates mitochondrial fission in response to calcium. Fung et al Actin and Mitochondria 2 AbstractRecent studies show that mitochondria and actin filaments work together in two contexts: 1) increased cytoplasmic calcium induces cytoplasmic actin polymerization that stimulates mitochondrial fission, and 2) mitochondrial depolarization causes actin assembly around mitochondria, with roles in mitophagy. It is unclear whether these two processes utilize similar actin assembly mechanisms. Here, we show that these are distinct actin assembly mechanisms in the acute phase after treatment (<10 min). Calcium-induced actin assembly is INF2-dependent and Arp2/3 complex-independent, whereas depolarization-induced actin assembly is Arp2/3 complexdependent and INF2-independent. The two types of actin polymerization are morphologically distinct, with calcium-induced filaments throughout the cytosol and depolarization-induced filaments as "clouds" around depolarized mitochondria. We have previously shown that calciuminduced actin stimulates increases in both mitochondrial calcium and recruitment of the dynamin GTPase Drp1. In contrast, depolarization-induced actin is temporally-associated with extensive mitochondrial dynamics that do not result in mitochondrial fission, but in circularization of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). These dynamics are dependent upon the protease Oma1 and independent of Drp1. Actin cloud inhibition causes increased IMM circularization, suggesting that actin clouds limit these dynamics. Fung et alActin and Mitochondria

Recent studies show that mitochondria and actin filaments work together in two contexts: (1) increased cytoplasmic calcium induces cytoplasmic actin polymerization that stimulates mitochondrial fission and (2) mitochondrial depolarization causes actin assembly around mitochondria, with roles in mitophagy. It is unclear whether these two processes utilize similar actin assembly mechanisms. Here, we show that these are distinct actin assembly mechanisms in the acute phase after treatment (<10 min). Calcium-induced actin assembly is INF2 dependent and Arp2/3 complex independent, whereas depolarizationinduced actin assembly is Arp2/3 complex dependent and INF2 independent. The two types of actin polymerization are morphologically distinct, with calcium-induced filaments throughout the cytosol and depolarization-induced filaments as 'clouds' around depolarized mitochondria. We have previously shown that calcium-induced actin stimulates increases in both mitochondrial calcium and recruitment of the dynamin GTPase Drp1 (also known as DNM1L). In contrast, depolarization-induced actin is temporally associated with extensive mitochondrial dynamics that do not result in mitochondrial fission, but in circularization of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). These dynamics are dependent on the protease OMA1 and independent of Drp1. Actin cloud inhibition causes increased IMM circularization, suggesting that actin clouds limit these dynamics. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

INF2 is a formin protein that accelerates actin polymerization. A common mechanism for formin regulation is autoinhibition, through interaction between the N-terminal diaphanous inhibitory domain (DID) and C-terminal diaphanous autoregulatory domain (DAD). We recently showed that INF2 uses a variant of this mechanism that we term “facilitated autoinhibition,” whereby a complex consisting of cyclase-associated protein (CAP) bound to lysine-acetylated actin (KAc-actin) is required for INF2 inhibition, in a manner requiring INF2-DID. Deacetylation of actin in the CAP/KAc-actin complex activates INF2. Here we use lysine-to-glutamine mutations as acetylmimetics to map the relevant lysines on actin for INF2 regulation, focusing on K50, K61, and K328. Biochemically, K50Q- and K61Q-actin, when bound to CAP2, inhibit full-length INF2 but not INF2 lacking DID. When not bound to CAP, these mutant actins polymerize similarly to WT-actin in the presence or absence of INF2, suggesting that the effect of the mutation is directly on INF2 regulation. In U2OS cells, K50Q- and K61Q-actin inhibit INF2-mediated actin polymerization when expressed at low levels. Direct-binding studies show that the CAP WH2 domain binds INF2-DID with submicromolar affinity but has weak affinity for actin monomers, while INF2-DAD binds CAP/K50Q-actin 5-fold better than CAP/WT-actin. Actin in complex with full-length CAP2 is predominately ATP-bound. These interactions suggest an inhibition model whereby CAP/KAc-actin serves as a bridge between INF2 DID and DAD. In U2OS cells, INF2 is 90-fold and 5-fold less abundant than CAP1 and CAP2, respectively, suggesting that there is sufficient CAP for full INF2 inhibition.