BIN1/Amphiphysin 2 and ezrin drive filopodia-like structures in myoblasts
Amphiphysin 2 (BIN1) is a membrane and actin remodeling protein mutated in congenital and adult centronuclear myopathies. Here, we report an unexpected function of this N-BAR domain protein BIN1 in filopodia formation. We demonstrated that BIN1 expression is necessary and sufficient to induce filopodia formation. BIN1 is present at the base of forming filopodia and all along filopodia, where it colocalizes with F-actin. We identify that BIN1-mediated filopodia formation requires IRSp53, which allows its localization at negatively-curved membrane topologies. Our results show that BIN1 bundles actin in vitro. Finally, we identify that BIN1 regulates the membrane-to-cortex architecture and functions as a molecular platform to recruit actin-binding proteins, dynamin and ezrin, to promote filopodia formation.