Mislocalization of the Drosophila centromere-specific histone CIDpromotes formation of functional ectopic kinetochores

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Heun, Patrick; Erhardt, Sylvia; Blower, Michael D.; Weiss,Samara; Skora, Andrew D.; Karpen, Gary H.

2006-01-30

The centromere-specific histone variant CENP-A (CID in Drosophila) is a structural and functional foundation for kinetochore formation and chromosome segregation. Here, we show that overexpressed CID is mislocalized into normally non-centromeric regions in Drosophila tissue culture cells and animals. Analysis of mitoses in living and fixed cells reveals that mitotic delays, anaphase bridges, chromosome fragmentation, and cell and organismal lethality are all direct consequences of CID mislocalization. In addition, proteins that are normally restricted to endogenous kinetochores assemble at a subset of ectopic CID incorporation regions. The presence of microtubule motors and binding proteins, spindle attachments, and aberrant chromosome morphologies demonstrate that these ectopic kinetochores are functional. We conclude that CID mislocalization promotes formation of ectopic centromeres and multicentric chromosomes, which causes chromosome missegregation, aneuploidy, and growth defects. Thus, CENP-A mislocalization is one possible mechanism for genome instability during cancer progression, as well as centromere plasticity during evolution.

Microtubules move the nucleus to quiescence.

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Laporte, Damien; Sagot, Isabelle

2014-01-01

The nucleus is a cellular compartment that hosts several macro-molecular machines displaying a highly complex spatial organization. This tight architectural orchestration determines not only DNA replication and repair but also regulates gene expression. In budding yeast microtubules play a key role in structuring the nucleus since they condition the Rabl arrangement in G1 and chromosome partitioning during mitosis through their attachment to centromeres via the kinetochore proteins. Recently, we have shown that upon quiescence entry, intranuclear microtubules emanating from the spindle pole body elongate to form a highly stable bundle that spans the entire nucleus. Here, we examine some molecular mechanisms that may underlie the formation of this structure. As the intranuclear microtubule bundle causes a profound re-organization of the yeast nucleus and is required for cell survival during quiescence, we discuss the possibility that the assembly of such a structure participates in quiescence establishment.

PP2A regulates kinetochore-microtubule attachment during meiosis I in oocyte.

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Tang, An; Shi, Peiliang; Song, Anying; Zou, Dayuan; Zhou, Yue; Gu, Pengyu; Huang, Zan; Wang, Qinghua; Lin, Zhaoyu; Gao, Xiang

2016-06-02

Studies using in vitro cultured oocytes have indicated that the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a major serine/threonine protein phosphatase, participates in multiple steps of meiosis. Details of oocyte maturation regulation by PP2A remain unclear and an in vivo model can provide more convincing information. Here, we inactivated PP2A by mutating genes encoding for its catalytic subunits (PP2Acs) in mouse oocytes. We found that eliminating both PP2Acs caused female infertility. Oocytes lacking PP2Acs failed to complete 1(st) meiotic division due to chromosome misalignment and abnormal spindle assembly. In mitosis, PP2A counteracts Aurora kinase B/C (AurkB/C) to facilitate correct kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) attachment. In meiosis I in oocyte, we found that PP2Ac deficiency destabilized KT-MT attachments. Chemical inhibition of AurkB/C in PP2Ac-null oocytes partly restored the formation of lateral/merotelic KT-MT attachments but not correct KT-MT attachments. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that PP2Acs are essential for chromosome alignments and regulate the formation of correct KT-MT attachments in meiosis I in oocytes.

Congressing kinetochores progressively load Ska complexes to prevent force-dependent detachment.

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Auckland, Philip; Clarke, Nicholas I; Royle, Stephen J; McAinsh, Andrew D

2017-06-05

Kinetochores mediate chromosome congression by either sliding along the lattice of spindle microtubules or forming end-on attachments to their depolymerizing plus-ends. By following the fates of individual kinetochores as they congress in live cells, we reveal that the Ska complex is required for a distinct substep of the depolymerization-coupled pulling mechanism. Ska depletion increases the frequency of naturally occurring, force-dependent P kinetochore detachment events, while being dispensable for the initial biorientation and movement of chromosomes. In unperturbed cells, these release events are followed by reattachment and successful congression, whereas in Ska-depleted cells, detached kinetochores remain in a futile reattachment/detachment cycle that prevents congression. We further find that Ska is progressively loaded onto bioriented kinetochore pairs as they congress. We thus propose a model in which kinetochores mature through Ska complex recruitment and that this is required for improved load-bearing capacity and silencing of the spindle assembly checkpoint. © 2017 Auckland et al.

Chromatin compaction by condensin I, intra-kinetochore stretch and tension, and anaphase onset, in collective spindle assembly checkpoint interaction

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Matsson, Leif

2014-01-01

The control mechanism in mitosis and meiosis by which cells decide to inhibit or allow segregation, the so-called spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), increases the fidelity of chromosome segregation. It acts like a clockwork mechanism which measures time in units of stable attachments of microtubules (MTs) to kinetochores (the order parameter). Stable MT–kinetochore attachments mediate poleward forces and ‘unstable’ attachments, acting alone or together with motor proteins on kinetochores via chromosomes, antipoleward forces. Stable and unstable attachments could be separated, and the non-equilibrium integrated MT mediated force acting on stably attached kinetochores was derived in a collective interaction (Matsson 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 502101), in which kinetochores were treated as rigid protein complexes. As forces and tension in that model became equally distributed in all bioriented sister chromatid (SC) pairs, segregation was inhibited without need of a ‘wait-anaphase’ signal. In this generalization, the kinetochore is divided into an inner chromatin proximal complex and an outer MT proximal complex, and the integrated MT mediated force is divided into an integrated poleward and an integrated antipoleward force. The model also describes the collective interaction of condensin I with chromatin, which together with the MT mediated dynamics yields the putative in vivo tension in kinetochores and centromeric and pericentromeric chromatin, as a non-linear function of the order parameter. Supported by the compaction force and an increased stiffness in chromatin towards the end of metaphase, the two opposing integrated MT mediated poleward forces, together with metaphase oscillations, induce a swift and synchronized anaphase onset by first increasing the intra-kinetochore stretch. This increase lowers the SAC energy threshold, making a cleavage by separase of all cohesin tethering SC pairs in anaphase energetically possible, thereby reducing the

Direct kinetochore-spindle pole connections are not required for chromosome segregation.

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Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Magidson, Valentin; Steinman, Jonathan B; He, Jie; Le Berre, Maël; Tikhonenko, Irina; Ault, Jeffrey G; McEwen, Bruce F; Chen, James K; Sui, Haixin; Piel, Matthieu; Kapoor, Tarun M; Khodjakov, Alexey

2014-07-21

Segregation of genetic material occurs when chromosomes move to opposite spindle poles during mitosis. This movement depends on K-fibers, specialized microtubule (MT) bundles attached to the chromosomes' kinetochores. A long-standing assumption is that continuous K-fibers connect every kinetochore to a spindle pole and the force for chromosome movement is produced at the kinetochore and coupled with MT depolymerization. However, we found that chromosomes still maintained their position at the spindle equator during metaphase and segregated properly during anaphase when one of their K-fibers was severed near the kinetochore with a laser microbeam. We also found that, in normal fully assembled spindles, K-fibers of some chromosomes did not extend to the spindle pole. These K-fibers connected to adjacent K-fibers and/or nonkinetochore MTs. Poleward movement of chromosomes with short K-fibers was uncoupled from MT depolymerization at the kinetochore. Instead, these chromosomes moved by dynein-mediated transport of the entire K-fiber/kinetochore assembly. Thus, at least two distinct parallel mechanisms drive chromosome segregation in mammalian cells.

The kinetochore proteins CENP-E and CENP-F directly and specifically interact with distinct BUB mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases.

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Ciossani, Giuseppe; Overlack, Katharina; Petrovic, Arsen; Huis In 't Veld, Pim J; Koerner, Carolin; Wohlgemuth, Sabine; Maffini, Stefano; Musacchio, Andrea

2018-05-10

The segregation of chromosomes during cell division relies on the function of the kinetochores, protein complexes that physically connect chromosomes with microtubules of the spindle. The metazoan proteins, centromere protein E (CENP-E) and CENP-F, are components of a fibrous layer of mitotic kinetochores named the corona. Several of their features suggest that CENP-E and CENP-F are paralogs: they are very large (comprising approximately 2700 and 3200 residues, respectively), contain abundant predicted coiled-coil structures, are C-terminally prenylated, and are endowed with microtubule-binding sites at their termini. Moreover, CENP-E contains an ATP-hydrolyzing motor domain that promotes microtubule plus end-directed motion. Here, we show that both CENP-E and CENP-F are recruited to mitotic kinetochores independently of the main corona constituent, the Rod-Zwilch-ZW10 (RZZ) complex. We identified specific interactions of CENP-F and CENP-E with budding uninhibited by benzimidazole 1 (BUB1) and BUB1-related (BUBR1) mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases, respectively, paralogous proteins involved in mitotic checkpoint control and chromosome alignment. Whereas BUBR1 was dispensable for kinetochore localization of CENP-E, BUB1 was stringently required for CENP-F localization. Through biochemical reconstitution, we demonstrated that the CENP-E-BUBR1 and CENP-F-BUB1 interactions are direct and require similar determinants, a dimeric coiled-coil in CENP-E or CENP-F and a kinase domain in BUBR1 or BUB1. Our findings are consistent with the existence of structurally similar BUB1-CENP-F and BUBR1-CENP-E complexes, supporting the notion that CENP-E and CENP-F are evolutionarily related. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Microtubule heterogeneity of Ornithogalum umbellatum ovary epidermal cells: non-stable cortical microtubules and stable lipotubuloid microtubules.

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Kwiatkowska, Maria; Stępiński, Dariusz; Polit, Justyna T; Popłońska, Katarzyna; Wojtczak, Agnieszka

2011-01-01

Lipotubuloids, structures containing lipid bodies and microtubules, are described in ovary epidermal cells of Ornithogalum umbellatum. Microtubules of lipotubuloids can be fixed in electron microscope fixative containing only buffered OsO(4) or in glutaraldehyde with OsO(4) post-fixation, or in a mixture of OsO(4) and glutaraldehyde. None of these substances fixes cortical microtubules of ovary epidermis of this plant which is characterized by dynamic longitudinal growth. However, cortical microtubules can be fixed with cold methanol according immunocytological methods with the use of β-tubulin antibodies and fluorescein. The existence of cortical microtubules has also been evidenced by EM observations solely after the use of taxol, microtubule stabilizer, and fixation in a glutaraldehyde/OsO(4) mixture. These microtubules mostly lie transversely, sometimes obliquely, and rarely parallel to the cell axis. Staining, using Ruthenium Red and silver hexamine, has revealed that lipotubuloid microtubules surface is covered with polysaccharides. The presumption has been made that the presence of a polysaccharide layer enhances the stability of lipotubuloid microtubules.

Bub1 autophosphorylation feeds back to regulate kinetochore docking and promote localized substrate phosphorylation.

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Asghar, Adeel; Lajeunesse, Audrey; Dulla, Kalyan; Combes, Guillaume; Thebault, Philippe; Nigg, Erich A; Elowe, Sabine

2015-09-24

During mitosis, Bub1 kinase phosphorylates histone H2A-T120 to promote centromere sister chromatid cohesion through recruitment of shugoshin (Sgo) proteins. The regulation and dynamics of H2A-T120 phosphorylation are poorly understood. Using quantitative phosphoproteomics we show that Bub1 is autophosphorylated at numerous sites. We confirm mitosis-specific autophosphorylation of a several residues and show that Bub1 activation is primed in interphase but fully achieved only in mitosis. Mutation of a single autophosphorylation site T589 alters kinetochore turnover of Bub1 and results in uniform H2A-T120 phosphorylation and Sgo recruitment along chromosome arms. Consequently, improper sister chromatid resolution and chromosome segregation errors are observed. Kinetochore tethering of Bub1-T589A refocuses H2A-T120 phosphorylation and Sgo1 to centromeres. Recruitment of the Bub1-Bub3-BubR1 axis to kinetochores has recently been extensively studied. Our data provide novel insight into the regulation and kinetochore residency of Bub1 and indicate that its localization is dynamic and tightly controlled through feedback autophosphorylation.

The nucleoporin MEL-28 promotes RanGTP-dependent γ-tubulin recruitment and microtubule nucleation in mitotic spindle formation.

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Yokoyama, Hideki; Koch, Birgit; Walczak, Rudolf; Ciray-Duygu, Fulya; González-Sánchez, Juan Carlos; Devos, Damien P; Mattaj, Iain W; Gruss, Oliver J

2014-01-01

The GTP-bound form of the Ran GTPase (RanGTP), produced around chromosomes, drives nuclear envelope and nuclear pore complex (NPC) re-assembly after mitosis. The nucleoporin MEL-28/ELYS binds chromatin in a RanGTP-regulated manner and acts to seed NPC assembly. Here we show that, upon mitotic NPC disassembly, MEL-28 dissociates from chromatin and re-localizes to spindle microtubules and kinetochores. MEL-28 directly binds microtubules in a RanGTP-regulated way via its C-terminal chromatin-binding domain. Using Xenopus egg extracts, we demonstrate that MEL-28 is essential for RanGTP-dependent microtubule nucleation and spindle assembly, independent of its function in NPC assembly. Specifically, MEL-28 interacts with the γ-tubulin ring complex and recruits it to microtubule nucleation sites. Our data identify MEL-28 as a RanGTP target that functions throughout the cell cycle. Its cell cycle-dependent binding to chromatin or microtubules discriminates MEL-28 functions in interphase and mitosis, and ensures that spindle assembly occurs only after NPC breakdown.

Kinesin-8 effects on mitotic microtubule dynamics contribute to spindle function in fission yeast

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Gergely, Zachary R.; Crapo, Ammon; Hough, Loren E.; McIntosh, J. Richard; Betterton, Meredith D.

2016-01-01

Kinesin-8 motor proteins destabilize microtubules. Their absence during cell division is associated with disorganized mitotic chromosome movements and chromosome loss. Despite recent work studying effects of kinesin-8s on microtubule dynamics, it remains unclear whether the kinesin-8 mitotic phenotypes are consequences of their effect on microtubule dynamics, their well-established motor activity, or additional, unknown functions. To better understand the role of kinesin-8 proteins in mitosis, we studied the effects of deletion of the fission yeast kinesin-8 proteins Klp5 and Klp6 on chromosome movements and spindle length dynamics. Aberrant microtubule-driven kinetochore pushing movements and tripolar mitotic spindles occurred in cells lacking Klp5 but not Klp6. Kinesin-8–deletion strains showed large fluctuations in metaphase spindle length, suggesting a disruption of spindle length stabilization. Comparison of our results from light microscopy with a mathematical model suggests that kinesin-8–induced effects on microtubule dynamics, kinetochore attachment stability, and sliding force in the spindle can explain the aberrant chromosome movements and spindle length fluctuations seen. PMID:27146110

Stable and dynamic microtubules coordinately shape the myosin activation zone during cytokinetic furrow formation

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Foe, Victoria E.; von Dassow, George

2008-01-01

The cytokinetic furrow arises from spatial and temporal regulation of cortical contractility. To test the role microtubules play in furrow specification, we studied myosin II activation in echinoderm zygotes by assessing serine19-phosphorylated regulatory light chain (pRLC) localization after precisely timed drug treatments. Cortical pRLC was globally depressed before cytokinesis, then elevated only at the equator. We implicated cell cycle biochemistry (not microtubules) in pRLC depression, and differential microtubule stability in localizing the subsequent myosin activation. With no microtubules, pRLC accumulation occurred globally instead of equatorially, and loss of just dynamic microtubules increased equatorial pRLC recruitment. Nocodazole treatment revealed a population of stable astral microtubules that formed during anaphase; among these, those aimed toward the equator grew longer, and their tips coincided with cortical pRLC accumulation. Shrinking the mitotic apparatus with colchicine revealed pRLC suppression near dynamic microtubule arrays. We conclude that opposite effects of stable versus dynamic microtubules focuses myosin activation to the cell equator during cytokinesis. PMID:18955555

YB-1 promotes microtubule assembly in vitro through interaction with tubulin and microtubules

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Baconnais Sonia

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background YB-1 is a major regulator of gene expression in eukaryotic cells. In addition to its role in transcription, YB-1 plays a key role in translation and stabilization of mRNAs. Results We show here that YB-1 interacts with tubulin and microtubules and stimulates microtubule assembly in vitro. High resolution imaging via electron and atomic force microscopy revealed that microtubules assembled in the presence of YB-1 exhibited a normal single wall ultrastructure and indicated that YB-1 most probably coats the outer microtubule wall. Furthermore, we found that YB-1 also promotes the assembly of MAPs-tubulin and subtilisin-treated tubulin. Finally, we demonstrated that tubulin interferes with RNA:YB-1 complexes. Conclusion These results suggest that YB-1 may regulate microtubule assembly in vivo and that its interaction with tubulin may contribute to the control of mRNA translation.

GTPase Ran strongly accumulates at the kinetochores of somatic chromosomes in the spermatogonial mitoses of Acricotopus lucidus (Diptera, Chironomidae).

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Staiber, Wolfgang

2014-07-01

Unequal chromosome segregation and spindle formation occurs in the last gonial mitosis in the germ line of the chironomid Acricotopus lucidus. During this differential mitosis, all germ line-limited chromosomes (=Ks) migrate undivided to only one pole of the cell, while the somatic chromosomes (=Ss) first remain in the metaphase plane, and with the arrival of the Ks at the pole, they then separate equally. The evolutionarily conserved GTPase Ran plays a crucial role in many cellular processes. This includes the regulation of microtubule nucleation and stabilisation at kinetochores and of spindle assembly during mitosis, which is promoted by a RanGTP concentration gradient that forms around the mitotic chromosomes (Kalab et al. in Science 295:2452-2456, 2002, Nature 440:697-701, 2006). In the present study, a strong accumulation of Ran was detected by immunofluorescence at the kinetochores of the Ss in normal gonial and differential gonial mitoses of males of A. lucidus. In contrast, no Ran accumulation was observed at the kinetochores of the Ss in the metaphases of brain ganglia mitoses or of aberrant spermatocytes or in metaphases I and II of spermatocyte meiotic divisions. Likewise, there was no accumulation at the kinetochores of Drosophila melanogaster mitotic chromosomes from larval brains. The specific accumulation of Ran at the kinetochores of the Ss in differential gonial mitoses of A. lucidus strongly suggests that Ran is involved in a mechanism acting in this exceptional mitosis, which retains the Ss at the metaphase plane and prevents a premature separation and unequal segregation of the Ss during monopolar migration of the Ks.

The architecture of the BubR1 tetratricopeptide tandem repeat defines a protein motif underlying mitotic checkpoint-kinetochore communication

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Bolanos-Garcia, Victor M; Nilsson, Jakob; Blundell, Tom L

2012-01-01

advance to anaphase before every chromosome is properly attached to microtubules of the mitotic spindle. The architecture of the KNL1-BubR1 complex reveals important features of the molecular recognition between SAC components and the kinetochore. The interaction is important for a functional SAC...... as substitution of BubR1 residues engaged in KNL1 binding impaired the SAC and BubR1 recruitment into checkpoint complexes in stable cell lines. Here we discuss the implications of the disorder-to-order transition of KNL1 upon BubR1 binding for SAC signaling and propose a mechanistic model of how BUBs binding may...

Step-wise assembly, maturation and dynamic behavior of the human CENP-P/O/R/Q/U kinetochore sub-complex.

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Anja Eskat

Full Text Available Kinetochores are multi-protein megadalton assemblies that are required for attachment of microtubules to centromeres and, in turn, the segregation of chromosomes in mitosis. Kinetochore assembly is a cell cycle regulated multi-step process. The initial step occurs during interphase and involves loading of the 15-subunit constitutive centromere associated complex (CCAN, which contains a 5-subunit (CENP-P/O/R/Q/U sub-complex. Here we show using a fluorescent three-hybrid (F3H assay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET in living mammalian cells that CENP-P/O/R/Q/U subunits exist in a tightly packed arrangement that involves multifold protein-protein interactions. This sub-complex is, however, not pre-assembled in the cytoplasm, but rather assembled on kinetochores through the step-wise recruitment of CENP-O/P heterodimers and the CENP-P, -O, -R, -Q and -U single protein units. SNAP-tag experiments and immuno-staining indicate that these loading events occur during S-phase in a manner similar to the nucleosome binding components of the CCAN, CENP-T/W/N. Furthermore, CENP-P/O/R/Q/U binding to the CCAN is largely mediated through interactions with the CENP-N binding protein CENP-L as well as CENP-K. Once assembled, CENP-P/O/R/Q/U exchanges slowly with the free nucleoplasmic pool indicating a low off-rate for individual CENP-P/O/R/Q/U subunits. Surprisingly, we then find that during late S-phase, following the kinetochore-binding step, both CENP-Q and -U but not -R undergo oligomerization. We propose that CENP-P/O/R/Q/U self-assembles on kinetochores with varying stoichiometry and undergoes a pre-mitotic maturation step that could be important for kinetochores switching into the correct conformation necessary for microtubule-attachment.

S. pombe kinesins-8 promote both nucleation and catastrophe of microtubules.

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Muriel Erent

Full Text Available The kinesins-8 were originally thought to be microtubule depolymerases, but are now emerging as more versatile catalysts of microtubule dynamics. We show here that S. pombe Klp5-436 and Klp6-440 are non-processive plus-end-directed motors whose in vitro velocities on S. pombe microtubules at 7 and 23 nm s(-1 are too slow to keep pace with the growing tips of dynamic interphase microtubules in living S. pombe. In vitro, Klp5 and 6 dimers exhibit a hitherto-undescribed combination of strong enhancement of microtubule nucleation with no effect on growth rate or catastrophe frequency. By contrast in vivo, both Klp5 and Klp6 promote microtubule catastrophe at cell ends whilst Klp6 also increases the number of interphase microtubule arrays (IMAs. Our data support a model in which Klp5/6 bind tightly to free tubulin heterodimers, strongly promoting the nucleation of new microtubules, and then continue to land as a tubulin-motor complex on the tips of growing microtubules, with the motors then dissociating after a few seconds residence on the lattice. In vivo, we predict that only at cell ends, when growing microtubule tips become lodged and their growth slows down, will Klp5/6 motor activity succeed in tracking growing microtubule tips. This mechanism would allow Klp5/6 to detect the arrival of microtubule tips at cells ends and to amplify the intrinsic tendency for microtubules to catastrophise in compression at cell ends. Our evidence identifies Klp5 and 6 as spatial regulators of microtubule dynamics that enhance both microtubule nucleation at the cell centre and microtubule catastrophe at the cell ends.

Differences in the origins of kinetochore-positive and kinetochore-negative micronuclei: A live cell imaging study

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Jiang, Erkang, E-mail: erkangj@ustc.edu.cn

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Most Kinetochore-negative micronuclei were derived from kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes and fragments of broken chromosome bridges in mitosis of MN-free cells. • Most Kinetochore-positive micronuclei were derived from kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-positive lagging chromosomes and fragments of broken chromosome bridges in mitosis of MN-free cells. • Kinetochore-positive lagging chromosomes developed into kinetochore-positive micronuclei at the higher frequency than kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes developed into kinetochore-negative micronuclei at the higher rate than kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes and broken chromosome bridges produced K−MNi and/or K+MNi. - Abstract: Micronuclei (MNi) are extensively used to evaluate genotoxicity and chromosomal instability. Classification of kinetochore-negative (K−MNi) and kinetochore-positive micronuclei (K+MNi) improves the specificity and sensitivity of the micronucleus (MN) test; however, the fundamental differences in the origins of K−MNi and K+MNi have not been addressed due to the limitations of traditional methods. In the current study, HeLa CENP B-GFP H2B-mCherry cells were constructed in which histone 2B (H2B) and centromere protein B (CENP B) were expressed as fusion proteins to monomeric Cherry (mCherry) and EGFP, respectively. MNi were identified using H2B-mCherry; K+MN contained CENP B-GFP, while K−MN did not. Long-term live cell imaging was conducted to examine MN formation in the dual-color fluorescent HeLa cells. The results suggested that K−MNi were derived from kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes (K−DCs), kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes (K−LCs) and fragments of broken chromosome bridges (CBs) during late mitotic stages. The results also indicated that K+MNi are derived from kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes (K

Differences in the origins of kinetochore-positive and kinetochore-negative micronuclei: A live cell imaging study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Erkang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Most Kinetochore-negative micronuclei were derived from kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes and fragments of broken chromosome bridges in mitosis of MN-free cells. • Most Kinetochore-positive micronuclei were derived from kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-positive lagging chromosomes and fragments of broken chromosome bridges in mitosis of MN-free cells. • Kinetochore-positive lagging chromosomes developed into kinetochore-positive micronuclei at the higher frequency than kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes, kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes developed into kinetochore-negative micronuclei at the higher rate than kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes and broken chromosome bridges produced K−MNi and/or K+MNi. - Abstract: Micronuclei (MNi) are extensively used to evaluate genotoxicity and chromosomal instability. Classification of kinetochore-negative (K−MNi) and kinetochore-positive micronuclei (K+MNi) improves the specificity and sensitivity of the micronucleus (MN) test; however, the fundamental differences in the origins of K−MNi and K+MNi have not been addressed due to the limitations of traditional methods. In the current study, HeLa CENP B-GFP H2B-mCherry cells were constructed in which histone 2B (H2B) and centromere protein B (CENP B) were expressed as fusion proteins to monomeric Cherry (mCherry) and EGFP, respectively. MNi were identified using H2B-mCherry; K+MN contained CENP B-GFP, while K−MN did not. Long-term live cell imaging was conducted to examine MN formation in the dual-color fluorescent HeLa cells. The results suggested that K−MNi were derived from kinetochore-negative displaced chromosomes (K−DCs), kinetochore-negative lagging chromosomes (K−LCs) and fragments of broken chromosome bridges (CBs) during late mitotic stages. The results also indicated that K+MNi are derived from kinetochore-positive displaced chromosomes (K

Defining the molecular basis of BubR1 kinetochore interactions and APC/C-CDC20 inhibition.

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D'Arcy, Sheena; Davies, Owen R; Blundell, Tom L; Bolanos-Garcia, Victor M

2010-05-07

BubR1 is essential for the mitotic checkpoint that prevents aneuploidy in cellular progeny by triggering anaphase delay in response to kinetochores incorrectly/not attached to the mitotic spindle. Here, we define the molecular architecture of the functionally significant N-terminal region of human BubR1 and present the 1.8 A crystal structure of its tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain. The structure reveals divergence from the classical TPR fold and is highly similar to the TPR domain of budding yeast Bub1. Shared distinctive features include a disordered loop insertion, a 3(10)-helix, a tight turn involving glycine positive Phi angles, and noncanonical packing of and between the TPR motifs. We also define the molecular determinants of the interaction between BubR1 and kinetochore protein Blinkin. We identify a shallow groove on the concave surface of the BubR1 TPR domain that forms multiple discrete and potentially cooperative interactions with Blinkin. Finally, we present evidence for a direct interaction between BubR1 and Bub1 mediated by regions C-terminal to their TPR domains. This interaction provides a mechanism for Bub1-dependent kinetochore recruitment of BubR1. We thus present novel molecular insights into the structure of BubR1 and its interactions at the kinetochore-microtubule interface. Our studies pave the way for future structure-directed engineering aimed at dissecting the roles of kinetochore-bound and other pools of BubR1 in vivo.

Merotelic kinetochore attachment in oocyte meiosis II causes sister chromatids segregation errors in aged mice.

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Cheng, Jin-Mei; Li, Jian; Tang, Ji-Xin; Hao, Xiao-Xia; Wang, Zhi-Peng; Sun, Tie-Cheng; Wang, Xiu-Xia; Zhang, Yan; Chen, Su-Ren; Liu, Yi-Xun

2017-08-03

Mammalian oocyte chromosomes undergo 2 meiotic divisions to generate haploid gametes. The frequency of chromosome segregation errors during meiosis I increase with age. However, little attention has been paid to the question of how aging affects sister chromatid segregation during oocyte meiosis II. More importantly, how aneuploid metaphase II (MII) oocytes from aged mice evade the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) mechanism to complete later meiosis II to form aneuploid embryos remains unknown. Here, we report that MII oocytes from naturally aged mice exhibited substantial errors in chromosome arrangement and configuration compared with young MII oocytes. Interestingly, these errors in aged oocytes had no impact on anaphase II onset and completion as well as 2-cell formation after parthenogenetic activation. Further study found that merotelic kinetochore attachment occurred more frequently and could stabilize the kinetochore-microtubule interaction to ensure SAC inactivation and anaphase II onset in aged MII oocytes. This orientation could persist largely during anaphase II in aged oocytes, leading to severe chromosome lagging and trailing as well as delay of anaphase II completion. Therefore, merotelic kinetochore attachment in oocyte meiosis II exacerbates age-related genetic instability and is a key source of age-dependent embryo aneuploidy and dysplasia.

Capture of microtubule plus-ends at the actin cortex promotes axophilic neuronal migration by enhancing microtubule tension in the leading process.

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Hutchins, B Ian; Wray, Susan

2014-01-01

Microtubules are a critical part of neuronal polarity and leading process extension, thus microtubule movement plays an important role in neuronal migration. However, the dynamics of microtubules during the forward movement of the nucleus into the leading process (nucleokinesis) is unclear and may be dependent on the cell type and mode of migration used. In particular, little is known about cytoskeletal changes during axophilic migration, commonly used in anteroposterior neuronal migration. We recently showed that leading process actin flow in migrating GnRH neurons is controlled by a signaling cascade involving IP3 receptors, CaMKK, AMPK, and RhoA. In the present study, microtubule dynamics were examined in GnRH neurons. Failure of the migration of these cells leads to the neuroendocrine disorder Kallmann Syndrome. Microtubules translocated forward along the leading process shaft during migration, but reversed direction and moved toward the nucleus when migration stalled. Blocking calcium release through IP3 receptors halted migration and induced the same reversal of microtubule translocation, while blocking cortical actin flow prevented microtubules from translocating toward the distal leading process. Super-resolution imaging revealed that microtubule plus-end tips are captured at the actin cortex through calcium-dependent mechanisms. This work shows that cortical actin flow draws the microtubule network forward through calcium-dependent capture in order to promote nucleokinesis, revealing a novel mechanism engaged by migrating neurons to facilitate movement.

Direct measurement of conformational strain energy in protofilaments curling outward from disassembling microtubule tips.

