Leiomodin 3 (LMOD3)

Leiomodin-3 is a protein encoded by the LMOD3 gene. Leiomodin shared two actin-binding sites with the filament pointed end-capping protein tropomodulin: a flexible N-terminal region and a leucine-rich repeat domain.Leiomodin also contained a C-terminal extension of 150 residues. The smallest fragment with strong nudeation activity included the leucine-rich repeat and C-terminal extension. The N-terminal region enhanced the nudeation activity threefold and recruited tropomyosin, which weakly stimulated nudeation and mediated localization of leiomodin to the middle of muscle sarcomeres. Knocking down leiomodin severely compromised sarcomere assembly in cultured musde cells, which suggests a role for leiomodin in the nudeation of tropomyosin-decorated filaments in muscles.