Structure of Arp23 complex at a branched actin filament junction resolved by single-particle cryo-EM

Arp2/3 complex nucleates branched actin filaments that provide pushing forces to drive cellular processes such as lamellipodial protrusion and endocytosis. Arp2/3 complex is intrinsically inactive, and multiple classes of nucleation promoting factors (NPFs) stimulate its nucleation activity. When activated by WASP family NPFs, Arp2/3 complex must bind to the side of a pre-existing (mother) filament of actin to complete the nucleation process, ensuring that WASP-mediated activation creates branched rather than linear actin filaments. How actin filaments contribute to activation is currently not understood, largely due to the lack of high-resolution structures of activated Arp2/3 complex bound to the side of a filament. Here we present the 3.9 Å cryo-EM structure of Arp2/3 complex at a branch junction. The structure reveals contacts between Arp2/3 complex and the side of the mother actin filament that likely stimulate subunit flattening, a conformational change that allows the actin-related protein subunits in the complex (Arp2 and Arp3) to mimic filamentous actin subunits. In contrast, limited contact between the bottom half of Arp2/3 complex and the mother filament suggests that clamp twisting, a second major conformational change observed in the active state, is not stimulated by actin filaments, potentially explaining why actin filaments are required but insufficient to trigger nucleation during WASP-mediated activation. Along with biochemical and live cell imaging data and molecular dynamics simulations, the structure reveals features critical for the interaction of Arp2/3 complex with actin filaments and regulated assembly of branched actin filament networks in cells.