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Driver, Jonathan W; Geyer, Elisabeth A; Bailey, Megan E; Rice, Luke M; Asbury, Charles L

2017-06-19

Disassembling microtubules can generate movement independently of motor enzymes, especially at kinetochores where they drive chromosome motility. A popular explanation is the 'conformational wave' model, in which protofilaments pull on the kinetochore as they curl outward from a disassembling tip. But whether protofilaments can work efficiently via this spring-like mechanism has been unclear. By modifying a previous assay to use recombinant tubulin and feedback-controlled laser trapping, we directly demonstrate the spring-like elasticity of curling protofilaments. Measuring their mechanical work output suggests they carry ~25% of the energy of GTP hydrolysis as bending strain, enabling them to drive movement with efficiency similar to conventional motors. Surprisingly, a β-tubulin mutant that dramatically slows disassembly has no effect on work output, indicating an uncoupling of disassembly speed from protofilament strain. These results show the wave mechanism can make a major contribution to kinetochore motility and establish a direct approach for measuring tubulin mechano-chemistry.

Evolutionary Turnover of Kinetochore Proteins: A Ship of Theseus?

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Drinnenberg, Ines A; Henikoff, Steven; Malik, Harmit S

2016-07-01

The kinetochore is a multiprotein complex that mediates the attachment of a eukaryotic chromosome to the mitotic spindle. The protein composition of kinetochores is similar across species as divergent as yeast and human. However, recent findings have revealed an unexpected degree of compositional diversity in kinetochores. For example, kinetochore proteins that are essential in some species have been lost in others, whereas new kinetochore proteins have emerged in other lineages. Even in lineages with similar kinetochore composition, individual kinetochore proteins have functionally diverged to acquire either essential or redundant roles. Thus, despite functional conservation, the repertoire of kinetochore proteins has undergone recurrent evolutionary turnover. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of the E2F target gene CENPI promotes chromosome instability and predicts poor prognosis in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

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Thangavelu, Pulari U; Lin, Cheng-Yu; Vaidyanathan, Srividya; Nguyen, Thu H M; Dray, Eloise; Duijf, Pascal H G

2017-09-22

During cell division, chromosome segregation is facilitated by the mitotic checkpoint, or spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which ensures correct kinetochore-microtubule attachments and prevents premature sister-chromatid separation. It is well established that misexpression of SAC components on the outer kinetochores promotes chromosome instability (CIN) and tumorigenesis. Here, we study the expression of CENP-I, a key component of the HIKM complex at the inner kinetochores, in breast cancer, including ductal, lobular, medullary and male breast carcinomas. CENPI mRNA and protein levels are significantly elevated in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) but not in estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast carcinoma. Well-established prognostic tests indicate that CENPI overexpression constitutes a powerful independent marker for poor patient prognosis and survival in ER+ breast cancer. We further demonstrate that CENPI is an E2F target gene. Consistently, it is overexpressed in RB1 -deficient breast cancers. However, CENP-I overexpression is not purely due to cell cycle-associated expression. In ER+ breast cancer cells, CENP-I overexpression promotes CIN, especially chromosome gains. In addition, in ER+ breast carcinomas the degree of CENPI overexpression is proportional to the level of aneuploidy and CENPI overexpression is one of the strongest markers for CIN identified to date. Our results indicate that overexpression of the inner kinetochore protein CENP-I promotes CIN and forecasts poor prognosis for ER+ breast cancer patients. These observations provide novel mechanistic insights and have important implications for breast cancer diagnostics and potentially therapeutic targeting.

A direct role of Mad1 in the spindle assembly checkpoint beyond Mad2 kinetochore recruitment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Thomas; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Sedgwick, Garry G

2014-01-01

in the SAC beyond recruitment of C-Mad2 to kinetochores has not yet been addressed. Here, we show that Mad1 is required for mitotic arrest even when C-Mad2 is artificially recruited to kinetochores, indicating that it has indeed an additional function in promoting the checkpoint. The C-terminal globular...... domain of Mad1 and conserved residues in this region are required for this unexpected function of Mad1........ The conversion of O-Mad2 into C-Mad2 at unattached kinetochores is thought to be a key step in activating the SAC. The "template model" proposes that this is achieved by the recruitment of soluble O-Mad2 to C-Mad2 bound at kinetochores through its interaction with Mad1. Whether Mad1 has additional roles...

Tension-Induced Error Correction and Not Kinetochore Attachment Status Activates the SAC in an Aurora-B/C-Dependent Manner in Oocytes.

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Vallot, Antoine; Leontiou, Ioanna; Cladière, Damien; El Yakoubi, Warif; Bolte, Susanne; Buffin, Eulalie; Wassmann, Katja

2018-01-08

Cell division with partitioning of the genetic material should take place only when paired chromosomes named bivalents (meiosis I) or sister chromatids (mitosis and meiosis II) are correctly attached to the bipolar spindle in a tension-generating manner. For this to happen, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) checks whether unattached kinetochores are present, in which case anaphase onset is delayed to permit further establishment of attachments. Additionally, microtubules are stabilized when they are attached and under tension. In mitosis, attachments not under tension activate the so-named error correction pathway depending on Aurora B kinase substrate phosphorylation. This leads to microtubule detachments, which in turn activates the SAC [1-3]. Meiotic divisions in mammalian oocytes are highly error prone, with severe consequences for fertility and health of the offspring [4, 5]. Correct attachment of chromosomes in meiosis I leads to the generation of stretched bivalents, but-unlike mitosis-not to tension between sister kinetochores, which co-orient. Here, we set out to address whether reduction of tension applied by the spindle on bioriented bivalents activates error correction and, as a consequence, the SAC. Treatment of oocytes in late prometaphase I with Eg5 kinesin inhibitor affects spindle tension, but not attachments, as we show here using an optimized protocol for confocal imaging. After Eg5 inhibition, bivalents are correctly aligned but less stretched, and as a result, Aurora-B/C-dependent error correction with microtubule detachment takes place. This loss of attachments leads to SAC activation. Crucially, SAC activation itself does not require Aurora B/C kinase activity in oocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prion protein inhibits microtubule assembly by inducing tubulin oligomerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieznanski, Krzysztof; Podlubnaya, Zoya A.; Nieznanska, Hanna

2006-01-01

A growing body of evidence points to an association of prion protein (PrP) with microtubular cytoskeleton. Recently, direct binding of PrP to tubulin has also been found. In this work, using standard light scattering measurements, sedimentation experiments, and electron microscopy, we show for First time the effect of a direct interaction between these proteins on tubulin polymerization. We demonstrate that full-length recombinant PrP induces a rapid increase in the turbidity of tubulin diluted below the critical concentration for microtubule assembly. This effect requires magnesium ions and is weakened by NaCl. Moreover, the PrP-induced light scattering structures of tubulin are cold-stable. In preparations of diluted tubulin incubated with PrP, electron microscopy revealed the presence of ∼50 nm disc-shaped structures not reported so far. These unique tubulin oligomers may form large aggregates. The effect of PrP is more pronounced under the conditions promoting microtubule formation. In these tubulin samples, PrP induces formation of the above oligomers associated with short protofilaments and sheets of protofilaments into aggregates. Noticeably, this is accompanied by a significant reduction of the number and length of microtubules. Hence, we postulate that prion protein may act as an inhibitor of microtubule assembly by inducing formation of stable tubulin oligomers

Synergistic Control of Kinetochore Protein Levels by Psh1 and Ubr2.

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Eva Herrero

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The accurate segregation of chromosomes during cell division is achieved by attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle via the kinetochore, a large multi-protein complex that assembles on centromeres. The budding yeast kinetochore comprises more than 60 different proteins. Although the structure and function of many of these proteins has been investigated, we have little understanding of the steady state regulation of kinetochores. The primary model of kinetochore homeostasis suggests that kinetochores assemble hierarchically from the centromeric DNA via the inclusion of a centromere-specific histone into chromatin. We tested this model by trying to perturb kinetochore protein levels by overexpressing an outer kinetochore gene, MTW1. This increase in protein failed to change protein recruitment, consistent with the hierarchical assembly model. However, we find that deletion of Psh1, a key ubiquitin ligase that is known to restrict inner kinetochore protein loading, does not increase levels of outer kinetochore proteins, thus breaking the normal kinetochore stoichiometry. This perturbation leads to chromosome segregation defects, which can be partially suppressed by mutation of Ubr2, a second ubiquitin ligase that normally restricts protein levels at the outer kinetochore. Together these data show that Psh1 and Ubr2 synergistically control the amount of proteins at the kinetochore.

Identification of a lysosome membrane protein which could mediate ATP-dependent stable association of lysosomes to microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mithieux, G.; Rousset, B.

1989-01-01

We have previously reported that purified thyroid lysosomes bind to reconstituted microtubules to form stable complexes, a process which is inhibited by ATP. Among detergent-solubilized lysosomal membrane protein, we identified a 50-kDa molecular component which binds to preassembled microtubules. The binding of this polypeptide to microtubules was decreased in the presence of ATP. We purified this 50-kDa protein by affinity chromatography on immobilized ATP. The 50-kDa protein bound to the ATP column was eluted by 1 mM ATP. The purified protein, labeled with 125I, exhibited the ability of interacting with microtubules. The binding process was inhibited by increasing concentrations of ATP, the half-maximal inhibitory effect being obtained at an ATP concentration of 0.35 mM. The interaction of the 50-kDa protein with microtubules is a saturable phenomenon since the binding of the 125I-labeled 50-kDa protein was inhibited by unlabeled solubilized lysosomal membrane protein containing the 50-kDa polypeptide but not by the same protein fraction from which the 50-kDa polypeptide had been removed by the ATP affinity chromatography procedure. The 50-kDa protein has the property to bind to pure tubulin coupled to an insoluble matrix. The 50-kDa protein was eluted from the tubulin affinity column by ATP. These findings support the conclusion that a protein inserted into the lysosomal membrane is able to bind directly to microtubules in a process which can be regulated by ATP. We propose that this protein could account for the association of lysosomes to microtubules demonstrated both in vitro and in intact cells

Small kinetochore associated protein (SKAP promotes UV-induced cell apoptosis through negatively regulating pre-mRNA processing factor 19 (Prp19.

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Shan Lu

Full Text Available Apoptosis is a regulated cellular suicide program that is critical for the development and maintenance of healthy tissues. Previous studies have shown that small kinetochore associated protein (SKAP cooperates with kinetochore and mitotic spindle proteins to regulate mitosis. However, the role of SKAP in apoptosis has not been investigated. We have identified a new interaction involving SKAP, and we propose a mechanism through which SKAP regulates cell apoptosis. Our experiments demonstrate that both overexpression and knockdown of SKAP sensitize cells to UV-induced apoptosis. Further study has revealed that SKAP interacts with Pre-mRNA processing Factor 19 (Prp19. We find that UV-induced apoptosis can be inhibited by ectopic expression of Prp19, whereas silencing Prp19 has the opposite effect. Additionally, SKAP negatively regulates the protein levels of Prp19, whereas Prp19 does not alter SKAP expression. Finally, rescue experiments demonstrate that the pro-apoptotic role of SKAP is executed through Prp19. Taken together, these findings suggest that SKAP promotes UV-induced cell apoptosis by negatively regulating the anti-apoptotic protein Prp19.

The Drosophila Microtubule-Associated Protein Mars Stabilizes Mitotic Spindles by Crosslinking Microtubules through Its N-Terminal Region

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Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been...

KiT: a MATLAB package for kinetochore tracking.

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Armond, Jonathan W; Vladimirou, Elina; McAinsh, Andrew D; Burroughs, Nigel J

2016-06-15

During mitosis, chromosomes are attached to the mitotic spindle via large protein complexes called kinetochores. The motion of kinetochores throughout mitosis is intricate and automated quantitative tracking of their motion has already revealed many surprising facets of their behaviour. Here, we present 'KiT' (Kinetochore Tracking)-an easy-to-use, open-source software package for tracking kinetochores from live-cell fluorescent movies. KiT supports 2D, 3D and multi-colour movies, quantification of fluorescence, integrated deconvolution, parallel execution and multiple algorithms for particle localization. KiT is free, open-source software implemented in MATLAB and runs on all MATLAB supported platforms. KiT can be downloaded as a package from http://www.mechanochemistry.org/mcainsh/software.php The source repository is available at https://bitbucket.org/jarmond/kit and under continuing development. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. jonathan.armond@warwick.ac.uk. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

An ultrastructural and irradiation study of diffuse and localised kinetochore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokhari, F.S.

1979-05-01

An electron microscope study of plant types Luzula nivea and Cyperus eragrostis with diffuse kinetochores and Crepis neglecta with localised kinetochore showed that Luzula has a rather different kinetochore organisation from Cyperus, with features approaching the localised type of Crepis. These studies included an examination of the ultrastructure of the kinetochore at metaphase at low magnification in control and irradiated material of Luzula; the chromosomal ultrastructure at high magnification at interphase and all stages of mitosis in Luzula, Cyperus and Crepis; and the ultrastructure of the nucleolus in Luzula, Cyperus and Crepis. Light microscopic studies were also performed showing the effects of irradiation on first mitotic division in Cyperus, Luzula and Crepis, mitotic aberrations in Cyperus and Crepis and meiosis in Cyperus. Finally, the survival with the diffuse as opposed to the localised kinetochore in M 1 and M 2 generations following seed irradiation was studied. (U.K.)

Shugoshin-1 balances Aurora B kinase activity via PP2A to promote chromosome bi-orientation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meppelink, Amanda; Kabeche, Lilian; Vromans, Martijn J M; Compton, Duane A; Lens, Susanne M A

2015-01-01

Correction of faulty kinetochore-microtubule attachments is essential for faithful chromosome segregation and dictated by the opposing activities of Aurora B kinase and PP1 and PP2A phosphatases. How kinase and phosphatase activities are appropriately balanced is less clear. Here, we show that a

Dissecting the function and assembly of acentriolar microtubule organizing centers in Drosophila cells in vivo.

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Janina Baumbach

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Acentriolar microtubule organizing centers (aMTOCs are formed during meiosis and mitosis in several cell types, but their function and assembly mechanism is unclear. Importantly, aMTOCs can be overactive in cancer cells, enhancing multipolar spindle formation, merotelic kinetochore attachment and aneuploidy. Here we show that aMTOCs can form in acentriolar Drosophila somatic cells in vivo via an assembly pathway that depends on Asl, Cnn and, to a lesser extent, Spd-2--the same proteins that appear to drive mitotic centrosome assembly in flies. This finding enabled us to ablate aMTOC formation in acentriolar cells, and so perform a detailed genetic analysis of the contribution of aMTOCs to acentriolar mitotic spindle formation. Here we show that although aMTOCs can nucleate microtubules, they do not detectably increase the efficiency of acentriolar spindle assembly in somatic fly cells. We find that they are required, however, for robust microtubule array assembly in cells without centrioles that also lack microtubule nucleation from around the chromatin. Importantly, aMTOCs are also essential for dynein-dependent acentriolar spindle pole focusing and for robust cell proliferation in the absence of centrioles and HSET/Ncd (a kinesin essential for acentriolar spindle pole focusing in many systems. We propose an updated model for acentriolar spindle pole coalescence by the molecular motors Ncd/HSET and dynein in conjunction with aMTOCs.

Drosophila parthenogenesis: A tool to decipher centrosomal vs acentrosomal spindle assembly pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riparbelli, Maria Giovanna; Callaini, Giuliano

2008-01-01

Development of unfertilized eggs in the parthenogenetic strain K23-O-im of Drosophila mercatorum requires the stochastic interactions of self-assembled centrosomes with the female chromatin. In a portion of the unfertilized eggs that do not assemble centrosomes, microtubules organize a bipolar anastral mitotic spindle around the chromatin like the one formed during the first female meiosis, suggesting that similar pathways may be operative. In the cytoplasm of eggs in which centrosomes do form, monastral and biastral spindles are found. Analysis by laser scanning confocal microscopy suggests that these spindles are derived from the stochastic interaction of astral microtubules directly with kinetochore regions or indirectly with kinetochore microtubules. Our findings are consistent with the idea that mitotic spindle assembly requires both acentrosomal and centrosomal pathways, strengthening the hypothesis that astral microtubules can dictate the organization of the spindle by capturing kinetochore microtubules

TrkAIII Promotes Microtubule Nucleation and Assembly at the Centrosome in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells, Contributing to an Undifferentiated Anaplastic Phenotype

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Antonietta R. Farina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The alternative TrkAIII splice variant is expressed by advanced stage human neuroblastomas (NBs and exhibits oncogenic activity in NB models. In the present study, employing stable transfected cell lines and assays of indirect immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, microtubule regrowth, tubulin kinase, and tubulin polymerisation, we report that TrkAIII binds α-tubulin and promotes MT nucleation and assembly at the centrosome. This effect depends upon spontaneous TrkAIII activity, TrkAIII localisation to the centrosome and pericentrosomal area, and the capacity of TrkAIII to bind, phosphorylate, and polymerise tubulin. We propose that this novel role for TrkAIII contributes to MT involvement in the promotion and maintenance of an undifferentiated anaplastic NB cell morphology by restricting and augmenting MT nucleation and assembly at the centrosomal MTOC.

Sequential multisite phospho-regulation of KNL1-BUB3 interfaces at mitotic kinetochores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vleugel, Mathijs; Omerzu, Manja; Groenewold, Vincent; Hadders, Michael A; Lens, Susanne M A; Kops, Geert J P L

2015-01-01

Regulated recruitment of the kinase-adaptor complex BUB1/BUB3 to kinetochores is crucial for correcting faulty chromosome-spindle attachments and for spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) signaling. BUB1/BUB3 localizes to kinetochores by binding phosphorylated MELT motifs (MELpT) in the kinetochore

Multiple requirements of PLK1 during mouse oocyte maturation.

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Petr Solc

Full Text Available Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1 orchestrates multiple events of cell division. Although PLK1 function has been intensively studied in centriole-containing and rapidly cycling somatic cells, much less is known about its function in the meiotic divisions of mammalian oocytes, which arrest for a long period of time in prophase before meiotic resumption and lack centrioles for spindle assembly. Here, using specific small molecule inhibition combined with live mouse oocyte imaging, we comprehensively characterize meiotic PLK1's functions. We show that PLK1 becomes activated at meiotic resumption on microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs and later at kinetochores. PLK1 is required for efficient meiotic resumption by promoting nuclear envelope breakdown. PLK1 is also needed to recruit centrosomal proteins to acentriolar MTOCs to promote normal spindle formation, as well as for stable kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Consequently, PLK1 inhibition leads to metaphase I arrest with misaligned chromosomes activating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. Unlike in mitosis, the metaphase I arrest is not bypassed by the inactivation of the SAC. We show that PLK1 is required for the full activation of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C by promoting the degradation of the APC/C inhibitor EMI1 and is therefore essential for entry into anaphase I. Moreover, our data suggest that PLK1 is required for proper chromosome segregation and the maintenance of chromosome condensation during the meiosis I-II transition, independently of the APC/C. Thus, our results define the meiotic roles of PLK1 in oocytes and reveal interesting differential requirements of PLK1 between mitosis and oocyte meiosis in mammals.

Conservation of the Centromere/Kinetochore Protein ZW10

OpenAIRE

Starr, Daniel A.; Williams, Byron C.; Li, Zexiao; Etemad-Moghadam, Bijan; Dawe, R. Kelly; Goldberg, Michael L.

1997-01-01

Mutations in the essential Drosophila melanogaster gene zw10 disrupt chromosome segregation, producing chromosomes that lag at the metaphase plate during anaphase of mitosis and both meiotic divisions. Recent evidence suggests that the product of this gene, DmZW10, acts at the kinetochore as part of a tension-sensing checkpoint at anaphase onset. DmZW10 displays an intriguing cell cycle–dependent intracellular distribution, apparently moving from the centromere/kinetochore at prometaphase to ...

C-terminal region of MAP7 domain containing protein 3 (MAP7D3 promotes microtubule polymerization by binding at the C-terminal tail of tubulin.

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Saroj Yadav

Full Text Available MAP7 domain containing protein 3 (MAP7D3, a newly identified microtubule associated protein, has been shown to promote microtubule assembly and stability. Its microtubule binding region has been reported to consist of two coiled coil motifs located at the N-terminus. It possesses a MAP7 domain near the C-terminus and belongs to the microtubule associated protein 7 (MAP7 family. The MAP7 domain of MAP7 protein has been shown to bind to kinesin-1; however, the role of MAP7 domain in MAP7D3 remains unknown. Based on the bioinformatics analysis of MAP7D3, we hypothesized that the MAP7 domain of MAP7D3 may have microtubule binding activity. Indeed, we found that MAP7 domain of MAP7D3 bound to microtubules as well as enhanced the assembly of microtubules in vitro. Interestingly, a longer fragment MDCT that contained the MAP7 domain (MD with the C-terminal tail (CT of the protein promoted microtubule polymerization to a greater extent than MD and CT individually. MDCT stabilized microtubules against dilution induced disassembly. MDCT bound to reconstituted microtubules with an apparent dissociation constant of 3.0 ± 0.5 µM. An immunostaining experiment showed that MDCT localized along the length of the preassembled microtubules. Competition experiments with tau indicated that MDCT shares its binding site on microtubules with tau. Further, we present evidence indicating that MDCT binds to the C-terminal tail of tubulin. In addition, MDCT could bind to tubulin in HeLa cell extract. Here, we report a microtubule binding region in the C-terminal region of MAP7D3 that may have a role in regulating microtubule assembly dynamics.

Can molecular cell biology explain chromosome motions?

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Gagliardi L

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mitotic chromosome motions have recently been correlated with electrostatic forces, but a lingering "molecular cell biology" paradigm persists, proposing binding and release proteins or molecular geometries for force generation. Results Pole-facing kinetochore plates manifest positive charges and interact with negatively charged microtubule ends providing the motive force for poleward chromosome motions by classical electrostatics. This conceptual scheme explains dynamic tracking/coupling of kinetochores to microtubules and the simultaneous depolymerization of kinetochore microtubules as poleward force is generated. Conclusion We question here why cells would prefer complex molecular mechanisms to move chromosomes when direct electrostatic interactions between known bound charge distributions can accomplish the same task much more simply.

Centriole triplet microtubules are required for stable centriole formation and inheritance in human cells.

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Wang, Jennifer T; Kong, Dong; Hoerner, Christian R; Loncarek, Jadranka; Stearns, Tim

2017-09-14

Centrioles are composed of long-lived microtubules arranged in nine triplets. However, the contribution of triplet microtubules to mammalian centriole formation and stability is unknown. Little is known of the mechanism of triplet microtubule formation, but experiments in unicellular eukaryotes indicate that delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin, two less-studied tubulin family members, are required. Here, we report that centrioles in delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin null mutant human cells lack triplet microtubules and fail to undergo centriole maturation. These aberrant centrioles are formed de novo each cell cycle, but are unstable and do not persist to the next cell cycle, leading to a futile cycle of centriole formation and disintegration. Disintegration can be suppressed by paclitaxel treatment. Delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin physically interact, indicating that these tubulins act together to maintain triplet microtubules and that these are necessary for inheritance of centrioles from one cell cycle to the next.

Centriole triplet microtubules are required for stable centriole formation and inheritance in human cells

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Wang, Jennifer T; Kong, Dong; Hoerner, Christian R; Loncarek, Jadranka

2017-01-01

Centrioles are composed of long-lived microtubules arranged in nine triplets. However, the contribution of triplet microtubules to mammalian centriole formation and stability is unknown. Little is known of the mechanism of triplet microtubule formation, but experiments in unicellular eukaryotes indicate that delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin, two less-studied tubulin family members, are required. Here, we report that centrioles in delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin null mutant human cells lack triplet microtubules and fail to undergo centriole maturation. These aberrant centrioles are formed de novo each cell cycle, but are unstable and do not persist to the next cell cycle, leading to a futile cycle of centriole formation and disintegration. Disintegration can be suppressed by paclitaxel treatment. Delta-tubulin and epsilon-tubulin physically interact, indicating that these tubulins act together to maintain triplet microtubules and that these are necessary for inheritance of centrioles from one cell cycle to the next. PMID:28906251

The engine of microtubule dynamics comes into focus.

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Mitchison, T J

2014-05-22

In this issue, Alushin et al. report high-resolution structures of three states of the microtubule lattice: GTP-bound, which is stable to depolymerization; unstable GDP-bound; and stable Taxol and GDP-bound. By comparing these structures at near-atomic resolution, they are able to propose a detailed model for how GTP hydrolysis destabilizes the microtubule and thus powers dynamic instability and chromosome movement. Destabilization of cytoskeleton filaments by nucleotide hydrolysis is an important general principle in cell dynamics, and this work represents a major step forward on a problem with a long history. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activation of Ran GTPase by a Legionella effector promotes microtubule polymerization, pathogen vacuole motility and infection.

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Eva Rothmeier

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, uses the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system (T4SS to form in phagocytes a distinct "Legionella-containing vacuole" (LCV, which intercepts endosomal and secretory vesicle trafficking. Proteomics revealed the presence of the small GTPase Ran and its effector RanBP1 on purified LCVs. Here we validate that Ran and RanBP1 localize to LCVs and promote intracellular growth of L. pneumophila. Moreover, the L. pneumophila protein LegG1, which contains putative RCC1 Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF domains, accumulates on LCVs in an Icm/Dot-dependent manner. L. pneumophila wild-type bacteria, but not strains lacking LegG1 or a functional Icm/Dot T4SS, activate Ran on LCVs, while purified LegG1 produces active Ran(GTP in cell lysates. L. pneumophila lacking legG1 is compromised for intracellular growth in macrophages and amoebae, yet is as cytotoxic as the wild-type strain. A downstream effect of LegG1 is to stabilize microtubules, as revealed by conventional and stimulated emission depletion (STED fluorescence microscopy, subcellular fractionation and Western blot, or by microbial microinjection through the T3SS of a Yersinia strain lacking endogenous effectors. Real-time fluorescence imaging indicates that LCVs harboring wild-type L. pneumophila rapidly move along microtubules, while LCVs harboring ΔlegG1 mutant bacteria are stalled. Together, our results demonstrate that Ran activation and RanBP1 promote LCV formation, and the Icm/Dot substrate LegG1 functions as a bacterial Ran activator, which localizes to LCVs and promotes microtubule stabilization, LCV motility as well as intracellular replication of L. pneumophila.

Activation of Ran GTPase by a Legionella Effector Promotes Microtubule Polymerization, Pathogen Vacuole Motility and Infection

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Rothmeier, Eva; Pfaffinger, Gudrun; Hoffmann, Christine; Harrison, Christopher F.; Grabmayr, Heinrich; Repnik, Urska; Hannemann, Mandy; Wölke, Stefan; Bausch, Andreas; Griffiths, Gareth; Müller-Taubenberger, Annette; Itzen, Aymelt; Hilbi, Hubert

2013-01-01

The causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, uses the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system (T4SS) to form in phagocytes a distinct “Legionella-containing vacuole” (LCV), which intercepts endosomal and secretory vesicle trafficking. Proteomics revealed the presence of the small GTPase Ran and its effector RanBP1 on purified LCVs. Here we validate that Ran and RanBP1 localize to LCVs and promote intracellular growth of L. pneumophila. Moreover, the L. pneumophila protein LegG1, which contains putative RCC1 Ran guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domains, accumulates on LCVs in an Icm/Dot-dependent manner. L. pneumophila wild-type bacteria, but not strains lacking LegG1 or a functional Icm/Dot T4SS, activate Ran on LCVs, while purified LegG1 produces active Ran(GTP) in cell lysates. L. pneumophila lacking legG1 is compromised for intracellular growth in macrophages and amoebae, yet is as cytotoxic as the wild-type strain. A downstream effect of LegG1 is to stabilize microtubules, as revealed by conventional and stimulated emission depletion (STED) fluorescence microscopy, subcellular fractionation and Western blot, or by microbial microinjection through the T3SS of a Yersinia strain lacking endogenous effectors. Real-time fluorescence imaging indicates that LCVs harboring wild-type L. pneumophila rapidly move along microtubules, while LCVs harboring ΔlegG1 mutant bacteria are stalled. Together, our results demonstrate that Ran activation and RanBP1 promote LCV formation, and the Icm/Dot substrate LegG1 functions as a bacterial Ran activator, which localizes to LCVs and promotes microtubule stabilization, LCV motility as well as intracellular replication of L. pneumophila. PMID:24068924

A coordinated interdependent protein circuitry stabilizes the kinetochore ensemble to protect CENP-A in the human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.

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Jitendra Thakur

Full Text Available Unlike most eukaryotes, a kinetochore is fully assembled early in the cell cycle in budding yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. These kinetochores are clustered together throughout the cell cycle. Kinetochore assembly on point centromeres of S. cerevisiae is considered to be a step-wise process that initiates with binding of inner kinetochore proteins on specific centromere DNA sequence motifs. In contrast, kinetochore formation in C. albicans, that carries regional centromeres of 3-5 kb long, has been shown to be a sequence independent but an epigenetically regulated event. In this study, we investigated the process of kinetochore assembly/disassembly in C. albicans. Localization dependence of various kinetochore proteins studied by confocal microscopy and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assays revealed that assembly of a kinetochore is a highly coordinated and interdependent event. Partial depletion of an essential kinetochore protein affects integrity of the kinetochore cluster. Further protein depletion results in complete collapse of the kinetochore architecture. In addition, GFP-tagged kinetochore proteins confirmed similar time-dependent disintegration upon gradual depletion of an outer kinetochore protein (Dam1. The loss of integrity of a kinetochore formed on centromeric chromatin was demonstrated by reduced binding of CENP-A and CENP-C at the centromeres. Most strikingly, Western blot analysis revealed that gradual depletion of any of these essential kinetochore proteins results in concomitant reduction in cellular protein levels of CENP-A. We further demonstrated that centromere bound CENP-A is protected from the proteosomal mediated degradation. Based on these results, we propose that a coordinated interdependent circuitry of several evolutionarily conserved essential kinetochore proteins ensures integrity of a kinetochore formed on the foundation of CENP-A containing centromeric chromatin.

Epigenetic engineering: histone H3K9 acetylation is compatible with kinetochore structure and function.

