Making Modifications: Arginylation of β-actin regulates cell motility and the actin cytoskeleton, but how differential arginylation of the two highly similar actin isoforms—β and γ—is achieved in vivo is unclear. Zhang et al. (p. 1534 ; see the Perspective by Weygand-Durasevic and Ibba ) describe a cotranslational mechanism that selectively regulates the arginylation of proteins through degradation and is dependent on the nucleotide coding sequence coupled to the translation speed. The work provides an explanation for the different N-terminal arginylation states of β- and γ-actin in vivo and suggests translation rate affected by nucleotide coding sequence confers different posttranslational states to proteins and selectively regulates protein degradation.

Posttranslational arginylation is critical for embryogenesis, cardiovascular development, and angiogenesis, but its molecular effects and the identity of proteins arginylated in vivo are largely unknown. Here we report a global analysis of this modification on the protein level and identification of 43 proteins arginylated in vivo on highly specific sites. Our data demonstrate that unlike previously believed, arginylation can occur on any N-terminally exposed residue likely defined by a structural recognition motif on the protein surface, and that it preferentially affects a number of physiological systems, including cytoskeleton and primary metabolic pathways. The results of our study suggest that protein arginylation is a general mechanism for regulation of protein structure and function and outline the potential role of protein arginylation in cell metabolism and embryonic development. A common cellular mechanism for the regulation of proteins, once they have been translated from mRNA, is the addition and removal of chemical groups via enzymatic reactions. The posttranslational addition of arginyl groups is critical for the embryonic development and survival of an organism, but the molecular effects and the identity of proteins arginylated in vivo are largely unknown. We developed a technique to screen large numbers of proteins for this modification and identified 43 proteins arginylated in vivo on highly specific sites. Arginylation can occur on any exposed residue at the N-terminus of a protein and appears to require a specific structural recognition motif on the protein surface. It preferentially affects a number of physiological systems, including cytoskeleton and primary metabolic pathways and seems to be a general mechanism for regulation of protein structure and function. Our data provide insights into the previously unknown arginylation-dependent mechanisms of the regulation of embryonic development.

Actin arginylation regulates lamella formation in motile fibroblasts, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. To understand how arginylation affects the actin cytoskeleton, we investigated the biochemical properties and the structural organization of actin filaments in wild-type and arginyltransferase (Ate1) knockout cells. We found that Ate1 knockout results in a dramatic reduction of the actin polymer levels in vivo accompanied by a corresponding increase in the monomer level. Purified nonarginylated actin has altered polymerization properties, and actin filaments from Ate1 knockout cells show altered interactions with several associated proteins. Ate1 knockout cells have severe impairment of cytoskeletal organization throughout the cell. Thus, arginylation regulates the ability of actin to form filaments in the whole cell rather than preventing the collapse of preformed actin networks at the cell leading edge as proposed in our previous model. This regulation is achieved through interconnected mechanisms that involve actin polymerization per se and through binding of actin-associated proteins.