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Bergmann, Jan H; Jakubsche, Julia N; Martins, Nuno M; Kagansky, Alexander; Nakano, Megumi; Kimura, Hiroshi; Kelly, David A; Turner, Bryan M; Masumoto, Hiroshi; Larionov, Vladimir; Earnshaw, William C

2012-01-15

Human kinetochores are transcriptionally active, producing very low levels of transcripts of the underlying alpha-satellite DNA. However, it is not known whether kinetochores can tolerate acetylated chromatin and the levels of transcription that are characteristic of housekeeping genes, or whether kinetochore-associated 'centrochromatin', despite being transcribed at a low level, is essentially a form of repressive chromatin. Here, we have engineered two types of acetylated chromatin within the centromere of a synthetic human artificial chromosome. Tethering a minimal NF-κB p65 activation domain within kinetochore-associated chromatin produced chromatin with high levels of histone H3 acetylated on lysine 9 (H3K9ac) and an ~10-fold elevation in transcript levels, but had no substantial effect on kinetochore assembly or function. By contrast, tethering the herpes virus VP16 activation domain produced similar modifications in the chromatin but resulted in an ~150-fold elevation in transcripts, approaching the level of transcription of an endogenous housekeeping gene. This rapidly inactivated kinetochores, causing a loss of assembled CENP-A and blocking further CENP-A assembly. Our data reveal that functional centromeres in vivo show a remarkable plasticity--kinetochores tolerate profound changes to their chromatin environment, but appear to be critically sensitive to the level of centromeric transcription.

Ferritin associates with marginal band microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Infante, Anthony A.; Infante, Dzintra; Chan, M.-C.; How, P.-C.; Kutschera, Waltraud; Linhartova, Irena; Muellner, Ernst W.; Wiche, Gerhard; Propst, Friedrich

2007-01-01

We characterized chicken erythrocyte and human platelet ferritin by biochemical studies and immunofluorescence. Erythrocyte ferritin was found to be a homopolymer of H-ferritin subunits, resistant to proteinase K digestion, heat stable, and contained iron. In mature chicken erythrocytes and human platelets, ferritin was localized at the marginal band, a ring-shaped peripheral microtubule bundle, and displayed properties of bona fide microtubule-associated proteins such as tau. Red blood cell ferritin association with the marginal band was confirmed by temperature-induced disassembly-reassembly of microtubules. During erythrocyte differentiation, ferritin co-localized with coalescing microtubules during marginal band formation. In addition, ferritin was found in the nuclei of mature erythrocytes, but was not detectable in those of bone marrow erythrocyte precursors. These results suggest that ferritin has a function in marginal band formation and possibly in protection of the marginal band from damaging effects of reactive oxygen species by sequestering iron in the mature erythrocyte. Moreover, our data suggest that ferritin and syncolin, a previously identified erythrocyte microtubule-associated protein, are identical. Nuclear ferritin might contribute to transcriptional silencing or, alternatively, constitute a ferritin reservoir

CENPA overexpression promotes genome instability in pRb-depleted human cells

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Lentini Laura

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Aneuploidy is a hallmark of most human cancers that arises as a consequence of chromosomal instability and it is frequently associated with centrosome amplification. Functional inactivation of the Retinoblastoma protein (pRb has been indicated as a cause promoting chromosomal instability as well centrosome amplification. However, the underlying molecular mechanism still remains to be clarified. Results Here we show that pRb depletion both in wild type and p53 knockout HCT116 cells was associated with the presence of multipolar spindles, anaphase bridges, lagging chromosomes and micronuclei harbouring whole chromosomes. In addition aneuploidy caused by pRb acute loss was not affected by p53 loss. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR showed that pRB depletion altered expression of genes involved in centrosome duplication, kinetochore assembly and in the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC. However, despite MAD2 up-regulation pRb-depleted cells seemed to have a functional SAC since they arrested in mitosis after treatments with mitotic poisons. Moreover pRb-depleted HCT116 cells showed BRCA1 overexpression that seemed responsible for MAD2 up-regulation. Post-transcriptional silencing of CENPA by RNA interference, resulting in CENP-A protein levels similar to those present in control cells greatly reduced aneuploid cell numbers in pRb-depleted cells. Conclusion Altogether our findings indicate a novel aspect of pRb acute loss that promotes aneuploidy mainly by inducing CENPA overexpression that in turn might induce micronuclei by affecting the correct attachment of spindle microtubules to kinetochores.

XTACC3-XMAP215 association reveals an asymmetric interaction promoting microtubule elongation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortuza, Gulnahar B; Cavazza, Tommaso; Garcia-Mayoral, Maria Flor

2014-01-01

215 (chTOG), dissecting the mechanism by which their interaction promotes microtubule elongation during spindle assembly. Using SAXS, we show that the TACC domain (TD) is an elongated structure that mediates the interaction with the C terminus of XMAP215. Our data suggest that one TD and two XMAP215...... molecules associate to form a four-helix coiled-coil complex. A hybrid methods approach was used to define the precise regions of the TACC heptad repeat and the XMAP215 C terminus required for assembly and functioning of the complex. We show that XTACC3 can induce the recruitment of larger amounts of XMAP...

An antitubulin agent BCFMT inhibits proliferation of cancer cells and induces cell death by inhibiting microtubule dynamics.

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Ankit Rai

Full Text Available Using cell based screening assay, we identified a novel anti-tubulin agent (Z-5-((5-(4-bromo-3-chlorophenylfuran-2-ylmethylene-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one (BCFMT that inhibited proliferation of human cervical carcinoma (HeLa (IC(50, 7.2 ± 1.8 µM, human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7 (IC(50, 10.0 ± 0.5 µM, highly metastatic breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231 (IC(50, 6.0 ± 1 µM, cisplatin-resistant human ovarian carcinoma (A2780-cis (IC(50, 5.8 ± 0.3 µM and multi-drug resistant mouse mammary tumor (EMT6/AR1 (IC(50, 6.5 ± 1 µM cells. Using several complimentary strategies, BCFMT was found to inhibit cancer cell proliferation at G2/M phase of the cell cycle apparently by targeting microtubules. In addition, BCFMT strongly suppressed the dynamics of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells. At its half maximal proliferation inhibitory concentration (10 µM, BCFMT reduced the rates of growing and shortening phases of microtubules in MCF-7 cells by 37 and 40%, respectively. Further, it increased the time microtubules spent in the pause (neither growing nor shortening detectably state by 135% and reduced the dynamicity (dimer exchange per unit time of microtubules by 70%. In vitro, BCFMT bound to tubulin with a dissociation constant of 8.3 ± 1.8 µM, inhibited tubulin assembly and suppressed GTPase activity of microtubules. BCFMT competitively inhibited the binding of BODIPY FL-vinblastine to tubulin with an inhibitory concentration (K(i of 5.2 ± 1.5 µM suggesting that it binds to tubulin at the vinblastine site. In cultured cells, BCFMT-treatment depolymerized interphase microtubules, perturbed the spindle organization and accumulated checkpoint proteins (BubR1 and Mad2 at the kinetochores. BCFMT-treated MCF-7 cells showed enhanced nuclear accumulation of p53 and its downstream p21, which consequently activated apoptosis in these cells. The results suggested that BCFMT inhibits proliferation of several types of cancer cells including drug

Unique geometry of sister kinetochores in human oocytes during meiosis I may explain maternal age-associated increases in chromosomal abnormalities

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Jessica Patel

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The first meiotic division in human oocytes is highly error-prone and contributes to the uniquely high incidence of aneuploidy observed in human pregnancies. A successful meiosis I (MI division entails separation of homologous chromosome pairs and co-segregation of sister chromatids. For this to happen, sister kinetochores must form attachments to spindle kinetochore-fibres emanating from the same pole. In mouse and budding yeast, sister kinetochores remain closely associated with each other during MI, enabling them to act as a single unified structure. However, whether this arrangement also applies in human meiosis I oocytes was unclear. In this study, we perform high-resolution imaging of over 1900 kinetochores in human oocytes, to examine the geometry and architecture of the human meiotic kinetochore. We reveal that sister kinetochores in MI are not physically fused, and instead individual kinetochores within a pair are capable of forming independent attachments to spindle k-fibres. Notably, with increasing female age, the separation between kinetochores increases, suggesting a degradation of centromeric cohesion and/or changes in kinetochore architecture. Our data suggest that the differential arrangement of sister kinetochores and dual k-fibre attachments may explain the high proportion of unstable attachments that form in MI and thus indicate why human oocytes are prone to aneuploidy, particularly with increasing maternal age.

An agent-based model contrasts opposite effects of dynamic and stable microtubules on cleavage furrow positioning.

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Odell, Garrett M; Foe, Victoria E

2008-11-03

From experiments by Foe and von Dassow (Foe, V.E., and G. von Dassow. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 183:457-470) and others, we infer a molecular mechanism for positioning the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. Computer simulations reveal how this mechanism depends on quantitative motor-behavior details and explore how robustly this mechanism succeeds across a range of cell sizes. The mechanism involves the MKLP1 (kinesin-6) component of centralspindlin binding to and walking along microtubules to stimulate cortical contractility where the centralspindlin complex concentrates. The majority of astral microtubules are dynamically unstable. They bind most MKLP1 and suppress cortical Rho/myosin II activation because the tips of unstable microtubules usually depolymerize before MKLP1s reach the cortex. A subset of astral microtubules stabilizes during anaphase, becoming effective rails along which MKLP1 can actually reach the cortex. Because stabilized microtubules aim statistically at the equatorial spindle midplane, that is where centralspindlin accumulates to stimulate furrow formation.

Electron tomography of the microtubule cytoskeleton in multinucleated hyphae of Ashbya gossypii.

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Gibeaux, Romain; Lang, Claudia; Politi, Antonio Z; Jaspersen, Sue L; Philippsen, Peter; Antony, Claude

2012-12-01

We report the mechanistic basis guiding the migration pattern of multiple nuclei in hyphae of Ashbya gossypii. Using electron tomography, we reconstructed the cytoplasmic microtubule (cMT) cytoskeleton in three tip regions with a total of 13 nuclei and also the spindle microtubules of four mitotic nuclei. Each spindle pole body (SPB) nucleates three cMTs and most cMTs above a certain length grow according to their plus-end structure. Long cMTs closely align for several microns along the cortex, presumably marking regions where dynein generates pulling forces on nuclei. Close proximity between cMTs emanating from adjacent nuclei was not observed. The majority of nuclei carry duplicated side-by-side SPBs, which together emanate an average of six cMTs, in most cases in opposite orientation with respect to the hyphal growth axis. Such cMT arrays explain why many nuclei undergo short-range back and forth movements. Only occasionally do all six cMTs orient in one direction, a precondition for long-range nuclear bypassing. Following mitosis, daughter nuclei carry a single SPB with three cMTs. The increased probability that all three cMTs orient in one direction explains the high rate of nuclear bypassing observed in these nuclei. The A. gossypii mitotic spindle was found to be structurally similar to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in terms of nuclear microtubule (nMT) number, length distribution and three-dimensional organization even though the two organisms differ significantly in chromosome number. Our results suggest that two nMTs attach to each kinetochore in A. gossypii and not only one nMT like in S. cerevisiae.

An ELMO2-RhoG-ILK network modulates microtubule dynamics.

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Jackson, Bradley C; Ivanova, Iordanka A; Dagnino, Lina

2015-07-15

ELMO2 belongs to a family of scaffold proteins involved in phagocytosis and cell motility. ELMO2 can simultaneously bind integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and RhoG, forming tripartite ERI complexes. These complexes are involved in promoting β1 integrin-dependent directional migration in undifferentiated epidermal keratinocytes. ELMO2 and ILK have also separately been implicated in microtubule regulation at integrin-containing focal adhesions. During differentiation, epidermal keratinocytes cease to express integrins, but ERI complexes persist. Here we show an integrin-independent role of ERI complexes in modulation of microtubule dynamics in differentiated keratinocytes. Depletion of ERI complexes by inactivating the Ilk gene in these cells reduces microtubule growth and increases the frequency of catastrophe. Reciprocally, exogenous expression of ELMO2 or RhoG stabilizes microtubules, but only if ILK is also present. Mechanistically, activation of Rac1 downstream from ERI complexes mediates their effects on microtubule stability. In this pathway, Rac1 serves as a hub to modulate microtubule dynamics through two different routes: 1) phosphorylation and inactivation of the microtubule-destabilizing protein stathmin and 2) phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3β, which leads to the activation of CRMP2, promoting microtubule growth. At the cellular level, the absence of ERI species impairs Ca(2+)-mediated formation of adherens junctions, critical to maintaining mechanical integrity in the epidermis. Our findings support a key role for ERI species in integrin-independent stabilization of the microtubule network in differentiated keratinocytes. © 2015 Jackson et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The PP2AB56 phosphatase promotes the association of Cdc20 with APC/C in mitosis.

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Lee, Sun Joo; Rodriguez-Bravo, Veronica; Kim, Hyunjung; Datta, Sutirtha; Foley, Emily A

2017-05-15

PP2A comprising B56 regulatory subunit isoforms (PP2A B56 ) is a serine/threonine phosphatase essential for mitosis. At the kinetochore, PP2A B56 both stabilizes microtubule binding and promotes silencing of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) through its association with the SAC protein BubR1. Cells depleted of the B56 regulatory subunits of PP2A are delayed in activation of Cdc20-containing APC/C (APC/C Cdc20 ), which is an essential step for mitotic exit. It has been hypothesized that this delay arises from increased production of the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), an APC/C Cdc20 inhibitor formed at unattached kinetochores through SAC signaling. In contrast to this prediction, we show that depletion of B56 subunits does not increase the amount or stability of the MCC. Rather, delays in APC/C Cdc20 activation in B56-depleted cells correlate with impaired Cdc20 binding to APC/C. Stimulation of APC/C Cdc20 assembly does not require binding between PP2A B56 and BubR1, and thus this contribution of PP2A B56 towards mitotic exit is distinct from its functions at kinetochores. PP2A B56 associates with APC/C constitutively in a BubR1-independent manner. A mitotic phosphorylation site on Cdc20, known to be a substrate of PP2A B56 , modulates APC/C Cdc20 assembly. These results elucidate the contributions of PP2A B56 towards completion of mitosis. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Polyamine sharing between tubulin dimers favours microtubule nucleation and elongation via facilitated diffusion.

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Alain Mechulam

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We suggest for the first time that the action of multivalent cations on microtubule dynamics can result from facilitated diffusion of GTP-tubulin to the microtubule ends. Facilitated diffusion can promote microtubule assembly, because, upon encountering a growing nucleus or the microtubule wall, random GTP-tubulin sliding on their surfaces will increase the probability of association to the target sites (nucleation sites or MT ends. This is an original explanation for understanding the apparent discrepancy between the high rate of microtubule elongation and the low rate of tubulin association at the microtubule ends in the viscous cytoplasm. The mechanism of facilitated diffusion requires an attraction force between two tubulins, which can result from the sharing of multivalent counterions. Natural polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are present in all living cells and are potent agents to trigger tubulin self-attraction. By using an analytical model, we analyze the implication of facilitated diffusion mediated by polyamines on nucleation and elongation of microtubules. In vitro experiments using pure tubulin indicate that the promotion of microtubule assembly by polyamines is typical of facilitated diffusion. The results presented here show that polyamines can be of particular importance for the regulation of the microtubule network in vivo and provide the basis for further investigations into the effects of facilitated diffusion on cytoskeleton dynamics.

The Microtubule Regulatory Protein Stathmin Is Required to Maintain the Integrity of Axonal Microtubules in Drosophila

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Duncan, Jason E.; Lytle, Nikki K.; Zuniga, Alfredo; Goldstein, Lawrence S. B.

2013-01-01

Axonal transport, a form of long-distance, bi-directional intracellular transport that occurs between the cell body and synaptic terminal, is critical in maintaining the function and viability of neurons. We have identified a requirement for the stathmin (stai) gene in the maintenance of axonal microtubules and regulation of axonal transport in Drosophila . The stai gene encodes a cytosolic phosphoprotein that regulates microtubule dynamics by partitioning tubulin dimers between pools of soluble tubulin and polymerized microtubules, and by directly binding to microtubules and promoting depolymerization. Analysis of stai function in Drosophila , which has a single stai gene, circumvents potential complications with studies performed in vertebrate systems in which mutant phenotypes may be compensated by genetic redundancy of other members of the stai gene family. This has allowed us to identify an essential function for stai in the maintenance of the integrity of axonal microtubules. In addition to the severe disruption in the abundance and architecture of microtubules in the axons of stai mutant Drosophila , we also observe additional neurological phenotypes associated with loss of stai function including a posterior paralysis and tail-flip phenotype in third instar larvae, aberrant accumulation of transported membranous organelles in stai deficient axons, a progressive bang-sensitive response to mechanical stimulation reminiscent of the class of Drosophila mutants used to model human epileptic seizures, and a reduced adult lifespan. Reductions in the levels of Kinesin-1, the primary anterograde motor in axonal transport, enhance these phenotypes. Collectively, our results indicate that stai has an important role in neuronal function, likely through the maintenance of microtubule integrity in the axons of nerves of the peripheral nervous system necessary to support and sustain long-distance axonal transport. PMID:23840848

Microtubule-Organizing Centers.

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Wu, Jingchao; Akhmanova, Anna

2017-10-06

The organization of microtubule networks is crucial for controlling chromosome segregation during cell division, for positioning and transport of different organelles, and for cell polarity and morphogenesis. The geometry of microtubule arrays strongly depends on the localization and activity of the sites where microtubules are nucleated and where their minus ends are anchored. Such sites are often clustered into structures known as microtubule-organizing centers, which include the centrosomes in animals and spindle pole bodies in fungi. In addition, other microtubules, as well as membrane compartments such as the cell nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, and the cell cortex, can nucleate, stabilize, and tether microtubule minus ends. These activities depend on microtubule-nucleating factors, such as γ-tubulin-containing complexes and their activators and receptors, and microtubule minus end-stabilizing proteins with their binding partners. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on how such factors work together to control microtubule organization in different systems.

Flow cytometry measurements of human chromosome kinetochore labeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantes, J.A.; Green, D.K.; Malloy, P.; Sumner, A.T.

1989-01-01

A method for the preparation and measurement of immunofluorescent human chromosome centromeres in suspension is described using CREST antibodies, which bind to the centromeric region of chromosomes. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated antihuman antibodies provide the fluorescent label. Labeled chromosomes are examined on microscope slides and by flow cytometry. In both cases a dye which binds to DNA is added to provide identification of the chromosome groups. Sera from different CREST patients vary in their ability to bind to chromosome arms in addition to the centromeric region. Flow cytometry and microfluorimetry measurements have shown that with a given CREST serum the differences in kinetochore fluorescence between chromosomes are only minor. Flow cytometry experiments to relate the number of dicentric chromosomes, induced by in vitro radiation of peripheral blood cells to the slightly increased number of chromosomes with above-average kinetochore fluorescence did not produce decisive radiation dosimetry results

Chromosome segregation in plant meiosis

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Linda eZamariola

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Faithful chromosome segregation in meiosis is essential for ploidy stability over sexual life cycles. In plants, defective chromosome segregation caused by gene mutations or other factors leads to the formation of unbalanced or unreduced gametes creating aneuploid or polyploid progeny, respectively. Accurate segregation requires the coordinated execution of conserved processes occurring throughout the two meiotic cell divisions. Synapsis and recombination ensure the establishment of chiasmata that hold homologous chromosomes together allowing their correct segregation in the first meiotic division, which is also tightly regulated by cell-cycle dependent release of cohesin and monopolar attachment of sister kinetochores to microtubules. In meiosis II, bi-orientation of sister kinetochores and proper spindle orientation correctly segregate chromosomes in four haploid cells. Checkpoint mechanisms acting at kinetochores control the accuracy of kinetochore-microtubule attachment, thus ensuring the completion of segregation. Here we review the current knowledge on the processes taking place during chromosome segregation in plant meiosis, focusing on the characterization of the molecular factors involved.

The Aurora B kinase in chromosome biorientation and spindle checkpoint signalling

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Veronica eKrenn

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aurora B, a member of the Aurora family of serine/threonine protein kinases, is a key player in chromosome segregation. As part of a macromolecular complex known as the chromosome passenger complex, Aurora B concentrates early during mitosis in the proximity of centromeres and kinetochores, the sites of attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. There, it contributes to a number of processes that impart fidelity to cell division, including kinetochore stabilization, kinetochore-microtubule attachment, and the regulation of a surveillance mechanism named the spindle assembly checkpoint. In the regulation of these processes, Aurora B is the fulcrum of a remarkably complex network of interactions that feed back on its localization and activation state. In this review we discuss the multiple roles of Aurora B during mitosis, focusing in particular on its role at centromeres and kinetochores. Many details of the network of interactions at these locations remain poorly understood, and we focus here on several crucial outstanding questions.

Microtubule catastrophe and rescue.

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Gardner, Melissa K; Zanic, Marija; Howard, Jonathon

2013-02-01

Microtubules are long cylindrical polymers composed of tubulin subunits. In cells, microtubules play an essential role in architecture and motility. For example, microtubules give shape to cells, serve as intracellular transport tracks, and act as key elements in important cellular structures such as axonemes and mitotic spindles. To accomplish these varied functions, networks of microtubules in cells are very dynamic, continuously remodeling through stochastic length fluctuations at the ends of individual microtubules. The dynamic behavior at the end of an individual microtubule is termed 'dynamic instability'. This behavior manifests itself by periods of persistent microtubule growth interrupted by occasional switching to rapid shrinkage (called microtubule 'catastrophe'), and then by switching back from shrinkage to growth (called microtubule 'rescue'). In this review, we summarize recent findings which provide new insights into the mechanisms of microtubule catastrophe and rescue, and discuss the impact of these findings in regards to the role of microtubule dynamics inside of cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interplay between microtubule bundling and sorting factors ensures acentriolar spindle stability during C. elegans oocyte meiosis.

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Timothy J Mullen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In many species, oocyte meiosis is carried out in the absence of centrioles. As a result, microtubule organization, spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation proceed by unique mechanisms. Here, we report insights into the principles underlying this specialized form of cell division, through studies of C. elegans KLP-15 and KLP-16, two highly homologous members of the kinesin-14 family of minus-end-directed kinesins. These proteins localize to the acentriolar oocyte spindle and promote microtubule bundling during spindle assembly; following KLP-15/16 depletion, microtubule bundles form but then collapse into a disorganized array. Surprisingly, despite this defect we found that during anaphase, microtubules are able to reorganize into a bundled array that facilitates chromosome segregation. This phenotype therefore enabled us to identify factors promoting microtubule organization during anaphase, whose contributions are normally undetectable in wild-type worms; we found that SPD-1 (PRC1 bundles microtubules and KLP-18 (kinesin-12 likely sorts those bundles into a functional orientation capable of mediating chromosome segregation. Therefore, our studies have revealed an interplay between distinct mechanisms that together promote spindle formation and chromosome segregation in the absence of structural cues such as centrioles.

Condensin HEAT subunits required for DNA repair, kinetochore/centromere function and ploidy maintenance in fission yeast.

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Xingya Xu

Full Text Available Condensin, a central player in eukaryotic chromosomal dynamics, contains five evolutionarily-conserved subunits. Two SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes subunits contain ATPase, hinge, and coiled-coil domains. One non-SMC subunit is similar to bacterial kleisin, and two other non-SMC subunits contain HEAT (similar to armadillo repeats. Here we report isolation and characterization of 21 fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutants for three non-SMC subunits, created using error-prone mutagenesis that resulted in single-amino acid substitutions. Beside condensation, segregation, and DNA repair defects, similar to those observed in previously isolated SMC and cnd2 mutants, novel phenotypes were observed for mutants of HEAT-repeats containing Cnd1 and Cnd3 subunits. cnd3-L269P is hypersensitive to the microtubule poison, thiabendazole, revealing defects in kinetochore/centromere and spindle assembly checkpoints. Three cnd1 and three cnd3 mutants increased cell size and doubled DNA content, thereby eliminating the haploid state. Five of these mutations reside in helix B of HEAT repeats. Two non-SMC condensin subunits, Cnd1 and Cnd3, are thus implicated in ploidy maintenance.

GTSE1 is a microtubule plus-end tracking protein that regulates EB1-dependent cell migration.

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Massimilano Scolz

Full Text Available The regulation of cell migration is a highly complex process that is often compromised when cancer cells become metastatic. The microtubule cytoskeleton is necessary for cell migration, but how microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins regulate multiple pathways promoting cell migration remains unclear. Microtubule plus-end binding proteins (+TIPs are emerging as important players in many cellular functions, including cell migration. Here we identify a +TIP, GTSE1, that promotes cell migration. GTSE1 accumulates at growing microtubule plus ends through interaction with the EB1+TIP. The EB1-dependent +TIP activity of GTSE1 is required for cell migration, as well as for microtubule-dependent disassembly of focal adhesions. GTSE1 protein levels determine the migratory capacity of both nontransformed and breast cancer cell lines. In breast cancers, increased GTSE1 expression correlates with invasive potential, tumor stage, and time to distant metastasis, suggesting that misregulation of GTSE1 expression could be associated with increased invasive potential.

The Drosophila Microtubule-Associated Protein Mars Stabilizes Mitotic Spindles by Crosslinking Microtubules through Its N-Terminal Region

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Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob; Wodarz, Andreas

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs. PMID:23593258

The Drosophila microtubule-associated protein mars stabilizes mitotic spindles by crosslinking microtubules through its N-terminal region.

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Gang Zhang

Full Text Available Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs.

The Drosophila microtubule-associated protein mars stabilizes mitotic spindles by crosslinking microtubules through its N-terminal region.

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Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob; Wodarz, Andreas

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs.

Microtubule–microtubule sliding by kinesin-1 is essential for normal cytoplasmic streaming in Drosophila oocytes

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Lu, Wen; Winding, Michael; Lakonishok, Margot; Wildonger, Jill

2016-01-01

Cytoplasmic streaming in Drosophila oocytes is a microtubule-based bulk cytoplasmic movement. Streaming efficiently circulates and localizes mRNAs and proteins deposited by the nurse cells across the oocyte. This movement is driven by kinesin-1, a major microtubule motor. Recently, we have shown that kinesin-1 heavy chain (KHC) can transport one microtubule on another microtubule, thus driving microtubule–microtubule sliding in multiple cell types. To study the role of microtubule sliding in oocyte cytoplasmic streaming, we used a Khc mutant that is deficient in microtubule sliding but able to transport a majority of cargoes. We demonstrated that streaming is reduced by genomic replacement of wild-type Khc with this sliding-deficient mutant. Streaming can be fully rescued by wild-type KHC and partially rescued by a chimeric motor that cannot move organelles but is active in microtubule sliding. Consistent with these data, we identified two populations of microtubules in fast-streaming oocytes: a network of stable microtubules anchored to the actin cortex and free cytoplasmic microtubules that moved in the ooplasm. We further demonstrated that the reduced streaming in sliding-deficient oocytes resulted in posterior determination defects. Together, we propose that kinesin-1 slides free cytoplasmic microtubules against cortically immobilized microtubules, generating forces that contribute to cytoplasmic streaming and are essential for the refinement of posterior determinants. PMID:27512034

The kinetochore of the Lepidoptera, (2)

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Maeki, Kodo

1980-01-01

The chromosomes of Graphium Sarpedon (n, 20) and Eumeta variegata were examined by the acetoorcein squash method. In the equatorial plate of M-2 metaphase, two sister chromatids (rod-type) appeared in linear arrangement. The spindle fibers then gathered to the chromosomal part toward the cell pole, which condensed longwise on the other side. In the second anaphase, the two sister chromatids moved to the opposite poles, they appeared to move toward the pole ends-first. The M-2 metaphase and anaphase were identified only for the chromosomes equipped with the diffuse kinetochore structure. The male larvae of Graphium Sarpedon at the last-instar were irradiated with 800, 1000, 1500 or 2000 R of 60 Co to induce chromosome fragmentation, and killed 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 hrs after the irradiation. The chromosomal aberration at the meitotic stage after the irradiation of 1500 R and 2000 R was pronounced. Although the normal haploid chromosome number of G. sarpedon is 20, it was found that the irradiated larvae had 21 or 19 chromosomes at the M-1 metaphase. The aberration resulted from chromosomal fusion as well as from fragmentation during meiosis. It was suggested that the induced fragment chromosomes each carry kinetochore. In general, it is considered that the chromosomes of lepidopteran insects were characterized by holokinetic organization. (Kaihara, S.)

Centromeric heterochromatin: the primordial segregation machine.

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Bloom, Kerry S

2014-01-01

Centromeres are specialized domains of heterochromatin that provide the foundation for the kinetochore. Centromeric heterochromatin is characterized by specific histone modifications, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant (CENP-A), and the enrichment of cohesin, condensin, and topoisomerase II. Centromere DNA varies orders of magnitude in size from 125 bp (budding yeast) to several megabases (human). In metaphase, sister kinetochores on the surface of replicated chromosomes face away from each other, where they establish microtubule attachment and bi-orientation. Despite the disparity in centromere size, the distance between separated sister kinetochores is remarkably conserved (approximately 1 μm) throughout phylogeny. The centromere functions as a molecular spring that resists microtubule-based extensional forces in mitosis. This review explores the physical properties of DNA in order to understand how the molecular spring is built and how it contributes to the fidelity of chromosome segregation.

APC/C-Cdh1-dependent anaphase and telophase progression during mitotic slippage

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Toda Kazuhiro

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC inhibits anaphase progression in the presence of insufficient kinetochore-microtubule attachments, but cells can eventually override mitotic arrest by a process known as mitotic slippage or adaptation. This is a problem for cancer chemotherapy using microtubule poisons. Results Here we describe mitotic slippage in yeast bub2Δ mutant cells that are defective in the repression of precocious telophase onset (mitotic exit. Precocious activation of anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C-Cdh1 caused mitotic slippage in the presence of nocodazole, while the SAC was still active. APC/C-Cdh1, but not APC/C-Cdc20, triggered anaphase progression (securin degradation, separase-mediated cohesin cleavage, sister-chromatid separation and chromosome missegregation, in addition to telophase onset (mitotic exit, during mitotic slippage. This demonstrates that an inhibitory system not only of APC/C-Cdc20 but also of APC/C-Cdh1 is critical for accurate chromosome segregation in the presence of insufficient kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Conclusions The sequential activation of APC/C-Cdc20 to APC/C-Cdh1 during mitosis is central to accurate mitosis. Precocious activation of APC/C-Cdh1 in metaphase (pre-anaphase causes mitotic slippage in SAC-activated cells. For the prevention of mitotic slippage, concomitant inhibition of APC/C-Cdh1 may be effective for tumor therapy with mitotic spindle poisons in humans.

Fission yeast cells undergo nuclear division in the absence of spindle microtubules.

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Stefania Castagnetti

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Mitosis in eukaryotic cells employs spindle microtubules to drive accurate chromosome segregation at cell division. Cells lacking spindle microtubules arrest in mitosis due to a spindle checkpoint that delays mitotic progression until all chromosomes have achieved stable bipolar attachment to spindle microtubules. In fission yeast, mitosis occurs within an intact nuclear membrane with the mitotic spindle elongating between the spindle pole bodies. We show here that in fission yeast interference with mitotic spindle formation delays mitosis only briefly and cells proceed to an unusual nuclear division process we term nuclear fission, during which cells perform some chromosome segregation and efficiently enter S-phase of the next cell cycle. Nuclear fission is blocked if spindle pole body maturation or sister chromatid separation cannot take place or if actin polymerization is inhibited. We suggest that this process exhibits vestiges of a primitive nuclear division process independent of spindle microtubules, possibly reflecting an evolutionary intermediate state between bacterial and Archeal chromosome segregation where the nucleoid divides without a spindle and a microtubule spindle-based eukaryotic mitosis.

Complementary activities of TPX2 and chTOG constitute an efficient importin-regulated microtubule nucleation module.

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Roostalu, Johanna; Cade, Nicholas I; Surrey, Thomas

2015-11-01

Spindle assembly and function require precise control of microtubule nucleation and dynamics. The chromatin-driven spindle assembly pathway exerts such control locally in the vicinity of chromosomes. One of the key targets of this pathway is TPX2. The molecular mechanism of how TPX2 stimulates microtubule nucleation is not understood. Using microscopy-based dynamic in vitro reconstitution assays with purified proteins, we find that human TPX2 directly stabilizes growing microtubule ends and stimulates microtubule nucleation by stabilizing early microtubule nucleation intermediates. Human microtubule polymerase chTOG (XMAP215/Msps/Stu2p/Dis1/Alp14 homologue) only weakly promotes nucleation, but acts synergistically with TPX2. Hence, a combination of distinct and complementary activities is sufficient for efficient microtubule formation in vitro. Importins control the efficiency of the microtubule nucleation by selectively blocking the interaction of TPX2 with microtubule nucleation intermediates. This in vitro reconstitution reveals the molecular mechanism of regulated microtubule formation by a minimal nucleation module essential for chromatin-dependent microtubule nucleation in cells.

Microtubule bundling plays a role in ethylene-mediated cortical microtubule reorientation in etiolated Arabidopsis hypocotyls.

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Ma, Qianqian; Sun, Jingbo; Mao, Tonglin

2016-05-15

The gaseous hormone ethylene is known to regulate plant growth under etiolated conditions (the 'triple response'). Although organization of cortical microtubules is essential for cell elongation, the underlying mechanisms that regulate microtubule organization by hormone signaling, including ethylene, are ambiguous. In the present study, we demonstrate that ethylene signaling participates in regulation of cortical microtubule reorientation. In particular, regulation of microtubule bundling is important for this process in etiolated hypocotyls. Time-lapse analysis indicated that selective stabilization of microtubule-bundling structures formed in various arrays is related to ethylene-mediated microtubule orientation. Bundling events and bundle growth lifetimes were significantly increased in oblique and longitudinal arrays, but decreased in transverse arrays in wild-type cells in response to ethylene. However, the effects of ethylene on microtubule bundling were partially suppressed in a microtubule-bundling protein WDL5 knockout mutant (wdl5-1). This study suggests that modulation of microtubule bundles that have formed in certain orientations plays a role in reorienting microtubule arrays in response to ethylene-mediated etiolated hypocotyl cell elongation. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Microtubule Catastrophe and Rescue

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Gardner, Melissa K.; Zanic, Marija; Howard, Jonathon

2012-01-01

Microtubules are long cylindrical polymers composed of tubulin subunits. In cells, microtubules play an essential role in architecture and motility. For example, microtubules give shape to cells, serve as intracellular transport tracks, and act as key elements in important cellular structures such as axonemes and mitotic spindles. To accomplish these varied functions, networks of microtubules in cells are very dynamic, continuously remodeling through stochastic length fluctuations at the ends...

GIT1 enhances neurite outgrowth by stimulating microtubule assembly

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Yi-sheng Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available GIT1, a G-protein-coupled receptor kinase interacting protein, has been reported to be involved in neurite outgrowth. However, the neurobiological functions of the protein remain unclear. In this study, we found that GIT1 was highly expressed in the nervous system, and its expression was maintained throughout all stages of neuritogenesis in the brain. In primary cultured mouse hippocampal neurons from GIT1 knockout mice, there was a significant reduction in total neurite length per neuron, as well as in the average length of axon-like structures, which could not be prevented by nerve growth factor treatment. Overexpression of GIT1 significantly promoted axon growth and fully rescued the axon outgrowth defect in the primary hippocampal neuron cultures from GIT1 knockout mice. The GIT1 N terminal region, including the ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase activating protein domain, the ankyrin domains and the Spa2 homology domain, were sufficient to enhance axonal extension. Importantly, GIT1 bound to many tubulin proteins and microtubule-associated proteins, and it accelerated microtubule assembly in vitro. Collectively, our findings suggest that GIT1 promotes neurite outgrowth, at least partially by stimulating microtubule assembly. This study provides new insight into the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of GIT1-associated neurological diseases.

17-AAG, an Hsp90 inhibitor, causes kinetochore defects: a novel mechanism by which 17-AAG inhibits cell proliferation.

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Niikura, Y; Ohta, S; Vandenbeldt, K J; Abdulle, R; McEwen, B F; Kitagawa, K

2006-07-13

The Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylaminogeldanamycin (17-AAG), which is currently in clinical trials, is thought to exert antitumor activity by simultaneously targeting several oncogenic signaling pathways. Here we report a novel mechanism by which 17-AAG inhibits cell proliferation, and we provide the first evidence that HSP90 is required for the assembly of kinetochore protein complexes in humans. 17-AAG caused delocalization of several kinetochore proteins including CENP-I and CENP-H but excluding CENP-B and CENP-C. Consistently, 17-AAG induced a mitotic arrest that depends on the spindle checkpoint and induced misalignment of chromosomes and aneuploidy. We found that HSP90 associates with SGT1 (suppressor of G2 allele of skp1; SUGT1) in human cells and that depletion of SGT1 sensitizes HeLa cells to 17-AAG. Overexpression of SGT1 restored the localization of specific kinetochore proteins and chromosome alignment in cells treated with 17-AAG. Biochemical and genetic results suggest that HSP90, through its interaction with SGT1 (SUGT1), is required for kinetochore assembly. Furthermore, time-course experiments revealed that transient treatment with 17-AAG between late S and G2/M phases causes substantial delocalization of CENP-H and CENP-I, a finding that strongly suggests that HSP90 participates in kinetochore assembly in a cell cycle-dependent manner.

CENP-W plays a role in maintaining bipolar spindle structure.

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Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk

Full Text Available The CENP-W/T complex was previously reported to be required for mitosis. HeLa cells depleted of CENP-W displayed profound mitotic defects, with mitotic timing delay, disorganized prometaphases and multipolar spindles as major phenotypic consequences. In this study, we examined the process of multipolar spindle formation induced by CENP-W depletion. Depletion of CENP-W in HeLa cells labeled with histone H2B and tubulin fluorescent proteins induced rapid fragmentation of originally bipolar spindles in a high proportion of cells. CENP-W depletion was associated with depletion of Hec1 at kinetochores. The possibility of promiscuous centrosomal duplication was ruled out by immunofluorescent examination of centrioles. However, centrioles were frequently observed to be abnormally split. In addition, a large proportion of the supernumerary poles lacked centrioles, but were positively stained with different centrosomal markers. These observations suggested that perturbation in spindle force distribution caused by defective kinetochores could contribute to a mechanical mechanism for spindle pole disruption. 'Spindle free' nocodazole arrested cells did not exhibit pole fragmentation after CENP-W depletion, showing that pole fragmentation is microtubule dependent. Inhibition of centrosome separation by monastrol reduced the incidence of spindle pole fragmentation, indicating that Eg5 plays a role in spindle pole disruption. Surprisingly, CENP-W depletion rescued the monopolar spindle phenotype of monastrol treatment, with an increased frequency of bipolar spindles observed after CENP-W RNAi. We overexpressed the microtubule cross-linking protein TPX2 to create spindle poles stabilized by the microtubule cross-linking activity of TPX2. Spindle pole fragmentation was suppressed in a TPX2-dependent fashion. We propose that CENP-W, by influencing proper kinetochore assembly, particularly microtubule docking sites, can confer spindle pole resistance to traction

CENP-W Plays a Role in Maintaining Bipolar Spindle Structure

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Kaczmarczyk, Agnieszka; Sullivan, Kevin F.

2014-01-01

The CENP-W/T complex was previously reported to be required for mitosis. HeLa cells depleted of CENP-W displayed profound mitotic defects, with mitotic timing delay, disorganized prometaphases and multipolar spindles as major phenotypic consequences. In this study, we examined the process of multipolar spindle formation induced by CENP-W depletion. Depletion of CENP-W in HeLa cells labeled with histone H2B and tubulin fluorescent proteins induced rapid fragmentation of originally bipolar spindles in a high proportion of cells. CENP-W depletion was associated with depletion of Hec1 at kinetochores. The possibility of promiscuous centrosomal duplication was ruled out by immunofluorescent examination of centrioles. However, centrioles were frequently observed to be abnormally split. In addition, a large proportion of the supernumerary poles lacked centrioles, but were positively stained with different centrosomal markers. These observations suggested that perturbation in spindle force distribution caused by defective kinetochores could contribute to a mechanical mechanism for spindle pole disruption. ‘Spindle free’ nocodazole arrested cells did not exhibit pole fragmentation after CENP-W depletion, showing that pole fragmentation is microtubule dependent. Inhibition of centrosome separation by monastrol reduced the incidence of spindle pole fragmentation, indicating that Eg5 plays a role in spindle pole disruption. Surprisingly, CENP-W depletion rescued the monopolar spindle phenotype of monastrol treatment, with an increased frequency of bipolar spindles observed after CENP-W RNAi. We overexpressed the microtubule cross-linking protein TPX2 to create spindle poles stabilized by the microtubule cross-linking activity of TPX2. Spindle pole fragmentation was suppressed in a TPX2-dependent fashion. We propose that CENP-W, by influencing proper kinetochore assembly, particularly microtubule docking sites, can confer spindle pole resistance to traction forces exerted

Learning-induced and stathmin-dependent changes in microtubule stability are critical for memory and disrupted in ageing

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Uchida, Shusaku; Martel, Guillaume; Pavlowsky, Alice; Takizawa, Shuichi; Hevi, Charles; Watanabe, Yoshifumi; Kandel, Eric R.; Alarcon, Juan Marcos; Shumyatsky, Gleb P.

2014-01-01

Changes in the stability of microtubules regulate many biological processes, but their role in memory remains unclear. Here we show that learning causes biphasic changes in the microtubule-associated network in the hippocampus. In the early phase, stathmin is dephosphorylated, enhancing its microtubule-destabilizing activity by promoting stathmin-tubulin binding, whereas in the late phase these processes are reversed leading to an increase in microtubule/KIF5-mediated localization of the GluA2 subunit of AMPA receptors at synaptic sites. A microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel decreases or increases memory when applied at the early or late phases, respectively. Stathmin mutations disrupt changes in microtubule stability, GluA2 localization, synaptic plasticity and memory. Aged wild-type mice show impairments in stathmin levels, changes in microtubule stability, and GluA2 localization. Blocking GluA2 endocytosis rescues memory deficits in stathmin mutant and aged wild-type mice. These findings demonstrate a role for microtubules in memory in young adult and aged individuals. PMID:25007915

Wood cell-wall structure requires local 2D-microtubule disassembly by a novel plasma membrane-anchored protein.

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Oda, Yoshihisa; Iida, Yuki; Kondo, Yuki; Fukuda, Hiroo

2010-07-13

Plant cells have evolved cortical microtubules, in a two-dimensional space beneath the plasma membrane, that regulate patterning of cellulose deposition. Although recent studies have revealed that several microtubule-associated proteins facilitate self-organization of transverse cortical microtubules, it is still unknown how diverse patterns of cortical microtubules are organized in different xylem cells, which are the major components of wood. Using our newly established in vitro xylem cell differentiation system, we found that a novel microtubule end-tracking protein, microtubule depletion domain 1 (MIDD1), was anchored to distinct plasma membrane domains and promoted local microtubule disassembly, resulting in pits on xylem cell walls. The introduction of RNA interference for MIDD1 resulted in the failure of local microtubule depletion and the formation of secondary walls without pits. Conversely, the overexpression of MIDD1 reduced microtubule density. MIDD1 has two coiled-coil domains for the binding to microtubules and for the anchorage to plasma membrane domains, respectively. Combination of the two coils caused end tracking of microtubules during shrinkage and suppressed their rescue events. Our results indicate that MIDD1 integrates spatial information in the plasma membrane with cortical microtubule dynamics for determining xylem cell wall pattern. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex-chromosome anaphase movements in crane-fly spermatocytes are coordinated: ultraviolet microbeam irradiation of one kinetochore of one sex chromosome blocks the movements of both sex chromosomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swedak, J.A.M.; Forer, A.

1987-01-01

Sex chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes move polewards at anaphase after the autosomes have reached the poles. We irradiated one kinetochore of one sex chromosome using an ultraviolet microbeam. When both sex chromosomes were normally oriented, irradiation of a single kinetochore permanently blocked movement of both sex chromosomes. Irradiation of non-kinetochore chromosomal regions or of spindle fibres did not block movement, or blocked movement only temporarily. We argue that ultraviolet irradiation of one kinetochore blocks movement of both sex chromosomes because of effects on a 'signal' system. Irradiation of one kinetochore of a maloriented sex chromosome did not block motion of either sex chromosome. However, irradiation of one kinetochore of a normally oriented sex chromosome permanently blocked motion of both that sex chromosome and the maloriented sex chromosome. Thus for the signal system to allow the sex chromosomes to move to the pole each sex chromosome must have one spindle fibre to each pole. (author)

The growth speed of microtubules with XMAP215-coated beads coupled to their ends is increased by tensile force

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Trushko, Anastasiya; Schäffer, Erik; Howard, Jonathon

2013-01-01

The generation of pulling and pushing forces is one of the important functions of microtubules, which are dynamic and polarized structures. The ends of dynamic microtubules are able to form relatively stable links to cellular structures, so that when a microtubule grows it can exert a pushing force and when it shrinks it can exert a pulling force. Microtubule growth and shrinkage are tightly regulated by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) that bind to microtubule ends. Given their localization, MAPs may be exposed to compressive and tensile forces. The effect of such forces on MAP function, however, is poorly understood. Here we show that beads coated with the microtubule polymerizing protein XMAP215, the Xenopus homolog of Dis1 and chTOG, are able to link stably to the plus ends of microtubules, even when the ends are growing or shrinking; at growing ends, the beads increase the polymerization rate. Using optical tweezers, we found that tensile force further increased the microtubule polymerization rate. These results show that physical forces can regulate the activity of MAPs. Furthermore, our results show that XMAP215 can be used as a handle to sense and mechanically manipulate the dynamics of the microtubule tip. PMID:23964126

Cutting edge science: Laser surgery illuminates viscoelasticity of merotelic kinetochores.

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Cabello, Simon; Gachet, Yannick; Tournier, Sylvie

2016-03-28

Increasing evidence in eukaryotic cells suggests that mechanical forces are essential for building a robust mitotic apparatus and correcting inappropriate chromosome attachments. In this issue, Cojoc et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol., http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201506011) use laser microsurgery in vivo to measure and study the viscoelastic properties of kinetochores. © 2016 Cabello.

Microtubule nucleation and organization in dendrites

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Delandre, Caroline; Amikura, Reiko; Moore, Adrian W.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Dendrite branching is an essential process for building complex nervous systems. It determines the number, distribution and integration of inputs into a neuron, and is regulated to create the diverse dendrite arbor branching patterns characteristic of different neuron types. The microtubule cytoskeleton is critical to provide structure and exert force during dendrite branching. It also supports the functional requirements of dendrites, reflected by differential microtubule architectural organization between neuron types, illustrated here for sensory neurons. Both anterograde and retrograde microtubule polymerization occur within growing dendrites, and recent studies indicate that branching is enhanced by anterograde microtubule polymerization events in nascent branches. The polarities of microtubule polymerization events are regulated by the position and orientation of microtubule nucleation events in the dendrite arbor. Golgi outposts are a primary microtubule nucleation center in dendrites and share common nucleation machinery with the centrosome. In addition, pre-existing dendrite microtubules may act as nucleation sites. We discuss how balancing the activities of distinct nucleation machineries within the growing dendrite can alter microtubule polymerization polarity and dendrite branching, and how regulating this balance can generate neuron type-specific morphologies. PMID:27097122

Manipulation and quantification of microtubule lattice integrity

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Taylor A. Reid

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are structural polymers that participate in a wide range of cellular functions. The addition and loss of tubulin subunits allows the microtubule to grow and shorten, as well as to develop and repair defects and gaps in its cylindrical lattice. These lattice defects act to modulate the interactions of microtubules with molecular motors and other microtubule-associated proteins. Therefore, tools to control and measure microtubule lattice structure will be invaluable for developing a quantitative understanding of how the structural state of the microtubule lattice may regulate its interactions with other proteins. In this work, we manipulated the lattice integrity of in vitro microtubules to create pools of microtubules with common nucleotide states, but with variations in structural states. We then developed a series of novel semi-automated analysis tools for both fluorescence and electron microscopy experiments to quantify the type and severity of alterations in microtubule lattice integrity. These techniques will enable new investigations that explore the role of microtubule lattice structure in interactions with microtubule-associated proteins.

Microtubules as mechanical force sensors.

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Karafyllidis, Ioannis G; Lagoudas, Dimitris C

2007-03-01

Microtubules are polymers of tubulin subunits (dimers) arranged on a hexagonal lattice. Each tubulin dimer comprises two monomers, the alpha-tubulin and beta-tubulin, and can be found in two states. In the first state a mobile negative charge is located into the alpha-tubulin monomer and in the second into the beta-tubulin monomer. Each tubulin dimer is modeled as an electrical dipole coupled to its neighbors by electrostatic forces. The location of the mobile charge in each dimer depends on the location of the charges in the dimer's neighborhood. Mechanical forces that act on the microtubule affect the distances between the dimers and alter the electrostatic potential. Changes in this potential affect the mobile negative charge location in each dimer and the charge distribution in the microtubule. The net effect is that mechanical forces affect the charge distribution in microtubules. We propose to exploit this effect and use microtubules as mechanical force sensors. We model each dimer as a two-state quantum system and, following the quantum computation paradigm, we use discrete quantum random walk on the hexagonal microtubule lattice to determine the charge distribution. Different forces applied on the microtubule are modeled as different coin biases leading to different probability distributions of the quantum walker location, which are directly connected to different charge distributions. Simulation results show that there is a strong indication that microtubules can be used as mechanical force sensors and that they can also detect the force directions and magnitudes.

Microtubule array reorientation in response to hormones does not involve changes in microtubule nucleation modes at the periclinal cell surface

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Atkinson, Samantha; Kirik, Angela; Kirik, Viktor

2014-01-01

Aligned microtubule arrays spatially organize cell division, trafficking, and determine the direction of cell expansion in plant cells. In response to changes in environmental and developmental signals, cells reorganize their microtubule arrays into new configurations. Here, we tested the role of microtubule nucleation during hormone-induced microtubule array reorientation. We have found that in the process of microtubule array reorientation the ratios between branching, parallel, and de-novo nucleations remained constant, suggesting that the microtubule reorientation mechanism does not involve changes in nucleation modes. In the ton2/fass mutant, which has reduced microtubule branching nucleation frequency and decreased nucleation activity of the γ-tubulin complexes, microtubule arrays were able to reorient. Presented data suggest that reorientation of microtubules into transverse arrays in response to hormones does not involve changes in microtubule nucleation at the periclinal cell surface PMID:25135522

CENP-A regulates chromosome segregation during the first meiosis of mouse oocytes.

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Li, Li; Qi, Shu-Tao; Sun, Qing-Yuan; Chen, Shi-Ling

2017-06-01

Proper chromosome separation in both mitosis and meiosis depends on the correct connection between kinetochores of chromosomes and spindle microtubules. Kinetochore dysfunction can lead to unequal distribution of chromosomes during cell division and result in aneuploidy, thus kinetochores are critical for faithful segregation of chromosomes. Centromere protein A (CENP-A) is an important component of the inner kinetochore plate. Multiple studies in mitosis have found that deficiencies in CENP-A could result in structural and functional changes of kinetochores, leading to abnormal chromosome segregation, aneuploidy and apoptosis in cells. Here we report the expression and function of CENP-A during mouse oocyte meiosis. Our study found that microinjection of CENP-A blocking antibody resulted in errors of homologous chromosome segregation and caused aneuploidy in eggs. Thus, our findings provide evidence that CENP-A is critical for the faithful chromosome segregation during mammalian oocyte meiosis.

A mutation of the fission yeast EB1 overcomes negative regulation by phosphorylation and stabilizes microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iimori, Makoto; Ozaki, Kanako; Chikashige, Yuji; Habu, Toshiyuki; Hiraoka, Yasushi; Maki, Takahisa; Hayashi, Ikuko; Obuse, Chikashi; Matsumoto, Tomohiro

2012-01-01

Mal3 is a fission yeast homolog of EB1, a plus-end tracking protein (+ TIP). We have generated a mutation (89R) replacing glutamine with arginine in the calponin homology (CH) domain of Mal3. Analysis of the 89R mutant in vitro has revealed that the mutation confers a higher affinity to microtubules and enhances the intrinsic activity to promote the microtubule-assembly. The mutant Mal3 is no longer a + TIP, but binds strongly the microtubule lattice. Live cell imaging has revealed that while the wild type Mal3 proteins dissociate from the tip of the growing microtubules before the onset of shrinkage, the mutant Mal3 proteins persist on microtubules and reduces a rate of shrinkage after a longer pausing period. Consequently, the mutant Mal3 proteins cause abnormal elongation of microtubules composing the spindle and aster. Mal3 is phosphorylated at a cluster of serine/threonine residues in the linker connecting the CH and EB1-like C-terminal motif domains. The phosphorylation occurs in a microtubule-dependent manner and reduces the affinity of Mal3 to microtubules. We propose that because the 89R mutation is resistant to the effect of phosphorylation, it can associate persistently with microtubules and confers a stronger stability of microtubules likely by reinforcing the cylindrical structure. -- Highlights: ► We characterize a mutation (mal3-89R) in fission yeast homolog of EB1. ► The mutation enhances the activity to assemble microtubules. ► Mal3 is phosphorylated in a microtubule-dependent manner. ► The phosphorylation negatively regulates the Mal3 activity.

A mutation of the fission yeast EB1 overcomes negative regulation by phosphorylation and stabilizes microtubules

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Iimori, Makoto; Ozaki, Kanako [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 (Japan); Chikashige, Yuji [Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, 651-2492 (Japan); Habu, Toshiyuki [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 (Japan); Radiation Biology Center, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 (Japan); Hiraoka, Yasushi [Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, 651-2492 (Japan); Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 (Japan); Maki, Takahisa; Hayashi, Ikuko [Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045 (Japan); Obuse, Chikashi [Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021 (Japan); Matsumoto, Tomohiro, E-mail: tmatsumo@house.rbc.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 (Japan); Radiation Biology Center, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 (Japan)

2012-02-01

Mal3 is a fission yeast homolog of EB1, a plus-end tracking protein (+ TIP). We have generated a mutation (89R) replacing glutamine with arginine in the calponin homology (CH) domain of Mal3. Analysis of the 89R mutant in vitro has revealed that the mutation confers a higher affinity to microtubules and enhances the intrinsic activity to promote the microtubule-assembly. The mutant Mal3 is no longer a + TIP, but binds strongly the microtubule lattice. Live cell imaging has revealed that while the wild type Mal3 proteins dissociate from the tip of the growing microtubules before the onset of shrinkage, the mutant Mal3 proteins persist on microtubules and reduces a rate of shrinkage after a longer pausing period. Consequently, the mutant Mal3 proteins cause abnormal elongation of microtubules composing the spindle and aster. Mal3 is phosphorylated at a cluster of serine/threonine residues in the linker connecting the CH and EB1-like C-terminal motif domains. The phosphorylation occurs in a microtubule-dependent manner and reduces the affinity of Mal3 to microtubules. We propose that because the 89R mutation is resistant to the effect of phosphorylation, it can associate persistently with microtubules and confers a stronger stability of microtubules likely by reinforcing the cylindrical structure. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We characterize a mutation (mal3-89R) in fission yeast homolog of EB1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The mutation enhances the activity to assemble microtubules. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mal3 is phosphorylated in a microtubule-dependent manner. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The phosphorylation negatively regulates the Mal3 activity.

Fluorescent foci quantitation for high-throughput analysis

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Elena Ledesma-Fernández

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A number of cellular proteins localize to discrete foci within cells, for example DNA repair proteins, microtubule organizing centers, P bodies or kinetochores. It is often possible to measure the fluorescence emission from tagged proteins within these foci as a surrogate for the concentration of that specific protein. We wished to develop tools that would allow quantitation of fluorescence foci intensities in high-throughput studies. As proof of principle we have examined the kinetochore, a large multi-subunit complex that is critical for the accurate segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Kinetochore perturbations lead to aneuploidy, which is a hallmark of cancer cells. Hence, understanding kinetochore homeostasis and regulation are important for a global understanding of cell division and genome integrity. The 16 budding yeast kinetochores colocalize within the nucleus to form a single focus. Here we have created a set of freely-available tools to allow high-throughput quantitation of kinetochore foci fluorescence. We use this ‘FociQuant’ tool to compare methods of kinetochore quantitation and we show proof of principle that FociQuant can be used to identify changes in kinetochore protein levels in a mutant that affects kinetochore function. This analysis can be applied to any protein that forms discrete foci in cells.

Reassessing the roles of PIN proteins and anticlinal microtubules during pavement cell morphogenesis

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Belteton, Samuel; Sawchuk, Megan G.; Donohoe, Bryon S.; Scarpella, Enrico; Szymanski, Daniel B.

2017-11-30

The leaf epidermis is a biomechanical shell that influences the size and shape of the organ. Its morphogenesis is a multiscale process in which nanometer-scale cytoskeletal protein complexes, individual cells, and groups of cells pattern growth and define macroscopic leaf traits. Interdigitated growth of neighboring cells is an evolutionarily conserved developmental strategy. Understanding how signaling pathways and cytoskeletal proteins pattern cell walls during this form of tissue morphogenesis is an important research challenge. The cellular and molecular control of a lobed cell morphology is currently thought to involve PIN-FORMED (PIN)-type plasma membrane efflux carriers that generate subcellular auxin gradients. Auxin gradients were proposed to function across cell boundaries to encode stable offset patterns of cortical microtubules and actin filaments between adjacent cells. Many models suggest that long-lived microtubules along the anticlinal cell wall generate local cell wall heterogeneities that restrict local growth and specify the timing and location of lobe formation. Here we used Arabidopsis reverse genetics and multivariate long-term time-lapse imaging to test current cell shape control models. We found that neither PIN proteins nor microtubules along the anticlinal wall predict the patterns of lobe formation. In fields of lobing cells, anticlinal microtubules are not correlated with cell shape and are unstable at the time scales of cell expansion. Our analyses indicate that anticlinal microtubules have multiple functions in pavement cells, and that lobe initiation is likely controlled by complex interactions among cell geometry, cell wall stress patterns, and transient microtubule networks that span the anticlinal and periclinal walls.

Synchronous Oscillations in Microtubule Polymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Carlier, M. F.; Melki, R.; Pantaloni, D.; Hill, T. L.; Chen, Y.

1987-08-01

Under conditions where microtubule nucleation and growth are fast (i.e., high magnesium ion and tubulin concentrations and absence of glycerol), microtubule assembly in vitro exhibits an oscillatory regime preceding the establishment of steady state. The amplitude of the oscillations can represent >50% of the maximum turbidity change and oscillations persist for up to 20 periods of 80 s each. Oscillations are accompanied by extensive length redistribution of microtubules. Preliminary work suggests that the oscillatory kinetics can be simulated using a model in which many microtubules undergo synchronous transitions between growing and rapidly depolymerizing phases, complicated by the kinetically limiting rate of nucleotide exchange on free tubulin.

A ROP2-RIC1 pathway fine-tunes microtubule reorganization for salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Changjiang; Lu, Hanmei; Li, Wei; Yuan, Ming; Fu, Ying

2017-07-01

The reorganization of microtubules induced by salt stress is required for Arabidopsis survival under high salinity conditions. RIC1 is an effector of Rho-related GTPase from plants (ROPs) and a known microtubule-associated protein. In this study, we demonstrated that RIC1 expression decreased with long-term NaCl treatment, and ric1-1 seedlings exhibited a higher survival rate under salt stress. We found that RIC1 reduced the frequency of microtubule transition from shortening to growing status and knockout of RIC1 improved the reassembly of depolymerized microtubules caused by either oryzalin treatment or salt stress. Further investigation showed that constitutively active ROP2 promoted the reassembly of microtubules and the survival of seedlings under salt stress. A rop2-1 ric1-1 double mutant rescued the salt-sensitive phenotype of rop2-1, indicating that ROP2 functions in salt tolerance through RIC1. Although ROP2 did not regulate RIC1 expression upon salt stress, a quick but mild increase of ROP2 activity was induced, led to reduction of RIC1 on microtubules. Collectively, our study reveals an ROP2-RIC1 pathway that fine-tunes microtubule dynamics in response to salt stress in Arabidopsis. This finding not only reveals a new regulatory mechanism for microtubule reorganization under salt stress but also the importance of ROP signalling for salinity tolerance. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Direct kinetochore–spindle pole connections are not required for chromosome segregation

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Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Magidson, Valentin; Steinman, Jonathan B.; He, Jie; Le Berre, Maël; Tikhonenko, Irina; Ault, Jeffrey G.; McEwen, Bruce F.; Chen, James K.; Sui, Haixin; Piel, Matthieu; Kapoor, Tarun M.

2014-01-01

Segregation of genetic material occurs when chromosomes move to opposite spindle poles during mitosis. This movement depends on K-fibers, specialized microtubule (MT) bundles attached to the chromosomes′ kinetochores. A long-standing assumption is that continuous K-fibers connect every kinetochore to a spindle pole and the force for chromosome movement is produced at the kinetochore and coupled with MT depolymerization. However, we found that chromosomes still maintained their position at the spindle equator during metaphase and segregated properly during anaphase when one of their K-fibers was severed near the kinetochore with a laser microbeam. We also found that, in normal fully assembled spindles, K-fibers of some chromosomes did not extend to the spindle pole. These K-fibers connected to adjacent K-fibers and/or nonkinetochore MTs. Poleward movement of chromosomes with short K-fibers was uncoupled from MT depolymerization at the kinetochore. Instead, these chromosomes moved by dynein-mediated transport of the entire K-fiber/kinetochore assembly. Thus, at least two distinct parallel mechanisms drive chromosome segregation in mammalian cells. PMID:25023516

Rho proteins − the key regulators of cytoskeleton in the progression of mitosis and cytokinesis

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Anna Klimaszewska

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The Rho proteins are members of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases. They are thought to be crucial regulators of multiple signal transduction pathways that influence a wide range of cellular functions, including migration, membrane trafficking, adhesion, polarity and cell shape changes. Thanks to their ability to control the assembly and organization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, Rho GTPases are known to regulate mitosis and cytokinesis progression. These proteins are required for formation and rigidity of the cortex during mitotic cell rounding, mitotic spindle formation and attachment of the spindle microtubules to the kinetochore. In addition, during cytokinesis, they are involved in promoting division plane determination, contractile ring and cleavage furrow formation and abscission. They are also known as regulators of cell cycle progression at the G1/S and G2/M transition. Thus, the signal transduction pathways in which Rho proteins participate, appear to connect dynamics of actin and microtubule cytoskeletons to cell cycle progression. We review the current state of knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms by which Rho GTPase signaling regulates remodeling of actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in order to control cell division progression.

Assembly and control of large microtubule complexes

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Korolev, Kirill; Ishihara, Keisuke; Mitchison, Timothy

Motility, division, and other cellular processes require rapid assembly and disassembly of microtubule structures. We report a new mechanism for the formation of asters, radial microtubule complexes found in very large cells. The standard model of aster growth assumes elongation of a fixed number of microtubules originating from the centrosomes. However, aster morphology in this model does not scale with cell size, and we found evidence for microtubule nucleation away from centrosomes. By combining polymerization dynamics and auto-catalytic nucleation of microtubules, we developed a new biophysical model of aster growth. The model predicts an explosive transition from an aster with a steady-state radius to one that expands as a travelling wave. At the transition, microtubule density increases continuously, but aster growth rate discontinuously jumps to a nonzero value. We tested our model with biochemical perturbations in egg extract and confirmed main theoretical predictions including the jump in the growth rate. Our results show that asters can grow even though individual microtubules are short and unstable. The dynamic balance between microtubule collapse and nucleation could be a general framework for the assembly and control of large microtubule complexes. NIH GM39565; Simons Foundation 409704; Honjo International 486 Scholarship Foundation.

Biallelic Mutations in TBCD, Encoding the Tubulin Folding Cofactor D, Perturb Microtubule Dynamics and Cause Early-Onset Encephalopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Flex, Elisabetta; Niceta, Marcello; Cecchetti, Serena; Thiffault, Isabelle; Au, Margaret G; Capuano, Alessandro; Piermarini, Emanuela; Ivanova, Anna A; Francis, Joshua W; Chillemi, Giovanni; Chandramouli, Balasubramanian; Carpentieri, Giovanna; Haaxma, Charlotte A; Ciolfi, Andrea; Pizzi, Simone; Douglas, Ganka V; Levine, Kara; Sferra, Antonella; Dentici, Maria Lisa; Pfundt, Rolph R; Le Pichon, Jean-Baptiste; Farrow, Emily; Baas, Frank; Piemonte, Fiorella; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Graham, John M; Saunders, Carol J; Bertini, Enrico; Kahn, Richard A; Koolen, David A; Tartaglia, Marco

2016-10-06

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal elements coordinating and supporting a variety of neuronal processes, including cell division, migration, polarity, intracellular trafficking, and signal transduction. Mutations in genes encoding tubulins and microtubule-associated proteins are known to cause neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Growing evidence suggests that altered microtubule dynamics may also underlie or contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration. We report that biallelic mutations in TBCD, encoding one of the five co-chaperones required for assembly and disassembly of the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, the structural unit of microtubules, cause a disease with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative features characterized by early-onset cortical atrophy, secondary hypomyelination, microcephaly, thin corpus callosum, developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures, optic atrophy, and spastic quadriplegia. Molecular dynamics simulations predicted long-range and/or local structural perturbations associated with the disease-causing mutations. Biochemical analyses documented variably reduced levels of TBCD, indicating relative instability of mutant proteins, and defective β-tubulin binding in a subset of the tested mutants. Reduced or defective TBCD function resulted in decreased soluble α/β-tubulin levels and accelerated microtubule polymerization in fibroblasts from affected subjects, demonstrating an overall shift toward a more rapidly growing and stable microtubule population. These cells displayed an aberrant mitotic spindle with disorganized, tangle-shaped microtubules and reduced aster formation, which however did not alter appreciably the rate of cell proliferation. Our findings establish that defective TBCD function underlies a recognizable encephalopathy and drives accelerated microtubule polymerization and enhanced microtubule stability, underscoring an additional cause of altered microtubule dynamics with

Reassessing the Roles of PIN Proteins and Anticlinal Microtubules during Pavement Cell Morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Belteton, Samuel A; Sawchuk, Megan G; Donohoe, Bryon S; Scarpella, Enrico; Szymanski, Daniel B

2018-01-01

The leaf epidermis is a biomechanical shell that influences the size and shape of the organ. Its morphogenesis is a multiscale process in which nanometer-scale cytoskeletal protein complexes, individual cells, and groups of cells pattern growth and define macroscopic leaf traits. Interdigitated growth of neighboring cells is an evolutionarily conserved developmental strategy. Understanding how signaling pathways and cytoskeletal proteins pattern cell walls during this form of tissue morphogenesis is an important research challenge. The cellular and molecular control of a lobed cell morphology is currently thought to involve PIN-FORMED (PIN)-type plasma membrane efflux carriers that generate subcellular auxin gradients. Auxin gradients were proposed to function across cell boundaries to encode stable offset patterns of cortical microtubules and actin filaments between adjacent cells. Many models suggest that long-lived microtubules along the anticlinal cell wall generate local cell wall heterogeneities that restrict local growth and specify the timing and location of lobe formation. Here, we used Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) reverse genetics and multivariate long-term time-lapse imaging to test current cell shape control models. We found that neither PIN proteins nor long-lived microtubules along the anticlinal wall predict the patterns of lobe formation. In fields of lobing cells, anticlinal microtubules are not correlated with cell shape and are unstable at the time scales of cell expansion. Our analyses indicate that anticlinal microtubules have multiple functions in pavement cells and that lobe initiation is likely controlled by complex interactions among cell geometry, cell wall stress patterns, and transient microtubule networks that span the anticlinal and periclinal walls. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Microtubules self-repair in response to mechanical stress

Science.gov (United States)

Schaedel, Laura; John, Karin; Gaillard, Jérémie; Nachury, Maxence V.; Blanchoin, Laurent; Théry, Manuel

2015-11-01

Microtubules--which define the shape of axons, cilia and flagella, and provide tracks for intracellular transport--can be highly bent by intracellular forces, and microtubule structure and stiffness are thought to be affected by physical constraints. Yet how microtubules tolerate the vast forces exerted on them remains unknown. Here, by using a microfluidic device, we show that microtubule stiffness decreases incrementally with each cycle of bending and release. Similar to other cases of material fatigue, the concentration of mechanical stresses on pre-existing defects in the microtubule lattice is responsible for the generation of more extensive damage, which further decreases microtubule stiffness. Strikingly, damaged microtubules were able to incorporate new tubulin dimers into their lattice and recover their initial stiffness. Our findings demonstrate that microtubules are ductile materials with self-healing properties, that their dynamics does not exclusively occur at their ends, and that their lattice plasticity enables the microtubules' adaptation to mechanical stresses.

Mechanics of microtubules: effects of protofilament orientation.

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Donhauser, Zachary J; Jobs, William B; Binka, Edem C

2010-09-08

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical polymers of the protein tubulin that play a number of important dynamic and structural roles in eukaryotic cells. Both in vivo and in vitro microtubules can exist in several possible configurations, differing in the number of protofilaments, helical rise of tubulin dimers, and protofilament skew angle with respect to the main tube axis. Here, finite element modeling is applied to examine the mechanical response of several known microtubule types when subjected to radial deformation. The data presented here provide an important insight into microtubule stiffness and reveal that protofilament orientation does not affect radial stiffness. Rather, stiffness is primarily dependent on the effective Young's modulus of the polymerized material and the effective radius of the microtubule. These results are also directly correlated to atomic force microscopy nanoindentation measurements to allow a more detailed interpretation of previous experiments. When combined with experimental data that show a significant difference between microtubules stabilized with a slowly hydrolyzable GTP analog and microtubules stabilized with paclitaxel, the finite element data suggest that paclitaxel increases the overall radial flexibility of the microtubule wall. Copyright 2010 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moonlighting microtubule-associated proteins: regulatory functions by day and pathological functions at night.

Science.gov (United States)

Oláh, J; Tőkési, N; Lehotzky, A; Orosz, F; Ovádi, J

2013-11-01

The sensing, integrating, and coordinating features of the eukaryotic cells are achieved by the complex ultrastructural arrays and multifarious functions of the cytoskeletal network. Cytoskeleton comprises fibrous protein networks of microtubules, actin, and intermediate filaments. These filamentous polymer structures are highly dynamic and undergo constant and rapid reorganization during cellular processes. The microtubular system plays a crucial role in the brain, as it is involved in an enormous number of cellular events including cell differentiation and pathological inclusion formation. These multifarious functions of microtubules can be achieved by their decoration with proteins/enzymes that exert specific effects on the dynamics and organization of the cytoskeleton and mediate distinct functions due to their moonlighting features. This mini-review focuses on two aspects of the microtubule cytoskeleton. On the one hand, we describe the heteroassociation of tubulin/microtubules with metabolic enzymes, which in addition to their catalytic activities stabilize microtubule structures via their cross-linking functions. On the other hand, we focus on the recently identified moonlighting tubulin polymerization promoting protein, TPPP/p25. TPPP/p25 is a microtubule-associated protein and it displays distinct physiological or pathological (aberrant) functions; thus it is a prototype of Neomorphic Moonlighting Proteins. The expression of TPPP/p25 is finely controlled in the human brain; this protein is indispensable for the development of projections of oligodendrocytes that are responsible for the ensheathment of axons. The nonphysiological, higher or lower TPPP/p25 level leads to distinct CNS diseases. Mechanisms contributing to the control of microtubule stability and dynamics by metabolic enzymes and TPPP/p25 will be discussed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cep192 controls the balance of centrosome and non-centrosomal microtubules during interphase.

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Brian P O'Rourke

Full Text Available Cep192 is a centrosomal protein that contributes to the formation and function of the mitotic spindle in mammalian cells. Cep192's mitotic activities stem largely from its role in the recruitment to the centrosome of numerous additional proteins such as gamma-tubulin and Pericentrin. Here, we examine Cep192's function in interphase cells. Our data indicate that, as in mitosis, Cep192 stimulates the nucleation of centrosomal microtubules thereby regulating the morphology of interphase microtubule arrays. Interestingly, however, cells lacking Cep192 remain capable of generating normal levels of MTs as the loss of centrosomal microtubules is augmented by MT nucleation from other sites, most notably the Golgi apparatus. The depletion of Cep192 results in a significant decrease in the level of centrosome-associated gamma-tubulin, likely explaining its impact on centrosome microtubule nucleation. However, in stark contrast to mitosis, Cep192 appears to maintain an antagonistic relationship with Pericentrin at interphase centrosomes. Interphase cells depleted of Cep192 display significantly higher levels of centrosome-associated Pericentrin while overexpression of Cep192 reduces the levels of centrosomal Pericentrin. Conversely, depletion of Pericentrin results in elevated levels of centrosomal Cep192 and enhances microtubule nucleation at centrosomes, at least during interphase. Finally, we show that depletion of Cep192 negatively impacts cell motility and alters normal cell polarization. Our current working hypothesis is that the microtubule nucleating capacity of the interphase centrosome is determined by an antagonistic balance of Cep192, which promotes nucleation, and Pericentrin, which inhibits nucleation. This in turn determines the relative abundance of centrosomal and non-centrosomal microtubules that tune cell movement and shape.

Microtubules Growth Rate Alteration in Human Endothelial Cells

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Irina B. Alieva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available To understand how microtubules contribute to the dynamic reorganization of the endothelial cell (EC cytoskeleton, we established an EC model expressing EB3-GFP, a protein that marks microtubule plus-ends. Using this model, we were able to measure microtubule growth rate at the centrosome region and near the cell periphery of a single human EC and in the EC monolayer. We demonstrate that the majority of microtubules in EC are dynamic, the growth rate of their plus-ends is highest in the internal cytoplasm, in the region of the centrosome. Growth rate of microtubule plus-ends decreases from the cell center toward the periphery. Our data suggest the existing mechanism(s of local regulation of microtubule plus-ends growth in EC. Microtubule growth rate in the internal cytoplasm of EC in the monolayer is lower than that of single EC suggesting the regulatory effect of cell-cell contacts. Centrosomal microtubule growth rate distribution in single EC indicated the presence of two subpopulations of microtubules with “normal” (similar to those in monolayer EC and “fast” (three times as much growth rates. Our results indicate functional interactions between cell-cell contacts and microtubules.

A novel mechanism important for the alignment of microtubules.

Science.gov (United States)

Wightman, Raymond; Turner, Simon R

2008-04-01

Using a live-cell imaging approach to study individual micro-tubules, we have compared microtubule behavior between net-like and aligned cortical arrays. In contrast to previous studies, a steep angled collision between the growing end of a microtubule and a preexisting microtubule was found to favor crossover. Frequencies of microtubule crossovers, bundling and catastrophes are similar regardless of whether the cell exhibited a net-like or aligned microtubule array. In the predominantly aligned array of petiole cells, severing occurs at the sites of microtubule crossovers and serves to remove unaligned microtubules and to increase microtubule density. Severing was observed to be rare in net-like arrays. Microtubule severing is carried out by the katanin enzyme. In this addendum, we present new insights into the possible mechanism of crossing over and preliminary data looking at organization of the array in a katanin mutant.

TCS1, a Microtubule-Binding Protein, Interacts with KCBP/ZWICHEL to Regulate Trichome Cell Shape in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Liangliang Chen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available How cell shape is controlled is a fundamental question in developmental biology, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms that determine cell shape are largely unknown. Arabidopsis trichomes have been used as a good model system to investigate cell shape at the single-cell level. Here we describe the trichome cell shape 1 (tcs1 mutants with the reduced trichome branch number in Arabidopsis. TCS1 encodes a coiled-coil domain-containing protein. Pharmacological analyses and observations of microtubule dynamics show that TCS1 influences the stability of microtubules. Biochemical analyses and live-cell imaging indicate that TCS1 binds to microtubules and promotes the assembly of microtubules. Further results reveal that TCS1 physically associates with KCBP/ZWICHEL, a microtubule motor involved in the regulation of trichome branch number. Genetic analyses indicate that kcbp/zwi is epistatic to tcs1 with respect to trichome branch number. Thus, our findings define a novel genetic and molecular mechanism by which TCS1 interacts with KCBP to regulate trichome cell shape by influencing the stability of microtubules.

GDP-tubulin incorporation into growing microtubules modulates polymer stability.

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Valiron, Odile; Arnal, Isabelle; Caudron, Nicolas; Job, Didier

2010-06-04

Microtubule growth proceeds through the endwise addition of nucleotide-bound tubulin dimers. The microtubule wall is composed of GDP-tubulin subunits, which are thought to come exclusively from the incorporation of GTP-tubulin complexes at microtubule ends followed by GTP hydrolysis within the polymer. The possibility of a direct GDP-tubulin incorporation into growing polymers is regarded as hardly compatible with recent structural data. Here, we have examined GTP-tubulin and GDP-tubulin incorporation into polymerizing microtubules using a minimal assembly system comprised of nucleotide-bound tubulin dimers, in the absence of free nucleotide. We find that GDP-tubulin complexes can efficiently co-polymerize with GTP-tubulin complexes during microtubule assembly. GDP-tubulin incorporation into microtubules occurs with similar efficiency during bulk microtubule assembly as during microtubule growth from seeds or centrosomes. Microtubules formed from GTP-tubulin/GDP-tubulin mixtures display altered microtubule dynamics, in particular a decreased shrinkage rate, apparently due to intrinsic modifications of the polymer disassembly properties. Thus, although microtubules polymerized from GTP-tubulin/GDP-tubulin mixtures or from homogeneous GTP-tubulin solutions are both composed of GDP-tubulin subunits, they have different dynamic properties, and this may reveal a novel form of microtubule "structural plasticity."

Reassessing the Roles of PIN Proteins and Anticlinal Microtubules during Pavement Cell Morphogenesis1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Sawchuk, Megan G.; Scarpella, Enrico

2018-01-01

The leaf epidermis is a biomechanical shell that influences the size and shape of the organ. Its morphogenesis is a multiscale process in which nanometer-scale cytoskeletal protein complexes, individual cells, and groups of cells pattern growth and define macroscopic leaf traits. Interdigitated growth of neighboring cells is an evolutionarily conserved developmental strategy. Understanding how signaling pathways and cytoskeletal proteins pattern cell walls during this form of tissue morphogenesis is an important research challenge. The cellular and molecular control of a lobed cell morphology is currently thought to involve PIN-FORMED (PIN)-type plasma membrane efflux carriers that generate subcellular auxin gradients. Auxin gradients were proposed to function across cell boundaries to encode stable offset patterns of cortical microtubules and actin filaments between adjacent cells. Many models suggest that long-lived microtubules along the anticlinal cell wall generate local cell wall heterogeneities that restrict local growth and specify the timing and location of lobe formation. Here, we used Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) reverse genetics and multivariate long-term time-lapse imaging to test current cell shape control models. We found that neither PIN proteins nor long-lived microtubules along the anticlinal wall predict the patterns of lobe formation. In fields of lobing cells, anticlinal microtubules are not correlated with cell shape and are unstable at the time scales of cell expansion. Our analyses indicate that anticlinal microtubules have multiple functions in pavement cells and that lobe initiation is likely controlled by complex interactions among cell geometry, cell wall stress patterns, and transient microtubule networks that span the anticlinal and periclinal walls. PMID:29192026

Effects of the KIF2C neck peptide on microtubules: lateral disintegration of microtubules and β-structure formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Youské; Shimizu, Takashi; Nara, Masayuki; Kikumoto, Mahito; Kojima, Hiroaki; Morii, Hisayuki

2013-04-01

Members of the kinesin-13 sub-family, including KIF2C, depolymerize microtubules. The positive charge-rich 'neck' region extending from the N-terminus of the catalytic head is considered to be important in the depolymerization activity. Chemically synthesized peptides, covering the basic region (A182-E200), induced a sigmoidal increase in the turbidity of a microtubule suspension. The increase was suppressed by salt addition or by reduction of basicity by amino acid substitutions. Electron microscopic observations revealed ring structures surrounding the microtubules at high peptide concentrations. Using the peptide A182-D218, we also detected free thin straight filaments, probably protofilaments disintegrated from microtubules. Therefore, the neck region, even without the catalytic head domain, may induce lateral disintegration of microtubules. With microtubules lacking anion-rich C-termini as a result of subtilisin treatment, addition of the peptide induced only a moderate increase in turbidity, and rings and protofilaments were rarely detected, while aggregations, also thought to be caused by lateral disintegration, were often observed in electron micrographs. Thus, the C-termini are not crucial for the action of the peptides in lateral disintegration but contribute to structural stabilization of the protofilaments. Previous structural studies indicated that the neck region of KIF2C is flexible, but our IR analysis suggests that the cation-rich region (K190-A204) forms β-structure in the presence of microtubules, which may be of significance with regard to the action of the neck region. Therefore, the neck region of KIF2C is sufficient to cause disintegration of microtubules into protofilaments, and this may contribute to the ability of KIF2C to cause depolymerization of microtubules. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

Centriolar CPAP/SAS-4 Imparts Slow Processive Microtubule Growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sharma, Ashwani; Aher, Amol; Dynes, Nicola J; Frey, Daniel; Katrukha, Eugene A; Jaussi, Rolf; Grigoriev, Ilya; Croisier, Marie; Kammerer, Richard A; Akhmanova, Anna; Gönczy, Pierre; Steinmetz, Michel O

2016-01-01

Centrioles are fundamental and evolutionarily conserved microtubule-based organelles whose assembly is characterized by microtubule growth rates that are orders of magnitude slower than those of cytoplasmic microtubules. Several centriolar proteins can interact with tubulin or microtubules, but how

Microtubules become more dynamic but not shorter during preprophase band formation: A possible "search-and-capture" mechanism for microtubule translocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, J.W.; Dogterom, M.; Emons, A.M.C.

2004-01-01

The dynamic behavior of the microtubule cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in cellular organization, but the physical mechanisms underlying microtubule (re)organization in plant cells are poorly understood. We investigated microtubule dynamics in tobacco BY-2 suspension cells during interphase and

Explaining the Microtubule Energy Balance: Contributions Due to Dipole Moments, Charges, van der Waals and Solvation Energy

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Ahmed Taha Ayoub

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are the main components of mitotic spindles, and are the pillars of the cellular cytoskeleton. They perform most of their cellular functions by virtue of their unique dynamic instability processes which alternate between polymerization and depolymerization phases. This in turn is driven by a precise balance between attraction and repulsion forces between the constituents of microtubules (MTs—tubulin dimers. Therefore, it is critically important to know what contributions result in a balance of the interaction energy among tubulin dimers that make up microtubules and what interactions may tip this balance toward or away from a stable polymerized state of tubulin. In this paper, we calculate the dipole–dipole interaction energy between tubulin dimers in a microtubule as part of the various contributions to the energy balance. We also compare the remaining contributions to the interaction energies between tubulin dimers and establish a balance between stabilizing and destabilizing components, including the van der Waals, electrostatic, and solvent-accessible surface area energies. The energy balance shows that the GTP-capped tip of the seam at the plus end of microtubules is stabilized only by − 9 kcal/mol, which can be completely reversed by the hydrolysis of a single GTP molecule, which releases + 14 kcal/mol and destabilizes the seam by an excess of + 5 kcal/mol. This triggers the breakdown of microtubules and initiates a disassembly phase which is aptly called a catastrophe.

Survivin counteracts the therapeutic effect of microtubule de-stabilizers by stabilizing tubulin polymers

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Hsieh Hsing-Pang

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Survivin is a dual function protein. It inhibits the apoptosis of cells by inhibiting caspases, and also promotes cell growth by stabilizing microtubules during mitosis. Over-expression of survivin has been demonstrated to induce drug-resistance to various chemo-therapeutic agents such as cisplatin (DNA damaging agent and paclitaxel (microtubule stabilizer in cancers. However, survivin-induced resistance to microtubule de-stabilizers such as Vinca alkaloids and Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4-related compounds were seldom demonstrated in the past. Furthermore, the question remains as to whether survivin plays a dominant role in processing cytokinesis or inhibiting caspases activity in cells treated with anti-mitotic compounds. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of survivin on the resistance and susceptibility of human cancer cells to microtubule de-stabilizer-induced cell death. Results BPR0L075 is a CA-4 analog that induces microtubule de-polymerization and subsequent caspase-dependent apoptosis. To study the relationship between the expression of survivin and the resistance to microtubule de-stabilizers, a KB-derived BPR0L075-resistant cancer cell line, KB-L30, was generated for this study. Here, we found that survivin was over-expressed in the KB-L30 cells. Down-regulation of survivin by siRNA induced hyper-sensitivity to BPR0L075 in KB cells and partially re-stored sensitivity to BPR0L075 in KB-L30 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that down-regulation of survivin induced microtubule de-stabilization in both KB and KB-L30 cells. However, the same treatment did not enhance the down-stream caspase-3/-7 activities in BPR0L075-treated KB cells. Translocation of a caspase-independent apoptosis-related molecule, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF, from cytoplasm to the nucleus was observed in survivin-targeted KB cells under BPR0L075 treatment. Conclusion In this study, survivin plays an important role in the

(C677T) in risk mothers with Down syndrome among Saudi population

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mohammed T. Tayeb

2012-05-17

May 17, 2012 ... disjunction, mostly occurring during maternal meiosis [2]. A mechanism to explain chromosomal non-disjunction has been proposed and consists of defects in DNA methylation with consequent centromeric hypomethylation, causing abnormal kinetochore and microtubule formation [3–6]. A number of.

Producing Conditional Mutants for Studying Plant Microtubule Function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard Cyr

2009-09-29

The cytoskeleton, and in particular its microtubule component, participates in several processes that directly affect growth and development in higher plants. Normal cytoskeletal function requires the precise and orderly arrangement of microtubules into several cell cycle and developmentally specific arrays. One of these, the cortical array, is notable for its role in directing the deposition of cellulose (the most prominent polymer in the biosphere). An understanding of how these arrays form, and the molecular interactions that contribute to their function, is incomplete. To gain a better understanding of how microtubules work, we have been working to characterize mutants in critical cytoskeletal genes. This characterization is being carried out at the subcellular level using vital microtubule gene constructs. In the last year of funding colleagues have discovered that gamma-tubulin complexes form along the lengths of cortical microtubules where they act to spawn new microtubules at a characteristic 40 deg angle. This finding complements nicely the finding from our lab (which was funded by the DOE) showing that microtubule encounters are angle dependent; high angles encounters results in catastrophic collisions while low angle encounters result in favorable zippering. The finding of a 40 deg spawn of new microtubules from extant microtubule, together with aforementioned rules of encounters, insures favorable co-alignment in the array. I was invited to write a New and Views essay on this topic and a PDF is attached (News and Views policy does not permit funding acknowledgments and so I was not allowed to acknowledge support from the DOE).

The Role of Molecular Microtubule Motors and the Microtubule Cytoskeleton in Stress Granule Dynamics

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Kristen M. Bartoli

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Stress granules (SGs are cytoplasmic foci that appear in cells exposed to stress-induced translational inhibition. SGs function as a triage center, where mRNAs are sorted for storage, degradation, and translation reinitiation. The underlying mechanisms of SGs dynamics are still being characterized, although many key players have been identified. The main components of SGs are stalled 48S preinitiation complexes. To date, many other proteins have also been found to localize in SGs and are hypothesized to function in SG dynamics. Most recently, the microtubule cytoskeleton and associated motor proteins have been demonstrated to function in SG dynamics. In this paper, we will discuss current literature examining the function of microtubules and the molecular microtubule motors in SG assembly, coalescence, movement, composition, organization, and disassembly.

KATNAL1 regulation of sertoli cell microtubule dynamics is essential for spermiogenesis and male fertility.

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Lee B Smith

Full Text Available Spermatogenesis is a complex process reliant upon interactions between germ cells (GC and supporting somatic cells. Testicular Sertoli cells (SC support GCs during maturation through physical attachment, the provision of nutrients, and protection from immunological attack. This role is facilitated by an active cytoskeleton of parallel microtubule arrays that permit transport of nutrients to GCs, as well as translocation of spermatids through the seminiferous epithelium during maturation. It is well established that chemical perturbation of SC microtubule remodelling leads to premature GC exfoliation demonstrating that microtubule remodelling is an essential component of male fertility, yet the genes responsible for this process remain unknown. Using a random ENU mutagenesis approach, we have identified a novel mouse line displaying male-specific infertility, due to a point mutation in the highly conserved ATPase domain of the novel KATANIN p60-related microtubule severing protein Katanin p60 subunit A-like1 (KATNAL1. We demonstrate that Katnal1 is expressed in testicular Sertoli cells (SC from 15.5 days post-coitum (dpc and that, consistent with chemical disruption models, loss of function of KATNAL1 leads to male-specific infertility through disruption of SC microtubule dynamics and premature exfoliation of spermatids from the seminiferous epithelium. The identification of KATNAL1 as an essential regulator of male fertility provides a significant novel entry point into advancing our understanding of how SC microtubule dynamics promotes male fertility. Such information will have resonance both for future treatment of male fertility and the development of non-hormonal male contraceptives.

Biological Information Processing in Single Microtubules

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-05

generated by synchronized oscillations of microtubules, centrosomes and chromosomes regulate the dynamics of mitosis and meiosis, Yue Zhao and Qimin...of frequency by a single microtubule. Green arrows depict the peaks that appear in absorption and disappear in transmission. Purple arrows show

MiCroKit 3.0: an integrated database of midbody, centrosome and kinetochore.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jian; Liu, Zexian; Gao, Xinjiao; Jin, Changjiang; Ye, Mingliang; Zou, Hanfa; Wen, Longping; Zhang, Zhaolei; Xue, Yu; Yao, Xuebiao

2010-01-01

During cell division/mitosis, a specific subset of proteins is spatially and temporally assembled into protein super complexes in three distinct regions, i.e. centrosome/spindle pole, kinetochore/centromere and midbody/cleavage furrow/phragmoplast/bud neck, and modulates cell division process faithfully. Although many experimental efforts have been carried out to investigate the characteristics of these proteins, no integrated database was available. Here, we present the MiCroKit database (http://microkit.biocuckoo.org) of proteins that localize in midbody, centrosome and/or kinetochore. We collected into the MiCroKit database experimentally verified microkit proteins from the scientific literature that have unambiguous supportive evidence for subcellular localization under fluorescent microscope. The current version of MiCroKit 3.0 provides detailed information for 1489 microkit proteins from seven model organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizasaccharomyces pombe, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Xenopus laevis, Mus musculus and Homo sapiens. Moreover, the orthologous information was provided for these microkit proteins, and could be a useful resource for further experimental identification. The online service of MiCroKit database was implemented in PHP + MySQL + JavaScript, while the local packages were developed in JAVA 1.5 (J2SE 5.0).

Cep169, a Novel Microtubule Plus-End-Tracking Centrosomal Protein, Binds to CDK5RAP2 and Regulates Microtubule Stability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke Mori

Full Text Available The centrosomal protein, CDK5RAP2, is a microcephaly protein that regulates centrosomal maturation by recruitment of a γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC onto centrosomes. In this report, we identified a novel human centrosomal protein, Cep169, as a binding partner of CDK5RAP2, a member of microtubule plus-end-tracking proteins (+TIPs. Cep169 interacts directly with CDK5RAP2 through CM1, an evolutionarily conserved domain, and colocalizes at the pericentriolar matrix (PCM around centrioles with CDK5RAP2. In addition, Cep169 interacts with EB1 through SxIP-motif responsible for EB1 binding, and colocalizes with CDK5RAP2 at the microtubule plus-end. EB1-binding-deficient Cep169 abolishes EB1 interaction and microtubule plus-end attachment, indicating Cep169 as a novel member of +TIPs. We further show that ectopic expression of either Cep169 or CDK5RAP2 induces microtubule bundling and acetylation in U2OS cells, and depletion of Cep169 induces microtubule depolymerization in HeLa cells, although Cep169 is not required for assembly of γ-tubulin onto centrosome by CDK5RAP2. These results show that Cep169 targets microtubule tips and regulates stability of microtubules with CDK5RAP2.

Centrosome and microtubule instability in aging Drosophila cells

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Schatten, H.; Chakrabarti, A.; Hedrick, J.

1999-01-01

Several cytoskeletal changes are associated with aging which includes alterations in muscle structure leading to muscular atrophy, and weakening of the microtubule network which affects cellular secretion and maintenance of cell shape. Weakening of the microtubule network during meiosis in aging oocytes can result in aneuploidy or trisomic zygotes with increasing maternal age. Imbalances of cytoskeletal organization can lead to disease such as Alzheimer's, muscular disorders, and cancer. Because many cytoskeletal diseases are related to age we investigated the effects of aging on microtubule organization in cell cultures of the Drosophila cell model system (Schneider S-1 and Kc23 cell lines). This cell model is increasingly being used as an alternative system to mammalian cell cultures. Drosophila cells are amenable to genetic manipulations and can be used to identify and manipulate genes which are involved in the aging processes. Immunofluorescence, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy were employed for the analysis of microtubule organizing centers (centrosomes) and microtubules at various times after subculturing cells in fresh medium. Our results reveal that centrosomes and the microtubule network becomes significantly affected in aging cells after 5 days of subculture. At 5-14 days of subculture, 1% abnormal out of 3% mitoses were noted which were clearly distinguishable from freshly subcultured control cells in which 3% of cells undergo normal mitosis with bipolar configurations. Microtubules are also affected in the midbody during cell division. The midbody in aging cells becomes up to 10 times longer when compared with midbodies in freshly subcultured cells. During interphase, microtubules are often disrupted and disorganized, which may indicate improper function related to transport of cell organelles along microtubules. These results are likely to help explain some cytoskeletal disorders and diseases related to aging.

Taxol crystals can masquerade as stabilized microtubules.

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Margit Foss

Full Text Available Taxol is a potent anti-mitotic drug used in chemotherapy, angioplastic stents, and cell biology research. By binding and stabilizing microtubules, Taxol inhibits their dynamics, crucial for cell division, motility, and survival. The drug has also been reported to induce formation of asters and bundles composed of stabilized microtubules. Surprisingly, at commonly used concentrations, Taxol forms crystals that rapidly bind fluorescent tubulin subunits, generating structures with an uncanny resemblance to microtubule asters and bundles. Kinetic and topological considerations suggest that tubulin subunits, rather than microtubules, bind the crystals. This sequestration of tubulin from the subunit pool would be expected to shift the equilibrium of free to polymerized tubulin to disfavor assembly. Our results imply that some previously reported Taxol-induced asters or bundles could include or be composed of tubulin-decorated Taxol crystals. Thus, reevaluation of certain morphological, chemical, and physical properties of Taxol-treated microtubules may be necessary. Moreover, our findings suggest a novel mechanism for chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity in non-dividing cells, with far-reaching medical implications.

Effect of radiation on microtubule structure in cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripath, Shambhoo Sharan; Panda, Dulal; Jayakumar, S.; Maikho, Thoh; Sandur, Santosh Kumar

2017-01-01

Microtubules (MT) are dynamic structural cellular components. In proliferating cells, they are essential components in cell division through the formation of the mitotic spindle. Radiotherapy is an integral part of cancer treatment for most of the solid cancers. Scanty data exists in the literature related to how ionizing radiation affects microtubule reorganization in tumor cells. In the present study, breast cancer cell line (MCF-7 cells) was exposed to different doses of radiation (2-10Gy). Cells were cultured for 24 h, fixed and stained with antitubulin antibody and subjected to immunofluorescence microscopy. In another experiment, cells were subjected to cold treatment for 5 min or 30 min for studying the disassembly of microtubules after 24 h of irradiation. Further, these cells were incubated at 37°C for 20 min for studying the reassembly of microtubules. Acetylation of microtubule was also examined after exposure of cells to radiation. Experiments were also performed by combining radiation with low concentration of CXI-Benzo 84 (MT destabilizing agent 1 and 2.5 uM). Exposure of MCF-7 cells to radiation lead to destabilization of microtubules. Interestingly, destabilization of microtubule was faster upon cold treatment in irradiated group as compared to control group. These cells failed to re-stabilize at 37°C. Radiation also reduced the acetylation level of microtubule. Combination treatment of CXI-Benzo 84 with radiation exhibited additive effect in terms of depolymerization of MT. Our results suggest that ionizing radiation indeed modulates microtubule dynamics. (author)

Microtubules are organized independently of the centrosome in Drosophila neurons

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Nguyen Michelle M

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The best-studied arrangement of microtubules is that organized by the centrosome, a cloud of microtubule nucleating and anchoring proteins is clustered around centrioles. However, noncentrosomal microtubule arrays are common in many differentiated cells, including neurons. Although microtubules are not anchored at neuronal centrosomes, it remains unclear whether the centrosome plays a role in organizing neuronal microtubules. We use Drosophila as a model system to determine whether centrosomal microtubule nucleation is important in mature neurons. Results In developing and mature neurons, centrioles were not surrounded by the core nucleation protein γ-tubulin. This suggests that the centrioles do not organize functional centrosomes in Drosophila neurons in vivo. Consistent with this idea, centriole position was not correlated with a specific region of the cell body in neurons, and growing microtubules did not cluster around the centriole, even after axon severing when the number of growing plus ends is dramatically increased. To determine whether the centrosome was required for microtubule organization in mature neurons, we used two approaches. First, we used DSas-4 centriole duplication mutants. In these mutants, centrioles were present in many larval sensory neurons, but they were not fully functional. Despite reduced centriole function, microtubule orientation was normal in axons and dendrites. Second, we used laser ablation to eliminate the centriole, and again found that microtubule polarity in axons and dendrites was normal, even 3 days after treatment. Conclusion We conclude that the centrosome is not a major site of microtubule nucleation in Drosophila neurons, and is not required for maintenance of neuronal microtubule organization in these cells.

Cell cycle-dependent microtubule-based dynamic transport of cytoplasmic dynein in mammalian cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuya Kobayashi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic dynein complex is a large multi-subunit microtubule (MT-associated molecular motor involved in various cellular functions including organelle positioning, vesicle transport and cell division. However, regulatory mechanism of the cell-cycle dependent distribution of dynein has not fully been understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report live-cell imaging of cytoplasmic dynein in HeLa cells, by expressing multifunctional green fluorescent protein (mfGFP-tagged 74-kDa intermediate chain (IC74. IC74-mfGFP was successfully incorporated into functional dynein complex. In interphase, dynein moved bi-directionally along with MTs, which might carry cargos such as transport vesicles. A substantial fraction of dynein moved toward cell periphery together with EB1, a member of MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs, suggesting +TIPs-mediated transport of dynein. In late-interphase and prophase, dynein was localized at the centrosomes and the radial MT array. In prometaphase and metaphase, dynein was localized at spindle MTs where it frequently moved from spindle poles toward chromosomes or cell cortex. +TIPs may be involved in the transport of spindle dyneins. Possible kinetochore and cortical dyneins were also observed. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that cytoplasmic dynein is transported to the site of action in preparation for the following cellular events, primarily by the MT-based transport. The MT-based transport may have greater advantage than simple diffusion of soluble dynein in rapid and efficient transport of the limited concentration of the protein.

APC and Smad7 link TGFβ type I receptors to the microtubule system to promote cell migration

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Ekman, Maria; Mu, Yabing; Lee, So Young; Edlund, Sofia; Kozakai, Takaharu; Thakur, Noopur; Tran, Hoanh; Qian, Jiang; Groeden, Joanna; Heldin, Carl-Henrik; Landström, Maréne

2012-01-01

Cell migration occurs by activation of complex regulatory pathways that are spatially and temporally integrated in response to extracellular cues. Binding of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) to the microtubule plus ends in polarized cells is regulated by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β). This event is crucial for establishment of cell polarity during directional migration. However, the role of APC for cellular extension in response to extracellular signals is less clear. Smad7 is a direct target gene for transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) and is known to inhibit various TGFβ-induced responses. Here we report a new function for Smad7. We show that Smad7 and p38 mitogen–activated protein kinase together regulate the expression of APC and cell migration in prostate cancer cells in response to TGFβ stimulation. In addition, Smad7 forms a complex with APC and acts as an adaptor protein for p38 and GSK-3β kinases to facilitate local TGFβ/p38–dependent inactivation of GSK-3β, accumulation of β-catenin, and recruitment of APC to the microtubule plus end in the leading edge of migrating prostate cancer cells. Moreover, the Smad7–APC complex links the TGFβ type I receptor to the microtubule system to regulate directed cellular extension and migratory responses evoked by TGFβ. PMID:22496417

Proteasome Failure Promotes Positioning of Lysosomes around the Aggresome via Local Block of Microtubule-Dependent Transport

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Zaarur, Nava; Meriin, Anatoli B.; Bejarano, Eloy; Xu, Xiaobin; Gabai, Vladimir L.; Cuervo, Ana Maria

2014-01-01

Ubiquitinated proteins aggregate upon proteasome failure, and the aggregates are transported to the aggresome. In aggresomes, protein aggregates are actively degraded by the autophagy-lysosome pathway, but why targeting the aggresome promotes degradation of aggregated species is currently unknown. Here we report that the important factor in this process is clustering of lysosomes around the aggresome via a novel mechanism. Proteasome inhibition causes formation of a zone around the centrosome where microtubular transport of lysosomes is suppressed, resulting in their entrapment and accumulation. Microtubule-dependent transport of other organelles, including autophagosomes, mitochondria, and endosomes, is also blocked in this entrapment zone (E-zone), while movement of organelles at the cell periphery remains unaffected. Following the whole-genome small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen for proteins involved in aggresome formation, we defined the pathway that regulates formation of the E-zone, including the Stk11 protein kinase, the Usp9x deubiquitinating enzyme, and their substrate kinase MARK4. Therefore, upon proteasome failure, targeting of aggregated proteins of the aggresome is coordinated with lysosome positioning around this body to facilitate degradation of the abnormal species. PMID:24469403

EML proteins in microtubule regulation and human disease.

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Fry, Andrew M; O'Regan, Laura; Montgomery, Jessica; Adib, Rozita; Bayliss, Richard

2016-10-15

The EMLs are a conserved family of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). The founding member was discovered in sea urchins as a 77-kDa polypeptide that co-purified with microtubules. This protein, termed EMAP for echinoderm MAP, was the major non-tubulin component present in purified microtubule preparations made from unfertilized sea urchin eggs [J. Cell Sci. (1993) 104: , 445-450; J. Cell Sci. (1987) 87: (Pt 1), 71-84]. Orthologues of EMAP were subsequently identified in other echinoderms, such as starfish and sand dollar, and then in more distant eukaryotes, including flies, worms and vertebrates, where the name of ELP or EML (both for EMAP-like protein) has been adopted [BMC Dev. Biol. (2008) 8: , 110; Dev. Genes Evol. (2000) 210: , 2-10]. The common property of these proteins is their ability to decorate microtubules. However, whether they are associated with particular microtubule populations or exercise specific functions in different microtubule-dependent processes remains unknown. Furthermore, although there is limited evidence that they regulate microtubule dynamics, the biochemical mechanisms of their molecular activity have yet to be explored. Nevertheless, interest in these proteins has grown substantially because of the identification of EML mutations in neuronal disorders and oncogenic fusions in human cancers. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of the expression, localization and structure of what is proving to be an interesting and important class of MAPs. We also speculate about their function in microtubule regulation and highlight how the studies of EMLs in human diseases may open up novel avenues for patient therapy. © 2016 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

The flavonoid eupatorin inactivates the mitotic checkpoint leading to polyploidy and apoptosis

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Salmela, Anna-Leena [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Pouwels, Jeroen; Kukkonen-Macchi, Anu [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Waris, Sinikka; Toivonen, Pauliina [Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Jaakkola, Kimmo [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Maeki-Jouppila, Jenni [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Drug Discovery Graduate School, University of Turku (Finland); Kallio, Lila, E-mail: lila.kallio@vtt.fi [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Kallio, Marko J. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Medical Biotechnology, P.O. Box 106, Turku (Finland); Turku Centre for Biotechnology, P.O. Box 123, University of Turku (Finland); Centre of Excellence for Translational Genome-Scale Biology, P.O. Box 106, Academy of Finland (Finland)

2012-03-10

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a conserved mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome distribution in mitosis by preventing anaphase onset until the correct bipolar microtubule-kinetochore attachments are formed. Errors in SAC function may contribute to tumorigenesis by inducing numerical chromosome anomalies (aneuploidy). On the other hand, total disruption of SAC can lead to massive genomic imbalance followed by cell death, a phenomena that has therapeutic potency. We performed a cell-based high-throughput screen with a compound library of 2000 bioactives for novel SAC inhibitors and discovered a plant-derived phenolic compound eupatorin (3 Prime ,5-dihydroxy-4 Prime ,6,7-trimethoxyflavone) as an anti-mitotic flavonoid. The premature override of the microtubule drug-imposed mitotic arrest by eupatorin is dependent on microtubule-kinetochore attachments but not interkinetochore tension. Aurora B kinase activity, which is essential for maintenance of normal SAC signaling, is diminished by eupatorin in cells and in vitro providing a mechanistic explanation for the observed forced mitotic exit. Eupatorin likely has additional targets since eupatorin treatment of pre-mitotic cells causes spindle anomalies triggering a transient M phase delay followed by impaired cytokinesis and polyploidy. Finally, eupatorin potently induces apoptosis in multiple cancer cell lines and suppresses cancer cell proliferation in organotypic 3D cell culture model.

Microtubule dynamics: Caps, catastrophes, and coupled hydrolysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, H.; Holy, T.E.; Leibler, S.

1996-01-01

An effective theory is formulated for the dynamics of the guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cap believed to stabilize growing microtubules. The theory provides a ''coarse-grained'' description of the cap's dynamics. ''Microscopic'' details, such as the microtubule lattice structure and the fate of its...

Nonlinear dynamics of C-terminal tails in cellular microtubules

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Sekulic, Dalibor L.; Sataric, Bogdan M.; Zdravkovic, Slobodan; Bugay, Aleksandr N.; Sataric, Miljko V.

2016-07-01

The mechanical and electrical properties, and information processing capabilities of microtubules are the permanent subject of interest for carrying out experiments in vitro and in silico, as well as for theoretical attempts to elucidate the underlying processes. In this paper, we developed a new model of the mechano-electrical waves elicited in the rows of very flexible C-terminal tails which decorate the outer surface of each microtubule. The fact that C-terminal tails play very diverse roles in many cellular functions, such as recruitment of motor proteins and microtubule-associated proteins, motivated us to consider their collective dynamics as the source of localized waves aimed for communication between microtubule and associated proteins. Our approach is based on the ferroelectric liquid crystal model and it leads to the effective asymmetric double-well potential which brings about the conditions for the appearance of kink-waves conducted by intrinsic electric fields embedded in microtubules. These kinks can serve as the signals for control and regulation of intracellular traffic along microtubules performed by processive motions of motor proteins, primarly from kinesin and dynein families. On the other hand, they can be precursors for initiation of dynamical instability of microtubules by recruiting the proper proteins responsible for the depolymerization process.

Phospholipase D family interactions with the cytoskeleton: isoform delta promotes plasma membrane anchoring of cortical microtubules

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Andreeva, Z.; Ho, A. Y. Y.; Barthet, M. M.; Potocký, Martin; Bezvoda, R.; Žárský, Viktor; Marc, J.

2009-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 7 (2009), s. 600-612 ISSN 1445-4408 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA601110916 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Allium * Arabidopsis * F-actin-microtubule interactions Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.678, year: 2009

Branching microtubule nucleation in Xenopus egg extracts mediated by augmin and TPX2

Science.gov (United States)

Petry, Sabine; Groen, Aaron C.; Ishihara, Keisuke; Mitchison, Timothy J.; Vale, Ronald D.

2013-01-01

Summary The microtubules that comprise mitotic spindles in animal cells are nucleated at centrosomes and by spindle assembly factors that are activated in the vicinity of chromatin. Indirect evidence also has suggested that microtubules might be nucleated from pre-existing microtubules throughout the spindle, but this process has not been observed directly. Here, we demonstrate microtubule nucleation from the sides of existing microtubules in meiotic Xenopus egg extracts. Daughter microtubules grow at a low branch angle and with the same polarity as mother filaments. Branching microtubule nucleation requires gamma-tubulin and augmin and is stimulated by GTP-bound Ran and its effector TPX2, factors previously implicated in chromatin-stimulated nucleation. Because of the rapid amplification of microtubule numbers and the preservation of microtubule polarity, microtubule-dependent microtubule nucleation is well suited for spindle assembly and maintenance. PMID:23415226

Changes in microtubule-associated protein tau during peripheral nerve injury and regeneration

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Guang-bin Zha

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Tau, a primary component of microtubule-associated protein, promotes microtubule assembly and/or disassembly and maintains the stability of the microtubule structure. Although the importance of tau in neurodegenerative diseases has been well demonstrated, whether tau is involved in peripheral nerve regeneration remains unknown. In the current study, we obtained sciatic nerve tissue from adult rats 0, 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after sciatic nerve crush and examined tau mRNA and protein expression levels and the location of tau in the sciatic nerve following peripheral nerve injury. The results from our quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that compared with the uninjured control sciatic nerve, mRNA expression levels for both tau and tau tubulin kinase 1, a serine/threonine kinase that regulates tau phosphorylation, were decreased following peripheral nerve injury. Our western blot assay results suggested that the protein expression levels of tau and phosphorylated tau initially decreased 1 day post nerve injury but then gradually increased. The results of our immunohistochemical labeling showed that the location of tau protein was not altered by nerve injury. Thus, these results showed that the expression of tau was changed following sciatic nerve crush, suggesting that tau may be involved in peripheral nerve repair and regeneration.

Kinesin expands and stabilizes the GDP-microtubule lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Peet, Daniel R.; Burroughs, Nigel J.; Cross, Robert A.

2018-05-01

Kinesin-1 is a nanoscale molecular motor that walks towards the fast-growing (plus) ends of microtubules, hauling molecular cargo to specific reaction sites in cells. Kinesin-driven transport is central to the self-organization of eukaryotic cells and shows great promise as a tool for nano-engineering1. Recent work hints that kinesin may also play a role in modulating the stability of its microtubule track, both in vitro2,3 and in vivo4, but the results are conflicting5-7 and the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we report a new dimension to the kinesin-microtubule interaction, whereby strong-binding state (adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-bound and apo) kinesin-1 motor domains inhibit the shrinkage of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) microtubules by up to two orders of magnitude and expand their lattice spacing by 1.6%. Our data reveal an unexpected mechanism by which the mechanochemical cycles of kinesin and tubulin interlock, and so allow motile kinesins to influence the structure, stability and mechanics of their microtubule track.

Quantitative Analysis of Tau-Microtubule Interaction Using FRET

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Isabelle L. Di Maïo

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The interaction between the microtubule associated protein, tau and the microtubules is investigated. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET assay was used to determine the distance separating tau to the microtubule wall, as well as the binding parameters of the interaction. By using microtubules stabilized with Flutax-2 as donor and tau labeled with rhodamine as acceptor, a donor-to-acceptor distance of 54 ± 1 Å was found. A molecular model is proposed in which Flutax-2 is directly accessible to tau-rhodamine molecules for energy transfer. By titration, we calculated the stoichiometric dissociation constant to be equal to 1.0 ± 0.5 µM. The influence of the C-terminal tails of αβ-tubulin on the tau-microtubule interaction is presented once a procedure to form homogeneous solution of cleaved tubulin has been determined. The results indicate that the C-terminal tails of α- and β-tubulin by electrostatic effects and of recruitment seem to be involved in the binding mechanism of tau.

Insight into microtubule destabilization mechanism of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl indanone derivatives using molecular dynamics simulation and conformational modes analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Shubhandra; Srivastava, Gaurava; Singh, Aastha; Prakasham, A. P.; Negi, Arvind S.; Sharma, Ashok

2018-03-01

Colchicine site inhibitors are microtubule destabilizers having promising role in cancer therapeutics. In the current study, four such indanone derivatives (t1, t9, t14 and t17) with 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl fragment (ring A) and showing significant microtubule destabilization property have been explored. The interaction mechanism and conformational modes triggered by binding of these indanone derivatives and combretastatin at colchicine binding site (CBS) of αβ-tubulin dimer were studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, principle component analysis and free energy landscape analysis. In the MD results, t1 showed binding similar to colchicine interacting in the deep hydrophobic core at the CBS. While t9, t14 and t17 showed binding conformation similar to combretastatin, with ring A superficially binding at the CBS. Results demonstrated that ring A played a vital role in binding via hydrophobic interactions and got anchored between the S8 and S9 sheets, H8 helix and T7 loop at the CBS. Conformational modes study revealed that twisting and bending conformational motions (as found in the apo system) were nearly absent in the ligand bound systems. Absence of twisting motion might causes loss of lateral contacts in microtubule, thus promoting microtubule destabilization. This study provides detailed account of microtubule destabilization mechanism by indanone ligands and combretastatin, and would be helpful for designing microtubule destabilizers with higher activity.

Multiscale modeling and simulation of microtubule-motor-protein assemblies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Tong; Blackwell, Robert; Glaser, Matthew A; Betterton, M D; Shelley, Michael J

2015-01-01

Microtubules and motor proteins self-organize into biologically important assemblies including the mitotic spindle and the centrosomal microtubule array. Outside of cells, microtubule-motor mixtures can form novel active liquid-crystalline materials driven out of equilibrium by adenosine triphosphate-consuming motor proteins. Microscopic motor activity causes polarity-dependent interactions between motor proteins and microtubules, but how these interactions yield larger-scale dynamical behavior such as complex flows and defect dynamics is not well understood. We develop a multiscale theory for microtubule-motor systems in which Brownian dynamics simulations of polar microtubules driven by motors are used to study microscopic organization and stresses created by motor-mediated microtubule interactions. We identify polarity-sorting and crosslink tether relaxation as two polar-specific sources of active destabilizing stress. We then develop a continuum Doi-Onsager model that captures polarity sorting and the hydrodynamic flows generated by these polar-specific active stresses. In simulations of active nematic flows on immersed surfaces, the active stresses drive turbulent flow dynamics and continuous generation and annihilation of disclination defects. The dynamics follow from two instabilities, and accounting for the immersed nature of the experiment yields unambiguous characteristic length and time scales. When turning off the hydrodynamics in the Doi-Onsager model, we capture formation of polar lanes as observed in the Brownian dynamics simulation.

Multiscale modeling and simulation of microtubule-motor-protein assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Tong; Blackwell, Robert; Glaser, Matthew A.; Betterton, M. D.; Shelley, Michael J.

2015-12-01

Microtubules and motor proteins self-organize into biologically important assemblies including the mitotic spindle and the centrosomal microtubule array. Outside of cells, microtubule-motor mixtures can form novel active liquid-crystalline materials driven out of equilibrium by adenosine triphosphate-consuming motor proteins. Microscopic motor activity causes polarity-dependent interactions between motor proteins and microtubules, but how these interactions yield larger-scale dynamical behavior such as complex flows and defect dynamics is not well understood. We develop a multiscale theory for microtubule-motor systems in which Brownian dynamics simulations of polar microtubules driven by motors are used to study microscopic organization and stresses created by motor-mediated microtubule interactions. We identify polarity-sorting and crosslink tether relaxation as two polar-specific sources of active destabilizing stress. We then develop a continuum Doi-Onsager model that captures polarity sorting and the hydrodynamic flows generated by these polar-specific active stresses. In simulations of active nematic flows on immersed surfaces, the active stresses drive turbulent flow dynamics and continuous generation and annihilation of disclination defects. The dynamics follow from two instabilities, and accounting for the immersed nature of the experiment yields unambiguous characteristic length and time scales. When turning off the hydrodynamics in the Doi-Onsager model, we capture formation of polar lanes as observed in the Brownian dynamics simulation.

Optical Tweezers-Based Measurements of Forces and Dynamics at Microtubule Ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Baclayon, Marian; Kalisch, Svenja-Marei; Hendel, Ed; Laan, Liedewij; Husson, Julien; Munteanu, E Laura; Dogterom, Marileen

2017-01-01

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that polymerize and depolymerize while interacting with different proteins and structures within the cell. The highly regulated dynamic properties as well as the pushing and pulling forces generated by dynamic microtubule ends play important roles in processes such as in cell division. For instance, microtubule end-binding proteins are known to affect dramatically the dynamic properties of microtubules, and cortical dyneins are known to mediate pulling forces on microtubule ends. We discuss in this chapter our efforts to reconstitute these systems in vitro and mimic their interactions with structures within the cell using micro-fabricated barriers. Using an optical tweezers setup, we investigate the dynamics and forces of microtubules growing against functionalized barriers in the absence and presence of end-binding proteins and barrier-attached motor proteins. This setup allows high-speed as well as nanometer and piconewton resolution measurements on dynamic microtubules.

Microtubule protein ADP-ribosylation in vitro leads to assembly inhibition and rapid depolymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scaife, R.M. (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA (United States)); Wilson, L. (Univ. of California, Santa Barbara (United States)); Purich, D.L. (Univ. of Florida, Gainesville (United States))

1992-01-14

Bovine brain microtubule protein, containing both tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins, undergoes ADP-ribosylation in the presence of ({sup 14}C)NAD{sup +} and a turkey erythrocyte mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase in vitro. The modification reaction could be demonstrated in crude brain tissue extracts where selective ADP-ribosylation of both the {alpha} and {beta} chains of tubulin and of the high molecular weight microtubule-associated protein MAP-2 occurred. In experiments with purified microtubule protein, tubulin dimer, the high molecular weight microtubule-associated protein MAP-2, and another high molecular weight microtubule-associated protein which may be a MAP-1 species were heavily labeled. Tubulin and MAP-2 incorporated ({sup 14}C)ADP-ribose to an average extent of approximately 2.4 and 30 mol of ADP-ribose/mol of protein, respectively. Assembly of microtubule protein into microtubules in vitro was inhibited by ADP-ribosylation, and incubation of assembled steady-state microtubules with ADP-ribosyltransferase and NAD{sup +} resulted in rapid depolymerization of the microtubules. Thus, the eukaryotic enzyme can ADP-ribosylate tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins to much greater extents than previously observed with cholera and pertussis toxins, and the modification can significantly modulate microtubule assembly and disassembly.

Structural differences between yeast and mammalian microtubules revealed by cryo-EM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howes, Stuart C. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Biophysics Graduate Group; Geyer, Elisabeth A. [Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Biophysics; Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Biochemistry; LaFrance, Benjamin [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program; Zhang, Rui [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Howard Hughes Medical Inst.; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division; Kellogg, Elizabeth H. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Howard Hughes Medical Inst.; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division; Westermann, Stefan [Univ. of Duisburg-Essen, Essen (Germany). Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Center for Medical Biotechnology; Rice, Luke M. [Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Biophysics; Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Biochemistry; Nogales, Eva [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Howard Hughes Medical Inst.; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Molecular Biology and California Inst. for Quantitative Biosciences; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division

2017-06-26

Microtubules are polymers of αβ-tubulin heterodimers essential for all eukaryotes. Despite sequence conservation, there are significant structural differences between microtubules assembled in vitro from mammalian or budding yeast tubulin. Yeast MTs were not observed to undergo compaction at the interdimer interface as seen for mammalian microtubules upon GTP hydrolysis. Lack of compaction might reflect slower GTP hydrolysis or a different degree of allosteric coupling in the lattice. The microtubule plus end–tracking protein Bim1 binds yeast microtubules both between αβ-tubulin heterodimers, as seen for other organisms, and within tubulin dimers, but binds mammalian tubulin only at interdimer contacts. At the concentrations used in cryo-electron microscopy, Bim1 causes the compaction of yeast microtubules and induces their rapid disassembly. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate structural differences between yeast and mammalian microtubules that likely underlie their differing polymerization dynamics. These differences may reflect adaptations to the demands of different cell size or range of physiological growth temperatures.

Model for the orientational ordering of the plant microtubule cortical array

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Rhoda J.; Tindemans, Simon H.; Mulder, Bela M.

2010-07-01

The plant microtubule cortical array is a striking feature of all growing plant cells. It consists of a more or less homogeneously distributed array of highly aligned microtubules connected to the inner side of the plasma membrane and oriented transversely to the cell growth axis. Here, we formulate a continuum model to describe the origin of orientational order in such confined arrays of dynamical microtubules. The model is based on recent experimental observations that show that a growing cortical microtubule can interact through angle dependent collisions with pre-existing microtubules that can lead either to co-alignment of the growth, retraction through catastrophe induction or crossing over the encountered microtubule. We identify a single control parameter, which is fully determined by the nucleation rate and intrinsic dynamics of individual microtubules. We solve the model analytically in the stationary isotropic phase, discuss the limits of stability of this isotropic phase, and explicitly solve for the ordered stationary states in a simplified version of the model.

Colchicine promotes a change in chromosome structure without loss of sister chromatid cohesion in prometaphase I-arrested bivalents.

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Rodríguez, E M; Parra, M T; Rufas, J S; Suja, J A

2001-12-01

In somatic cells colchicine promotes the arrest of cell division at prometaphase, and chromosomes show a sequential loss of sister chromatid arm and centromere cohesion. In this study we used colchicine to analyse possible changes in chromosome structure and sister chromatid cohesion in prometaphase I-arrested bivalents of the katydid Pycnogaster cucullata. After silver staining we observed that in colchicine-arrested prometaphase I bivalents, and in contrast to what was found in control bivalents, sister kinetochores appeared individualised and sister chromatid axes were completely separated all along their length. However, this change in chromosome structure occurred without loss of sister chromatid arm cohesion. We also employed the MPM-2 monoclonal antibody against mitotic phosphoproteins on control and colchicine-treated spermatocytes. In control metaphase I bivalents this antibody labelled the tightly associated sister kinetochores and the interchromatid domain. By contrast, in colchicine-treated prometaphase I bivalents individualised sister kinetochores appeared labelled, but the interchromatid domain did not show labelling. These results support the notion that MPM-2 phosphoproteins, probably DNA topoisomerase IIalpha, located in the interchromatid domain act as "chromosomal staples" associating sister chromatid axes in metaphase I bivalents. The disappearance of these chromosomal staples would induce a change in chromosome structure, as reflected by the separation of sister kinetochores and sister axes, but without a concomitant loss of sister chromatid cohesion.

Four-stranded mini microtubules formed by Prosthecobacter BtubAB show dynamic instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Xian; Fink, Gero; Bharat, Tanmay A M; He, Shaoda; Kureisaite-Ciziene, Danguole; Löwe, Jan

2017-07-18

Microtubules, the dynamic, yet stiff hollow tubes built from αβ-tubulin protein heterodimers, are thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells. Here, we report a 3.6-Å helical reconstruction electron cryomicroscopy structure of four-stranded mini microtubules formed by bacterial tubulin-like Prosthecobacter dejongeii BtubAB proteins. Despite their much smaller diameter, mini microtubules share many key structural features with eukaryotic microtubules, such as an M-loop, alternating subunits, and a seam that breaks overall helical symmetry. Using in vitro total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we show that bacterial mini microtubules treadmill and display dynamic instability, another hallmark of eukaryotic microtubules. The third protein in the btub gene cluster, BtubC, previously known as "bacterial kinesin light chain," binds along protofilaments every 8 nm, inhibits BtubAB mini microtubule catastrophe, and increases rescue. Our work reveals that some bacteria contain regulated and dynamic cytomotive microtubule systems that were once thought to be only useful in much larger and sophisticated eukaryotic cells.

Nonlinear dynamics of C–terminal tails in cellular microtubules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sekulic, Dalibor L., E-mail: dalsek@uns.ac.rs; Sataric, Bogdan M.; Sataric, Miljko V. [University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad (Serbia); Zdravkovic, Slobodan [University of Belgrade, Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, Belgrade (Serbia); Bugay, Aleksandr N. [Laboratory of Radiation Biology, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation)

2016-07-15

The mechanical and electrical properties, and information processing capabilities of microtubules are the permanent subject of interest for carrying out experiments in vitro and in silico, as well as for theoretical attempts to elucidate the underlying processes. In this paper, we developed a new model of the mechano–electrical waves elicited in the rows of very flexible C–terminal tails which decorate the outer surface of each microtubule. The fact that C–terminal tails play very diverse roles in many cellular functions, such as recruitment of motor proteins and microtubule–associated proteins, motivated us to consider their collective dynamics as the source of localized waves aimed for communication between microtubule and associated proteins. Our approach is based on the ferroelectric liquid crystal model and it leads to the effective asymmetric double-well potential which brings about the conditions for the appearance of kink–waves conducted by intrinsic electric fields embedded in microtubules. These kinks can serve as the signals for control and regulation of intracellular traffic along microtubules performed by processive motions of motor proteins, primarly from kinesin and dynein families. On the other hand, they can be precursors for initiation of dynamical instability of microtubules by recruiting the proper proteins responsible for the depolymerization process.

Nonlinear dynamics of C–terminal tails in cellular microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekulic, Dalibor L.; Sataric, Bogdan M.; Sataric, Miljko V.; Zdravkovic, Slobodan; Bugay, Aleksandr N.

2016-01-01

The mechanical and electrical properties, and information processing capabilities of microtubules are the permanent subject of interest for carrying out experiments in vitro and in silico, as well as for theoretical attempts to elucidate the underlying processes. In this paper, we developed a new model of the mechano–electrical waves elicited in the rows of very flexible C–terminal tails which decorate the outer surface of each microtubule. The fact that C–terminal tails play very diverse roles in many cellular functions, such as recruitment of motor proteins and microtubule–associated proteins, motivated us to consider their collective dynamics as the source of localized waves aimed for communication between microtubule and associated proteins. Our approach is based on the ferroelectric liquid crystal model and it leads to the effective asymmetric double-well potential which brings about the conditions for the appearance of kink–waves conducted by intrinsic electric fields embedded in microtubules. These kinks can serve as the signals for control and regulation of intracellular traffic along microtubules performed by processive motions of motor proteins, primarly from kinesin and dynein families. On the other hand, they can be precursors for initiation of dynamical instability of microtubules by recruiting the proper proteins responsible for the depolymerization process.

TgICMAP1 is a novel microtubule binding protein in Toxoplasma gondii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aoife T Heaslip

Full Text Available The microtubule cytoskeleton provides essential structural support for all eukaryotic cells and can be assembled into various higher order structures that perform drastically different functions. Understanding how microtubule-containing assemblies are built in a spatially and temporally controlled manner is therefore fundamental to understanding cell physiology. Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, contains at least five distinct tubulin-containing structures, the spindle pole, centrioles, cortical microtubules, the conoid, and the intra-conoid microtubules. How these five structurally and functionally distinct sets of tubulin containing structures are constructed and maintained in the same cell is an intriguing problem. Previously, we performed a proteomic analysis of the T. gondii apical complex, a cytoskeletal complex located at the apical end of the parasite that is composed of the conoid, three ring-like structures, and the two short intra-conoid microtubules. Here we report the characterization of one of the proteins identified in that analysis, TgICMAP1. We show that TgICMAP1 is a novel microtubule binding protein that can directly bind to microtubules in vitro and stabilizes microtubules when ectopically expressed in mammalian cells. Interestingly, in T. gondii, TgICMAP1 preferentially binds to the intra-conoid microtubules, providing us the first molecular tool to investigate the intra-conoid microtubule assembly process during daughter construction.

Oscillatory fluid flow influences primary cilia and microtubule mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinha, Lina C; Hoey, David A; Fernandes, Paulo R; Rodrigues, Hélder C; Jacobs, Christopher R

2014-07-01

Many tissues are sensitive to mechanical stimuli; however, the mechanotransduction mechanism used by cells remains unknown in many cases. The primary cilium is a solitary, immotile microtubule-based extension present on nearly every mammalian cell which extends from the basal body. The cilium is a mechanosensitive organelle and has been shown to transduce fluid flow-induced shear stress in tissues, such as the kidney and bone. The majority of microtubules assemble from the mother centriole (basal body), contributing significantly to the anchoring of the primary cilium. Several studies have attempted to quantify the number of microtubules emanating from the basal body and the results vary depending on the cell type. It has also been shown that cellular response to shear stress depends on microtubular integrity. This study hypothesizes that changing the microtubule attachment of primary cilia in response to a mechanical stimulus could change primary cilia mechanics and, possibly, mechanosensitivity. Oscillatory fluid flow was applied to two different cell types and the microtubule attachment to the ciliary base was quantified. For the first time, an increase in microtubules around primary cilia both with time and shear rate in response to oscillatory fluid flow stimulation was demonstrated. Moreover, it is presented that the primary cilium is required for this loading-induced cellular response. This study has demonstrated a new role for the cilium in regulating alterations in the cytoplasmic microtubule network in response to mechanical stimulation, and therefore provides a new insight into how cilia may regulate its mechanics and thus the cells mechanosensitivity. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Novel Plasma Membrane-Anchored Protein Regulates Xylem Cell-Wall Deposition through Microtubule-Dependent Lateral Inhibition of Rho GTPase Domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Yuki; Wakazaki, Mayumi; Toyooka, Kiminori; Fukuda, Hiroo; Oda, Yoshihisa

2017-08-21

Spatial control of cell-wall deposition is essential for determining plant cell shape [1]. Rho-type GTPases, together with the cortical cytoskeleton, play central roles in regulating cell-wall patterning [2]. In metaxylem vessel cells, which are the major components of xylem tissues, active ROP11 Rho GTPases form oval plasma membrane domains that locally disrupt cortical microtubules, thereby directing the formation of oval pits in secondary cell walls [3-5]. However, the regulatory mechanism that determines the planar shape of active Rho of Plants (ROP) domains is still unknown. Here we show that IQD13 associates with cortical microtubules and the plasma membrane to laterally restrict the localization of ROP GTPase domains, thereby directing the formation of oval secondary cell-wall pits. Loss and overexpression of IQD13 led to the formation of abnormally round and narrow secondary cell-wall pits, respectively. Ectopically expressed IQD13 increased the presence of parallel cortical microtubules by promoting microtubule rescue. A reconstructive approach revealed that IQD13 confines the area of active ROP domains within the lattice of the cortical microtubules, causing narrow ROP domains to form. This activity required the interaction of IQD13 with the plasma membrane. These findings suggest that IQD13 positively regulates microtubule dynamics as well as their linkage to the plasma membrane, which synergistically confines the area of active ROP domains, leading to the formation of oval secondary cell-wall pits. This finding sheds light on the role of microtubule-plasma membrane linkage as a lateral fence that determines the planar shape of Rho GTPase domains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The C-terminal region of A-kinase anchor protein 350 (AKAP350A) enables formation of microtubule-nucleation centers and interacts with pericentriolar proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolobova, Elena; Roland, Joseph T; Lapierre, Lynne A; Williams, Janice A; Mason, Twila A; Goldenring, James R

2017-12-15

Microtubules in animal cells assemble (nucleate) from both the centrosome and the cis-Golgi cisternae. A-kinase anchor protein 350 kDa (AKAP350A, also called AKAP450/CG-NAP/AKAP9) is a large scaffolding protein located at both the centrosome and Golgi apparatus. Previous findings have suggested that AKAP350 is important for microtubule dynamics at both locations, but how this scaffolding protein assembles microtubule nucleation machinery is unclear. Here, we found that overexpression of the C-terminal third of AKAP350A, enhanced GFP-AKAP350A(2691-3907), induces the formation of multiple microtubule-nucleation centers (MTNCs). Nevertheless, these induced MTNCs lacked "true" centriole proteins, such as Cep135. Mapping analysis with AKAP350A truncations demonstrated that AKAP350A contains discrete regions responsible for promoting or inhibiting the formation of multiple MTNCs. Moreover, GFP-AKAP350A(2691-3907) recruited several pericentriolar proteins to MTNCs, including γ-tubulin, pericentrin, Cep68, Cep170, and Cdk5RAP2. Proteomic analysis indicated that Cdk5RAP2 and Cep170 both interact with the microtubule nucleation-promoting region of AKAP350A, whereas Cep68 interacts with the distal C-terminal AKAP350A region. Yeast two-hybrid assays established a direct interaction of Cep170 with AKAP350A. Super-resolution and deconvolution microscopy analyses were performed to define the association of AKAP350A with centrosomes, and these studies disclosed that AKAP350A spans the bridge between centrioles, co-localizing with rootletin and Cep68 in the linker region. siRNA-mediated depletion of AKAP350A caused displacement of both Cep68 and Cep170 from the centrosome. These results suggest that AKAP350A acts as a scaffold for factors involved in microtubule nucleation at the centrosome and coordinates the assembly of protein complexes associating with the intercentriolar bridge.

Quantitative analysis of microtubule orientation in interdigitated leaf pavement cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Akita, Kae; Higaki, Takumi; Kutsuna, Natsumaro; Hasezawa, Seiichiro

2015-01-01

Leaf pavement cells are shaped like a jigsaw puzzle in most dicotyledon species. Molecular genetic studies have identified several genes required for pavement cells morphogenesis and proposed that microtubules play crucial roles in the interdigitation of pavement cells. In this study, we performed quantitative analysis of cortical microtubule orientation in leaf pavement cells in Arabidopsis thaliana. We captured confocal images of cortical microtubules in cotyledon leaf epidermis expressing GFP-tubulinβ and quantitatively evaluated the microtubule orientations relative to the pavement cell growth axis using original image processing techniques. Our results showed that microtubules kept parallel orientations to the growth axis during pavement cell growth. In addition, we showed that immersion treatment of seed cotyledons in solutions containing tubulin polymerization and depolymerization inhibitors decreased pavement cell complexity. Treatment with oryzalin and colchicine inhibited the symmetric division of guard mother cells.

Linking cortical microtubule attachment and exocytosis [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivar Noordstra

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Exocytosis is a fundamental cellular process whereby secreted molecules are packaged into vesicles that move along cytoskeletal filaments and fuse with the plasma membrane. To function optimally, cells are strongly dependent on precisely controlled delivery of exocytotic cargo. In mammalian cells, microtubules serve as major tracks for vesicle transport by motor proteins, and thus microtubule organization is important for targeted delivery of secretory carriers. Over the years, multiple microtubule-associated and cortical proteins have been discovered that facilitate the interaction between the microtubule plus ends and the cell cortex. In this review, we focus on mammalian protein complexes that have been shown to participate in both cortical microtubule capture and exocytosis, thereby regulating the spatial organization of secretion. These complexes include microtubule plus-end tracking proteins, scaffolding factors, actin-binding proteins, and components of vesicle docking machinery, which together allow efficient coordination of cargo transport and release.

Lysosomes are associated with microtubules and not with intermediate filaments in cultured fibroblasts.

OpenAIRE

Collot, M; Louvard, D; Singer, S J

1984-01-01

Double immunofluorescent labeling experiments for lysosomes and either microtubules or vimentin intermediate filaments in cultured well-spread fibroblasts show a remarkable degree of superposition of the lysosomes and the microtubules. Under two different sets of conditions where the microtubules and intermediate filaments are well segregated from one another, the lysosomes remain codistributed with the microtubules. It is suggested that this specific association of lysosomes with microtubule...

On the nature and shape of tubulin trails: implications on microtubule self-organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Glade, Nicolas

2012-06-01

Microtubules, major elements of the cell skeleton are, most of the time, well organized in vivo, but they can also show self-organizing behaviors in time and/or space in purified solutions in vitro. Theoretical studies and models based on the concepts of collective dynamics in complex systems, reaction-diffusion processes and emergent phenomena were proposed to explain some of these behaviors. In the particular case of microtubule spatial self-organization, it has been advanced that microtubules could behave like ants, self-organizing by 'talking to each other' by way of hypothetic (because never observed) concentrated chemical trails of tubulin that are expected to be released by their disassembling ends. Deterministic models based on this idea yielded indeed like-looking spatio-temporal self-organizing behaviors. Nevertheless the question remains of whether microscopic tubulin trails produced by individual or bundles of several microtubules are intense enough to allow microtubule self-organization at a macroscopic level. In the present work, by simulating the diffusion of tubulin in microtubule solutions at the microscopic scale, we measure the shape and intensity of tubulin trails and discuss about the assumption of microtubule self-organization due to the production of chemical trails by disassembling microtubules. We show that the tubulin trails produced by individual microtubules or small microtubule arrays are very weak and not elongated even at very high reactive rates. Although the variations of concentration due to such trails are not significant compared to natural fluctuations of the concentration of tubuline in the chemical environment, the study shows that heterogeneities of biochemical composition can form due to microtubule disassembly. They could become significant when produced by numerous microtubule ends located in the same place. Their possible formation could play a role in certain conditions of reaction. In particular, it gives a mesoscopic

Microtubule reorganization in tobacco BY-2 cells stably expressing GFP-MBD

Science.gov (United States)

Granger, C. L.; Cyr, R. J.

2000-01-01

Microtubule organization plays an important role in plant morphogenesis; however, little is known about how microtubule arrays transit from one organized state to another. The use of a genetically incorporated fluorescent marker would allow long-term observation of microtubule behavior in living cells. Here, we have characterized a Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow 2 (BY-2) cell line that had been stably transformed with a gfp-mbd construct previously demonstrated to label microtubules (J. Marc et al., 1998, Plant Cell 10: 1927-1939). Fluorescence levels were low, but interphase and mitotic microtubule arrays, as well as the transitions between these arrays, could be observed in individual gfp-mbd-transformed cells. By comparing several attributes of transformed and untransformed cells it was concluded that the transgenic cells are not adversely affected by low-level expression of the transgene and that these cells will serve as a useful and accurate model system for observing microtubule reorganization in vivo. Indeed, some initial observations were made that are consistent with the involvement of motor proteins in the transition between the spindle and phragmoplast arrays. Our observations also support the role of the perinuclear region in nucleating microtubules at the end of cell division with a progressive shift of these microtubules and/or nucleating activity to the cortex to form the interphase cortical array.

Spatiotemporal Regulation of Nuclear Transport Machinery and Microtubule Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Naoyuki; Sato, Masamitsu

2015-01-01

Spindle microtubules capture and segregate chromosomes and, therefore, their assembly is an essential event in mitosis. To carry out their mission, many key players for microtubule formation need to be strictly orchestrated. Particularly, proteins that assemble the spindle need to be translocated at appropriate sites during mitosis. A small GTPase (hydrolase enzyme of guanosine triphosphate), Ran, controls this translocation. Ran plays many roles in many cellular events: nucleocytoplasmic shuttling through the nuclear envelope, assembly of the mitotic spindle, and reorganization of the nuclear envelope at the mitotic exit. Although these events are seemingly distinct, recent studies demonstrate that the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are substantially the same as explained by molecular interplay of the master regulator Ran, the transport factor importin, and its cargo proteins. Our review focuses on how the transport machinery regulates mitotic progression of cells. We summarize translocation mechanisms governed by Ran and its regulatory proteins, and particularly focus on Ran-GTP targets in fission yeast that promote spindle formation. We also discuss the coordination of the spatial and temporal regulation of proteins from the viewpoint of transport machinery. We propose that the transport machinery is an essential key that couples the spatial and temporal events in cells. PMID:26308057

Microtubule's conformational cap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, H.

1999-01-01

The molecular mechanisms that allow elongation of the unstable microtubule lattice remain unclear. It is usually thought that the GDP-liganded tubulin lattice is capped by a small layer of GTP- or GDP-P(i)-liganded molecules, the so called "GTP-cap". Here, we point-out that the elastic properties...

Microtubules: A network for solitary waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdravković Slobodan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the present paper we deal with nonlinear dynamics of microtubules. The structure and role of microtubules in cells are explained as well as one of models explaining their dynamics. Solutions of the crucial nonlinear differential equation depend on used mathematical methods. Two commonly used procedures, continuum and semi-discrete approximations, are explained. These solutions are solitary waves usually called as kink solitons, breathers and bell-type solitons. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III45010

The nucleation of microtubules in Aspergillus nidulans germlings

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Cristina de Andrade-Monteiro

1999-09-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are filaments composed of dimers of alpha- and beta-tubulins, which have a variety of functions in living cells. In fungi, the spindle pole bodies usually have been considered to be microtubule-organizing centers. We used the antimicrotubule drug Benomyl in block/release experiments to depolymerize and repolymerize microtubules in Aspergillus nidulans germlings to learn more about the microtubule nucleation process in this filamentous fungus. Twenty seconds after release from Benomyl short microtubules were formed from several bright (immunofluorescent dots distributed along the germlings, suggesting that microtubule nucleation is randomly distributed in A. nidulans germlings. Since nuclear movement is dependent on microtubules in A. nidulans we analyzed whether mutants defective in nuclear distribution along the growing hyphae (nud mutants have some obvious microtubule defect. Cytoplasmic, astral and spindle microtubules were present and appeared to be normal in all nud mutants. However, significant changes in the percentage of short versus long mitotic spindles were observed in nud mutants. This suggests that some of the nuclei of nud mutants do not reach the late stage of cell division at normal temperatures.Microtúbulos são filamentos compostos por dímeros das tubulinas a e b e têm uma variedade de funções nas células vivas. Em fungos, os corpúsculos polares dos fusos são geralmente considerados os centros organizadores dos microtúbulos. Com o objetivo de contribuir para uma melhor compreensão dos processos de nucleação dos microtúbulos no fungo filamentoso A. nidulans, nós utilizamos a droga antimicrotúbulo Benomil em experimentos de bloqueio e liberação para depolimerizar e repolimerizar os microtúbulos. Após 20 segundos de reincubação em meio sem Benomil, pequenos microtúbulos foram formados a partir de pontos distribuídos pela célula, sugerindo que os pontos de nucleação de microtúbulos s

Microtubule and Cell Contact Dependency of ER-bound PTP1B Localization in Growth Cones

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Federico

2009-01-01

PTP1B is an ER-bound protein tyrosine phosphatase implied in the regulation of cell adhesion. Here we investigated mechanisms involved in the positioning and dynamics of PTP1B in axonal growth cones and evaluated the role of this enzyme in axons. In growth cones, PTP1B consistently localizes in the central domain, and occasionally at the peripheral region and filopodia. Live imaging of GFP-PTP1B reveals dynamic excursions of fingerlike processes within the peripheral region and filopodia. PTP1B and GFP-PTP1B colocalize with ER markers and coalign with microtubules at the peripheral region and redistribute to the base of the growth cone after treatment with nocodazole, a condition that is reversible. Growth cone contact with cellular targets is accompanied by invasion of PTP1B and stable microtubules in the peripheral region aligned with the contact axis. Functional impairment of PTP1B causes retardation of axon elongation, as well as reduction of growth cone filopodia lifetime and Src activity. Our results highlight the role of microtubules and cell contacts in the positioning of ER-bound PTP1B to the peripheral region of growth cones, which may be required for the positive role of PTP1B in axon elongation, filopodia stabilization, and Src activity. PMID:19158394

Integrins Regulate Apical Constriction via Microtubule Stabilization in the Drosophila Eye Disc Epithelium

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Vilaiwan M. Fernandes

2014-12-01

Full Text Available During morphogenesis, extracellular signals trigger actomyosin contractility in subpopulations of cells to coordinate changes in cell shape. To illuminate the link between signaling-mediated tissue patterning and cytoskeletal remodeling, we study the progression of the morphogenetic furrow (MF, the wave of apical constriction that traverses the Drosophila eye imaginal disc preceding photoreceptor neurogenesis. Apical constriction depends on actomyosin contractility downstream of the Hedgehog (Hh and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP pathways. We identify a role for integrin adhesion receptors in MF progression. We show that Hh and BMP regulate integrin expression, the loss of which disrupts apical constriction and slows furrow progression; conversely, elevated integrins accelerate furrow progression. We present evidence that integrins regulate MF progression by promoting microtubule stabilization, since reducing microtubule stability rescues integrin-mediated furrow acceleration. Thus, integrins act as a genetic link between tissue-level signaling events and morphological change at the cellular level, leading to morphogenesis and neurogenesis in the eye.

Ibuprofen regulation of microtubule dynamics in cystic fibrosis epithelial cells.

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Rymut, Sharon M; Kampman, Claire M; Corey, Deborah A; Endres, Tori; Cotton, Calvin U; Kelley, Thomas J

2016-08-01

High-dose ibuprofen, an effective anti-inflammatory therapy for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), has been shown to preserve lung function in a pediatric population. Despite its efficacy, few patients receive ibuprofen treatment due to potential renal and gastrointestinal toxicity. The mechanism of ibuprofen efficacy is also unclear. We have previously demonstrated that CF microtubules are slower to reform after depolymerization compared with respective wild-type controls. Slower microtubule dynamics in CF cells are responsible for impaired intracellular transport and are related to inflammatory signaling. Here, it is identified that high-dose ibuprofen treatment in both CF cell models and primary CF nasal epithelial cells restores microtubule reformation rates to wild-type levels, as well as induce extension of microtubules to the cell periphery. Ibuprofen treatment also restores microtubule-dependent intracellular transport monitored by measuring intracellular cholesterol transport. These effects are specific to ibuprofen as other cyclooxygenase inhibitors have no effect on these measures. Effects of ibuprofen are mimicked by stimulation of AMPK and blocked by the AMPK inhibitor compound C. We conclude that high-dose ibuprofen treatment enhances microtubule formation in CF cells likely through an AMPK-related pathway. These findings define a potential mechanism to explain the efficacy of ibuprofen therapy in CF. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Drosophila Polo regulates the spindle assembly checkpoint through Mps1-dependent BubR1 phosphorylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Conde, Carlos; Osswald, Mariana; Barbosa, João; Moutinho-Santos, Tatiana; Pinheiro, Diana; Guimarães, Sofia; Matos, Irina; Maiato, Helder; Sunkel, Claudio E

2013-06-12

Maintenance of genomic stability during eukaryotic cell division relies on the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) that prevents mitotic exit until all chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle. Polo is a mitotic kinase proposed to be involved in SAC function, but its role has remained elusive. We demonstrate that Polo and Aurora B functional interdependency comprises a positive feedback loop that promotes Mps1 kinetochore localization and activity. Expression of constitutively active Polo restores normal Mps1 kinetochore levels even after Aurora B inhibition, highlighting a role for Polo in Mps1 recruitment to unattached kinetochores downstream of Aurora B. We also show that Mps1 kinetochore localization is required for BubR1 hyperphosphorylation and formation of the 3F3/2 phosphoepitope. This is essential to allow recruitment of Cdc20 to unattached kinetochores and the assembly of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-inhibitory complexes to levels that ensure long-term SAC activity. We propose a model in which Polo controls Mps1-dependent BubR1 phosphorylation to promote Cdc20 kinetochore recruitment and sustained SAC function.

Chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-oxon, and diisopropylfluorophosphate inhibit kinesin-dependent microtubule motility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gearhart, Debra A.; Sickles, Dale W.; Buccafusco, Jerry J.; Prendergast, Mark A.; Terry, Alvin V.

2007-01-01

Diisopropylfluorophosphate, originally developed as a chemical warfare agent, is structurally similar to nerve agents, and chlorpyrifos has extensive worldwide use as an agricultural pesticide. While inhibition of cholinesterases underlies the acute toxicity of these organophosphates, we previously reported impaired axonal transport in the sciatic nerves from rats treated chronically with subthreshold doses of chlorpyrifos. Those data indicate that chlorpyrifos (and/or its active metabolite, chlorpyrifos-oxon) might directly affect the function of kinesin and/or microtubules-the principal proteins that mediate anterograde axonal transport. The current report describes in vitro assays to assess the concentration-dependent effects of chlorpyrifos (0-10 μM), chlorpyrifos-oxon (0-10 μM), and diisopropylfluorophosphate (0-0.59 nM) on kinesin-dependent microtubule motility. Preincubating bovine brain microtubules with the organophosphates did not alter kinesin-mediated microtubule motility. In contrast, preincubation of bovine brain kinesin with diisopropylfluorophosphate, chlorpyrifos, or chlorpyrifos-oxon produced a concentration-dependent increase in the number of locomoting microtubules that detached from the kinesin-coated glass cover slip. Our data suggest that the organophosphates-chlorpyrifos-oxon, chlorpyrifos, and diisopropylfluorophosphate-directly affect kinesin, thereby disrupting kinesin-dependent transport on microtubules. Kinesin-dependent movement of vesicles, organelles, and other cellular components along microtubules is fundamental to the organization of all eukaryotic cells, especially in neurons where organelles and proteins synthesized in the cell body must move down long axons to pre-synaptic sites in nerve terminals. We postulate that disruption of kinesin-dependent intracellular transport could account for some of the long-term effects of organophosphates on the peripheral and central nervous system

Multiple mouse chromosomal loci for dynein-based motility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaughan, K.T.; Mikami, Atsushi; Paschal, B.M. [Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research, Shrewsbury, MA (United States)] [and others

1996-08-15

Dyneins are multisubunit mechanochemical enzymes capable of interacting with microtubules to generate force. Axonemal dyneins produce the motive force for ciliary and flagellar beating by inducing sliding between adjacent microtubules within the axoneme. Cytoplasmic dyneins translocate membranous organelles and chromosomes toward the minus ends of cytoplasmic microtubules. Dynactin is an accessory complex implicated in tethering cytoplasmic dynein to membranous organelles and mitotic kinetochores. In the studies described here, we have identified a number of new dynein genes and determined their mouse chromosomal locations by interspecific backcross analysis. We have also mapped several dynein and dynactin genes cloned previously. Our studies provide the first comprehensive attempt to map dynein and dynactin genes in mammals and provide a basis for the further analysis of dynein function in development and disease. 65 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Cellular effects of curcumin on Plasmodium falciparum include disruption of microtubules.

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Rimi Chakrabarti

Full Text Available Curcumin has been widely investigated for its myriad cellular effects resulting in reduced proliferation of various eukaryotic cells including cancer cells and the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Studies with human cancer cell lines HT-29, Caco-2, and MCF-7 suggest that curcumin can bind to tubulin and induce alterations in microtubule structure. Based on this finding, we investigated whether curcumin has any effect on P. falciparum microtubules, considering that mammalian and parasite tubulin are 83% identical. IC50 of curcumin was found to be 5 µM as compared to 20 µM reported before. Immunofluorescence images of parasites treated with 5 or 20 µM curcumin showed a concentration-dependent effect on parasite microtubules resulting in diffuse staining contrasting with the discrete hemispindles and subpellicular microtubules observed in untreated parasites. The effect on P. falciparum microtubules was evident only in the second cycle for both concentrations tested. This diffuse pattern of tubulin fluorescence in curcumin treated parasites was similar to the effect of a microtubule destabilizing drug vinblastine on P. falciparum. Molecular docking predicted the binding site of curcumin at the interface of alpha and beta tubulin, similar to another destabilizing drug colchicine. Data from predicted drug binding is supported by results from drug combination assays showing antagonistic interactions between curcumin and colchicine, sharing a similar binding site, and additive/synergistic interactions of curcumin with paclitaxel and vinblastine, having different binding sites. This evidence suggests that cellular effects of curcumin are at least, in part, due to its perturbing effect on P. falciparum microtubules. The action of curcumin, both direct and indirect, on P. falciparum microtubules is discussed.

Autocatalytic microtubule nucleation determines the size and mass of Xenopus laevis egg extract spindles.

Science.gov (United States)

Decker, Franziska; Oriola, David; Dalton, Benjamin; Brugués, Jan

2018-01-11

Regulation of size and growth is a fundamental problem in biology. A prominent example is the formation of the mitotic spindle, where protein concentration gradients around chromosomes are thought to regulate spindle growth by controlling microtubule nucleation. Previous evidence suggests that microtubules nucleate throughout the spindle structure. However, the mechanisms underlying microtubule nucleation and its spatial regulation are still unclear. Here, we developed an assay based on laser ablation to directly probe microtubule nucleation events in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Combining this method with theory and quantitative microscopy, we show that the size of a spindle is controlled by autocatalytic growth of microtubules, driven by microtubule-stimulated microtubule nucleation. The autocatalytic activity of this nucleation system is spatially regulated by the limiting amounts of active microtubule nucleators, which decrease with distance from the chromosomes. This mechanism provides an upper limit to spindle size even when resources are not limiting. © 2018, Decker et al.

Direct evidence for GTP and GDP-Pi intermediates in microtubule assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melki, R.; Carlier, M.F.; Pantaloni, D.

1990-01-01

Identification of the kinetic intermediates in GTP hydrolysis on microtubules and characterization of their assembly properties is essential in understanding microtubule dynamics. By using an improved glass filter assay that selectively traps microtubules with a dead time of 2 s and monitoring taxol-induced rapid assembly of microtubules from [γ- 32 P, 3 H]GTP-tubulin 1:1 complex, direct evidence has been obtained for GTP- and GDP-P i -microtubule transient states in the early stages of the polymerization process. A simple kinetic analysis of GTP hydrolysis on microtubules within two sequential pseudo-first-order processes led to apparent first-order rate constants of 0.065 s -1 for the cleavage of the γ-phosphate and 0.02 s -1 for the liberation of P i , assuming a simple random model. Apparent rate constants for GTP hydrolysis and P i release were independent of the composition of the buffer used to polymerize tubulin. The significance of these values with respect to those derived from previous studies from this and other laboratories and the possibility of a vectorial model for GTP hydrolysis are discussed

GIT1/βPIX signaling proteins and PAK1 kinase regulate microtubule nucleation.

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Černohorská, Markéta; Sulimenko, Vadym; Hájková, Zuzana; Sulimenko, Tetyana; Sládková, Vladimíra; Vinopal, Stanislav; Dráberová, Eduarda; Dráber, Pavel

2016-06-01

Microtubule nucleation from γ-tubulin complexes, located at the centrosome, is an essential step in the formation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. However, the signaling mechanisms that regulate microtubule nucleation in interphase cells are largely unknown. In this study, we report that γ-tubulin is in complexes containing G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 1 (GIT1), p21-activated kinase interacting exchange factor (βPIX), and p21 protein (Cdc42/Rac)-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) in various cell lines. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed association of GIT1, βPIX and activated PAK1 with centrosomes. Microtubule regrowth experiments showed that depletion of βPIX stimulated microtubule nucleation, while depletion of GIT1 or PAK1 resulted in decreased nucleation in the interphase cells. These data were confirmed for GIT1 and βPIX by phenotypic rescue experiments, and counting of new microtubules emanating from centrosomes during the microtubule regrowth. The importance of PAK1 for microtubule nucleation was corroborated by the inhibition of its kinase activity with IPA-3 inhibitor. GIT1 with PAK1 thus represent positive regulators, and βPIX is a negative regulator of microtubule nucleation from the interphase centrosomes. The regulatory roles of GIT1, βPIX and PAK1 in microtubule nucleation correlated with recruitment of γ-tubulin to the centrosome. Furthermore, in vitro kinase assays showed that GIT1 and βPIX, but not γ-tubulin, serve as substrates for PAK1. Finally, direct interaction of γ-tubulin with the C-terminal domain of βPIX and the N-terminal domain of GIT1, which targets this protein to the centrosome, was determined by pull-down experiments. We propose that GIT1/βPIX signaling proteins with PAK1 kinase represent a novel regulatory mechanism of microtubule nucleation in interphase cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring and modeling polymer concentration profiles near spindle boundaries argues that spindle microtubules regulate their own nucleation

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Kaye, Bryan; Stiehl, Olivia; Foster, Peter J.; Shelley, Michael J.; Needleman, Daniel J.; Fürthauer, Sebastian

2018-05-01

Spindles are self-organized microtubule-based structures that segregate chromosomes during cell division. The mass of the spindle is controlled by the balance between microtubule turnover and nucleation. The mechanisms that control the spatial regulation of microtubule nucleation remain poorly understood. While previous work found that microtubule nucleators bind to pre-existing microtubules in the spindle, it is still unclear whether this binding regulates the activity of those nucleators. Here we use a combination of experiments and mathematical modeling to investigate this issue. We measured the concentration of microtubules and soluble tubulin in and around the spindle. We found a very sharp decay in the concentration of microtubules at the spindle interface. This is inconsistent with a model in which the activity of nucleators is independent of their association with microtubules but consistent with a model in which microtubule nucleators are only active when bound to pre-existing microtubules. This argues that the activity of microtubule nucleators is greatly enhanced when bound to pre-existing microtubules. Thus, microtubule nucleators are both localized and activated by the microtubules they generate.

Regulation of Centromere Localization of the Drosophila Shugoshin MEI-S332 and Sister-Chromatid Cohesion in Meiosis

Science.gov (United States)

Nogueira, Cristina; Kashevsky, Helena; Pinto, Belinda; Clarke, Astrid; Orr-Weaver, Terry L.

2014-01-01

The Shugoshin (Sgo) protein family helps to ensure proper chromosome segregation by protecting cohesion at the centromere by preventing cleavage of the cohesin complex. Some Sgo proteins also influence other aspects of kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Although many Sgo members require Aurora B kinase to localize to the centromere, factors controlling delocalization are poorly understood and diverse. Moreover, it is not clear how Sgo function is inactivated and whether this is distinct from delocalization. We investigated these questions in Drosophila melanogaster, an organism with superb chromosome cytology to monitor Sgo localization and quantitative assays to test its function in sister-chromatid segregation in meiosis. Previous research showed that in mitosis in cell culture, phosphorylation of the Drosophila Sgo, MEI-S332, by Aurora B promotes centromere localization, whereas Polo phosphorylation promotes delocalization. These studies also suggested that MEI-S332 can be inactivated independently of delocalization, a conclusion supported here by localization and function studies in meiosis. Phosphoresistant and phosphomimetic mutants for the Aurora B and Polo phosphorylation sites were examined for effects on MEI-S332 localization and chromosome segregation in meiosis. Strikingly, MEI-S332 with a phosphomimetic mutation in the Aurora B phosphorylation site prematurely dissociates from the centromeres in meiosis I. Despite the absence of MEI-S332 on meiosis II centromeres in male meiosis, sister chromatids segregate normally, demonstrating that detectable levels of this Sgo are not essential for chromosome congression, kinetochore biorientation, or spindle assembly. PMID:25081981

Spatiotemporal relationships between growth and microtubule orientation as revealed in living root cells of Arabidopsis thaliana transformed with green-fluorescent-protein gene construct GFP-MBD

Science.gov (United States)

Granger, C. L.; Cyr, R. J.

2001-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana plants were transformed with GFP-MBD (J. Marc et al., Plant Cell 10: 1927-1939, 1998) under the control of a constitutive (35S) or copper-inducible promoter. GFP-specific fluorescence distributions, levels, and persistence were determined and found to vary with age, tissue type, transgenic line, and individual plant. With the exception of an increased frequency of abnormal roots of 35S GFP-MBD plants grown on kanamycin-containing media, expression of GFP-MBD does not appear to affect plant phenotype. The number of leaves, branches, bolts, and siliques as well as overall height, leaf size, and seed set are similar between wild-type and transgenic plants as is the rate of root growth. Thus, we conclude that the transgenic plants can serve as a living model system in which the dynamic behavior of microtubules can be visualized. Confocal microscopy was used to simultaneously monitor growth and microtubule behavior within individual cells as they passed through the elongation zone of the Arabidopsis root. Generally, microtubules reoriented from transverse to oblique or longitudinal orientations as growth declined. Microtubule reorientation initiated at the ends of the cell did not necessarily occur simultaneously in adjacent neighboring cells and did not involve complete disintegration and repolymerization of microtubule arrays. Although growth rates correlated with microtubule reorientation, the two processes were not tightly coupled in terms of their temporal relationships, suggesting that other factor(s) may be involved in regulating both events. Additionally, microtubule orientation was more defined in cells whose growth was accelerating and less stringent in cells whose growth was decelerating, indicating that microtubule-orienting factor(s) may be sensitive to growth acceleration, rather than growth per se.

Combing and self-assembly phenomena in dry films of Taxol-stabilized microtubules

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Rose Franck

2007-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractMicrotubules are filamentous proteins that act as a substrate for the translocation of motor proteins. As such, they may be envisioned as a scaffold for the self-assembly of functional materials and devices. Physisorption, self-assembly and combing are here investigated as a potential prelude to microtubule-templated self-assembly. Dense films of self-assembled microtubules were successfully produced, as well as patterns of both dendritic and non-dendritic bundles of microtubules. They are presented in the present paper and the mechanism of their formation is discussed.

Brassinosteroids regulate pavement cell growth by mediating BIN2-induced microtubule stabilization.

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Liu, Xiaolei; Yang, Qin; Wang, Yuan; Wang, Linhai; Fu, Ying; Wang, Xuelu

2018-02-23

Brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of plant steroid hormones, play important roles in regulating plant development. The cytoskeleton also affects key developmental processes and a deficiency in BR biosynthesis or signaling leads to abnormal phenotypes similar to those of microtubule-defective mutants. However, how BRs regulate microtubule and cell morphology remains unknown. Here, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we identified tubulin proteins that interact with Arabidopsis BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2), a negative regulator of BR responses in plants. In vitro and in vivo pull-down assays confirmed that BIN2 interacts with tubulin proteins. High-speed co-sedimentation assays demonstrated that BIN2 also binds microtubules. The Arabidopsis genome also encodes two BIN2 homologs, BIN2-LIKE 1 (BIL1) and BIL2, which function redundantly with BIN2. In the bin2-3 bil1 bil2 triple mutant, cortical microtubules were more sensitive to treatment with the microtubule-disrupting drug oryzalin than in wild-type, whereas in the BIN2 gain-of-function mutant bin2-1, cortical microtubules were insensitive to oryzalin treatment. These results provide important insight into how BR regulates plant pavement cell and leaf growth by mediating the stabilization of microtubules by BIN2.

Katanin: A Sword Cutting Microtubules for Cellular, Developmental, and Physiological Purposes

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Ivan Luptovčiak

2017-11-01

Full Text Available KATANIN is a well-studied microtubule severing protein affecting microtubule organization and dynamic properties in higher plants. By regulating mitotic and cytokinetic and cortical microtubule arrays it is involved in the progression of cell division and cell division plane orientation. KATANIN is also involved in cell elongation and morphogenesis during plant growth. In this way KATANIN plays critical roles in diverse plant developmental processes including the development of pollen, embryo, seed, meristem, root, hypocotyl, cotyledon, leaf, shoot, and silique. KATANIN-dependent microtubule regulation seems to be under the control of plant hormones. This minireview provides an overview on available KATANIN mutants and discusses advances in our understanding of KATANIN biological roles in plants.

Identification of interphase functions for the NIMA kinase involving microtubules and the ESCRT pathway.

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Meera Govindaraghavan

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The Never in Mitosis A (NIMA kinase (the founding member of the Nek family of kinases has been considered a mitotic specific kinase with nuclear restricted roles in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. By extending to A. nidulans the results of a synthetic lethal screen performed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the NIMA ortholog KIN3, we identified a conserved genetic interaction between nimA and genes encoding proteins of the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT pathway. Absence of ESCRT pathway functions in combination with partial NIMA function causes enhanced cell growth defects, including an inability to maintain a single polarized dominant cell tip. These genetic insights suggest NIMA potentially has interphase functions in addition to its established mitotic functions at nuclei. We therefore generated endogenously GFP-tagged NIMA (NIMA-GFP which was fully functional to follow its interphase locations using live cell spinning disc 4D confocal microscopy. During interphase some NIMA-GFP locates to the tips of rapidly growing cells and, when expressed ectopically, also locates to the tips of cytoplasmic microtubules, suggestive of non-nuclear interphase functions. In support of this, perturbation of NIMA function either by ectopic overexpression or through partial inactivation results in marked cell tip growth defects with excess NIMA-GFP promoting multiple growing cell tips. Ectopic NIMA-GFP was found to locate to the plus ends of microtubules in an EB1 dependent manner, while impairing NIMA function altered the dynamic localization of EB1 and the cytoplasmic microtubule network. Together, our genetic and cell biological analyses reveal novel non-nuclear interphase functions for NIMA involving microtubules and the ESCRT pathway for normal polarized fungal cell tip growth. These insights extend the roles of NIMA both spatially and temporally and indicate that this conserved protein kinase could help integrate cell

Short Linear Sequence Motif LxxPTPh Targets Diverse Proteins to Growing Microtubule Ends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kumar, Anil; Manatschal, Cristina; Rai, Ankit; Grigoriev, Ilya; Degen, Miriam Steiner; Jaussi, Rolf; Kretzschmar, Ines; Prota, Andrea E; Volkmer, Rudolf; Kammerer, Richard A.; Akhmanova, Anna; Steinmetz, Michel O.

2017-01-01

Microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) are involved in virtually all microtubule-based processes. End-binding (EB) proteins are considered master regulators of +TIP interaction networks, since they autonomously track growing microtubule ends and recruit a plethora of proteins to this

Meikin-associated polo-like kinase specifies Bub1 distribution in meiosis I.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Seira; Kim, Jihye; Yamagishi, Yuya; Ishiguro, Tadashi; Okada, Yuki; Tanno, Yuji; Sakuno, Takeshi; Watanabe, Yoshinori

2017-06-01

In meiosis I, sister chromatids are captured by microtubules emanating from the same pole (mono-orientation), and centromeric cohesion is protected throughout anaphase. Shugoshin, which is localized to centromeres depending on the phosphorylation of histone H2A by Bub1 kinase, plays a central role in protecting meiotic cohesin Rec8 from separase cleavage. Another key meiotic kinetochore factor, meikin, may regulate cohesion protection, although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that fission yeast Moa1 (meikin), which associates stably with CENP-C during meiosis I, recruits Plo1 (polo-like kinase) to the kinetochores and phosphorylates Spc7 (KNL1) to accumulate Bub1. Consequently, in contrast to the transient kinetochore localization of mitotic Bub1, meiotic Bub1 persists at kinetochores until anaphase I. The meiotic Bub1 pool ensures robust Sgo1 (shugoshin) localization and cohesion protection at centromeres by cooperating with heterochromatin protein Swi6, which binds and stabilizes Sgo1. Furthermore, molecular genetic analyses show a hierarchical regulation of centromeric cohesion protection by meikin and shugoshin that is important for establishing meiosis-specific chromosome segregation. We provide evidence that the meiosis-specific Bub1 regulation is conserved in mouse. © 2017 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Template-free electrosynthesis of aligned poly(p-phenylene) microtubules

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2003-01-01

Poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) microtubules with diameters of 0.2-0.8μm and lengths of～10 (m have been synthesized by direct oxidation of benzene in the mixed electrolyte of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) (BFEE:TFA= 2:1, by volume), containing a certain amount of sodium dodecylbenzene- sulfonate (SDBS) as surfactant. The microtubules were grown vertically on the working electrode surface. The tubular morphology has been confirmed by scanning and transmission electron microscopies and the chain structure of the skin of the tubules has been characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The electrode property, monomer/surfactant molar ratio and the value of applied potential have strong effects on the morphology of the microtubules.

Stabilizing versus Destabilizing the Microtubules: A Double-Edge Sword for an Effective Cancer Treatment Option?

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Daniele Fanale

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are dynamic and structural cellular components involved in several cell functions, including cell shape, motility, and intracellular trafficking. In proliferating cells, they are essential components in the division process through the formation of the mitotic spindle. As a result of these functions, tubulin and microtubules are targets for anticancer agents. Microtubule-targeting agents can be divided into two groups: microtubule-stabilizing, and microtubule-destabilizing agents. The former bind to the tubulin polymer and stabilize microtubules, while the latter bind to the tubulin dimers and destabilize microtubules. Alteration of tubulin-microtubule equilibrium determines the disruption of the mitotic spindle, halting the cell cycle at the metaphase-anaphase transition and, eventually, resulting in cell death. Clinical application of earlier microtubule inhibitors, however, unfortunately showed several limits, such as neurological and bone marrow toxicity and the emergence of drug-resistant tumor cells. Here we review several natural and synthetic microtubule-targeting agents, which showed antitumor activity and increased efficacy in comparison to traditional drugs in various preclinical and clinical studies. Cryptophycins, combretastatins, ombrabulin, soblidotin, D-24851, epothilones and discodermolide were used in clinical trials. Some of them showed antiangiogenic and antivascular activity and others showed the ability to overcome multidrug resistance, supporting their possible use in chemotherapy.

NAD+ and SIRT3 control microtubule dynamics and reduce susceptibility to antimicrotubule agents

Science.gov (United States)

Harkcom, William T.; Ghosh, Ananda K.; Sung, Matthew S.; Matov, Alexandre; Brown, Kevin D.; Giannakakou, Paraskevi; Jaffrey, Samie R.

2014-01-01

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an endogenous enzyme cofactor and cosubstrate that has effects on diverse cellular and physiologic processes, including reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and axonal degeneration. A major goal is to identify the NAD+-regulated cellular pathways that may mediate these effects. Here we show that the dynamic assembly and disassembly of microtubules is markedly altered by NAD+. Furthermore, we show that the disassembly of microtubule polymers elicited by microtubule depolymerizing agents is blocked by increasing intracellular NAD+ levels. We find that these effects of NAD+ are mediated by the activation of the mitochondrial sirtuin sirtuin-3 (SIRT3). Overexpression of SIRT3 prevents microtubule disassembly and apoptosis elicited by antimicrotubule agents and knockdown of SIRT3 prevents the protective effects of NAD+ on microtubule polymers. Taken together, these data demonstrate that NAD+ and SIRT3 regulate microtubule polymerization and the efficacy of antimicrotubule agents. PMID:24889606

Halogenated auxins affect microtubules and root elongation in Lactuca sativa

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, N.; Hasenstein, K. H.

2000-01-01

We studied the effect of 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid (TFIBA), a recently described root growth stimulator, and 5,6-dichloro-indole-3-acetic acid (DCIAA) on growth and microtubule (MT) organization in roots of Lactuca sativa L. DCIAA and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) inhibited root elongation and depolymerized MTs in the cortex of the elongation zone, inhibited the elongation of stele cells, and promoted xylem maturation. Both auxins caused the plane of cell division to shift from anticlinal to periclinal. In contrast, TFIBA (100 micromolar) promoted elongation of primary roots by 40% and stimulated the elongation of lateral roots, even in the presence of IBA, the microtubular inhibitors oryzalin and taxol, or the auxin transport inhibitor naphthylphthalamic acid. However, TFIBA inhibited the formation of lateral root primordia. Immunostaining showed that TFIBA stabilized MTs orientation perpendicular to the root axis, doubled the cortical cell length, but delayed xylem maturation. The data indicate that the auxin-induced inhibition of elongation and swelling of roots results from reoriented phragmoplasts, the destabilization of MTs in elongating cells, and promotion of vessel formation. In contrast, TFIBA induced promotion of root elongation by enhancing cell length, prolonging transverse MT orientation, delaying cell and xylem maturation.

KIF7 Controls the Proliferation of Cells of the Respiratory Airway through Distinct Microtubule Dependent Mechanisms.

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Garry L Coles

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The cell cycle must be tightly coordinated for proper control of embryonic development and for the long-term maintenance of organs such as the lung. There is emerging evidence that Kinesin family member 7 (Kif7 promotes Hedgehog (Hh signaling during embryonic development, and its misregulation contributes to diseases such as ciliopathies and cancer. Kif7 encodes a microtubule interacting protein that controls Hh signaling through regulation of microtubule dynamics within the primary cilium. However, whether Kif7 has a function in nonciliated cells remains largely unknown. The role Kif7 plays in basic cell biological processes like cell proliferation or cell cycle progression also remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that Kif7 is required for coordination of the cell cycle, and inactivation of this gene leads to increased cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. Immunostaining and transmission electron microscopy experiments show that Kif7dda/dda mutant lungs are hyperproliferative and exhibit reduced alveolar epithelial cell differentiation. KIF7 depleted C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts and Kif7dda/dda mutant mouse embryonic fibroblasts have increased growth rates at high cellular densities, suggesting that Kif7 may function as a general regulator of cellular proliferation. We ascertained that in G1, Kif7 and microtubule dynamics regulate the expression and activity of several components of the cell cycle machinery known to control entry into S phase. Our data suggest that Kif7 may function to regulate the maintenance of the respiratory airway architecture by controlling cellular density, cell proliferation, and cycle exit through its role as a microtubule associated protein.

Simultaneous 3D tracking of passive tracers and microtubule bundles in an active gel

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yi; Breuer, Kenneth S.; Fluids Team

Kinesin-driven microtubule bundles generate a spontaneous flow in unconfined geometries. They exhibit properties of active matter, including the emergence of collective motion, reduction of apparent viscosity and consumption of local energy. Here we present results from 3D tracking of passive tracers (using Airy rings and 3D scanning) synchronized with 3D measurement of the microtubule bundles motion. This technique is applied to measure viscosity variation and collective flow in a confined geometry with particular attention paid to the self-pumping system recently reported by Wu et al. (2016). Results show that the viscosity in an equilibrium microtubule network is around half that of the isotropic unbundled microtubule solution. Cross-correlations of the active microtubule network and passive tracers define a neighborhood around microtubule bundles in which passive tracers are effectively transported. MRSEC NSF.

Self-Sustained Oscillatory Sliding Movement of Doublet Microtubules and Flagellar Bend Formation.

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Sumio Ishijima

Full Text Available It is well established that the basis for flagellar and ciliary movements is ATP-dependent sliding between adjacent doublet microtubules. However, the mechanism for converting microtubule sliding into flagellar and ciliary movements has long remained unresolved. The author has developed new sperm models that use bull spermatozoa divested of their plasma membrane and midpiece mitochondrial sheath by Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol. These models enable the observation of both the oscillatory sliding movement of activated doublet microtubules and flagellar bend formation in the presence of ATP. A long fiber of doublet microtubules extruded by synchronous sliding of the sperm flagella and a short fiber of doublet microtubules extruded by metachronal sliding exhibited spontaneous oscillatory movements and constructed a one beat cycle of flagellar bending by alternately actuating. The small sliding displacement generated by metachronal sliding formed helical bends, whereas the large displacement by synchronous sliding formed planar bends. Therefore, the resultant waveform is a half-funnel shape, which is similar to ciliary movements.

Potential mechanisms of resistance to microtubule inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavallaris, Maria; Annereau, Jean-Philippe; Barret, Jean-Marc

2008-06-01

Antimitotic drugs targeting the microtubules, such as the taxanes and vinca alkaloids, are widely used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. Development of drug resistance over time, however, limits the efficacy of these agents and poses a clinical challenge to long-term improvement of patient outcomes. Understanding the mechanism(s) of drug resistance becomes paramount to allowing for alternative, if not improved, therapeutic options that might circumvent this challenge. Vinflunine, a novel microtubule inhibitor, has shown superior preclinical antitumor activity, and displays a different pattern of resistance, compared with other agents in the vinca alkaloid class.

Requirement for PLK1 kinase activity in the maintenance of a robust spindle assembly checkpoint

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Aisling O'Connor

2016-01-01

Full Text Available During mitotic arrest induced by microtubule targeting drugs, the weakening of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC allows cells to progress through the cell cycle without chromosome segregation occurring. PLK1 kinase plays a major role in mitosis and emerging evidence indicates that PLK1 is also involved in establishing the checkpoint and maintaining SAC signalling. However, mechanistically, the role of PLK1 in the SAC is not fully understood, with several recent reports indicating that it can cooperate with either one of the major checkpoint kinases, Aurora B or MPS1. In this study, we assess the role of PLK1 in SAC maintenance. We find that in nocodazole-arrested U2OS cells, PLK1 activity is continuously required for maintaining Aurora B protein localisation and activity at kinetochores. Consistent with published data we find that upon PLK1 inhibition, phosphoThr3-H3, a marker of Haspin activity, is reduced. Intriguingly, Aurora B inhibition causes PLK1 to relocalise from kinetochores into fewer and much larger foci, possibly due to incomplete recruitment of outer kinetochore proteins. Importantly, PLK1 inhibition, together with partial inhibition of Aurora B, allows efficient SAC override to occur. This phenotype is more pronounced than the phenotype observed by combining the same PLK1 inhibitors with partial MPS1 inhibition. We also find that PLK1 inhibition does not obviously cooperate with Haspin inhibition to promote SAC override. These results indicate that PLK1 is directly involved in maintaining efficient SAC signalling, possibly by cooperating in a positive feedback loop with Aurora B, and that partially redundant mechanisms exist which reinforce the SAC.

Emerging roles for microtubules in angiosperm pollen tube growth highlight new research cues

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Alessandra eMoscatelli

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In plants, actin filaments have an important role in organelle movement and cytoplasmic streaming. Otherwise microtubules have a role in restricting organelles to specific areas of the cell and in maintaining organelle morphology. In somatic plant cells, microtubules also participate in cell division and morphogenesis, allowing cells to take their definitive shape in order to perform specific functions. In the latter case, microtubules influence assembly of the cell wall, controlling the delivery of enzymes involved in cellulose synthesis and of wall modulation material to the proper sites.In angiosperm pollen tubes, organelle movement is generally attributed to the acto-myosin system, the main role of which is in distributing organelles in the cytoplasm and in carrying secretory vesicles to the apex for polarized growth. Recent data on membrane trafficking suggests a role of microtubules in fine delivery and repositioning of vesicles to sustain pollen tube growth. This review examines the role of microtubules in secretion and endocytosis, highlighting new research cues regarding cell wall construction and pollen tube-pistil crosstalk, that help unravel the role of microtubules in polarized growth.

EB1 is required for primary cilia assembly in fibroblasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schrøder, Jacob M; Schneider, Linda; Christensen, Søren T

2007-01-01

EB1 is a small microtubule (MT)-binding protein that associates preferentially with MT plus ends and plays a role in regulating MT dynamics. EB1 also targets other MT-associated proteins to the plus end and thereby regulates interactions of MTs with the cell cortex, mitotic kinetochores, and diff...... that localization of EB1 at the centriole/basal body is required for primary cilia assembly in fibroblasts....

Electrodynamic effects on microtubules

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kučera, Ondřej; Havelka, Daniel; Deriu, M.A.; Cifra, Michal

2015-01-01

Roč. 44, Jul (2015), s. 169-169 ISSN 0175-7571. [10th European-Biophysical-Societies-Association (EBSA) European Biophysics Congress. 18.07.2015-22.07.2015, Dresden] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-17102S Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Microtubules * Electric al polarity Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electric al Engineering

Hypothesis: NDL proteins function in stress responses by regulating microtubule organization.

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Khatri, Nisha; Mudgil, Yashwanti

2015-01-01

N-MYC DOWNREGULATED-LIKE proteins (NDL), members of the alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily were recently rediscovered as interactors of G-protein signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. Although the precise molecular function of NDL proteins is still elusive, in animals these proteins play protective role in hypoxia and expression is induced by hypoxia and nickel, indicating role in stress. Homology of NDL1 with animal counterpart N-MYC DOWNREGULATED GENE (NDRG) suggests similar functions in animals and plants. It is well established that stress responses leads to the microtubule depolymerization and reorganization which is crucial for stress tolerance. NDRG is a microtubule-associated protein which mediates the microtubule organization in animals by causing acetylation and increases the stability of α-tubulin. As NDL1 is highly homologous to NDRG, involvement of NDL1 in the microtubule organization during plant stress can also be expected. Discovery of interaction of NDL with protein kinesin light chain- related 1, enodomembrane family protein 70, syntaxin-23, tubulin alpha-2 chain, as a part of G protein interactome initiative encourages us to postulate microtubule stabilizing functions for NDL family in plants. Our search for NDL interactors in G protein interactome also predicts the role of NDL proteins in abiotic stress tolerance management. Based on published report in animals and predicted interacting partners for NDL in G protein interactome lead us to hypothesize involvement of NDL in the microtubule organization during abiotic stress management in plants.

Transient gibberellin application promotes Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl cell elongation without maintaining transverse orientation of microtubules on the outer tangential wall of epidermal cells

KAUST Repository

Sauret-Güeto, Susanna

2011-11-25

The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) promotes plant growth by stimulating cellular expansion. Whilst it is known that GA acts by opposing the growth-repressing effects of DELLA proteins, it is not known how these events promote cellular expansion. Here we present a time-lapse analysis of the effects of a single pulse of GA on the growth of Arabidopsis hypocotyls. Our analyses permit kinetic resolution of the transient growth effects of GA on expanding cells. We show that pulsed application of GA to the relatively slowly growing cells of the unexpanded light-grown Arabidopsis hypocotyl results in a transient burst of anisotropic cellular growth. This burst, and the subsequent restoration of initial cellular elongation rates, occurred respectively following the degradation and subsequent reappearance of a GFP-tagged DELLA (GFP-RGA). In addition, we used a GFP-tagged α-tubulin 6 (GFP-TUA6) to visualise the behaviour of microtubules (MTs) on the outer tangential wall (OTW) of epidermal cells. In contrast to some current hypotheses concerning the effect of GA on MTs, we show that the GA-induced boost of hypocotyl cell elongation rate is not dependent upon the maintenance of transverse orientation of the OTW MTs. This confirms that transverse alignment of outer face MTs is not necessary to maintain rapid elongation rates of light-grown hypocotyls. Together with future studies on MT dynamics in other faces of epidermal cells and in cells deeper within the hypocotyl, our observations advance understanding of the mechanisms by which GA promotes plant cell and organ growth. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dynamic release of nuclear RanGTP triggers TPX2-dependent microtubule assembly during the apoptotic execution phase.

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Moss, David K; Wilde, Andrew; Lane, Jon D

2009-03-01

During apoptosis, the interphase microtubule network is dismantled then later replaced by a novel, non-centrosomal microtubule array. These microtubules assist in the peripheral redistribution of nuclear fragments in the apoptotic cell; however, the regulation of apoptotic microtubule assembly is not understood. Here, we demonstrate that microtubule assembly depends upon the release of nuclear RanGTP into the apoptotic cytoplasm because this process is blocked in apoptotic cells overexpressing dominant-negative GDP-locked Ran (T24N). Actin-myosin-II contractility provides the impetus for Ran release and, consequently, microtubule assembly is blocked in blebbistatin- and Y27632-treated apoptotic cells. Importantly, the spindle-assembly factor TPX2 (targeting protein for Xklp2), colocalises with apoptotic microtubules, and siRNA silencing of TPX2, but not of the microtubule motors Mklp1 and Kid, abrogates apoptotic microtubule assembly. These data provide a molecular explanation for the assembly of the apoptotic microtubule network, and suggest important similarities with the process of RanGTP- and TPX2-mediated mitotic spindle formation.

Feeding cells induced by phytoparasitic nematodes require γ-tubulin ring complex for microtubule reorganization.

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Mohamed Youssef Banora

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Reorganization of the microtubule network is important for the fast isodiametric expansion of giant-feeding cells induced by root-knot nematodes. The efficiency of microtubule reorganization depends on the nucleation of new microtubules, their elongation rate and activity of microtubule severing factors. New microtubules in plants are nucleated by cytoplasmic or microtubule-bound γ-tubulin ring complexes. Here we investigate the requirement of γ-tubulin complexes for giant feeding cells development using the interaction between Arabidopsis and Meloidogyne spp. as a model system. Immunocytochemical analyses demonstrate that γ-tubulin localizes to both cortical cytoplasm and mitotic microtubule arrays of the giant cells where it can associate with microtubules. The transcripts of two Arabidopsis γ-tubulin (TUBG1 and TUBG2 and two γ-tubulin complex proteins genes (GCP3 and GCP4 are upregulated in galls. Electron microscopy demonstrates association of GCP3 and γ-tubulin as part of a complex in the cytoplasm of giant cells. Knockout of either or both γ-tubulin genes results in the gene dose-dependent alteration of the morphology of feeding site and failure of nematode life cycle completion. We conclude that the γ-tubulin complex is essential for the control of microtubular network remodelling in the course of initiation and development of giant-feeding cells, and for the successful reproduction of nematodes in their plant hosts.

Mechanism for G2 phase-specific nuclear export of the kinetochore protein CENP-F.

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Loftus, Kyle M; Cui, Heying; Coutavas, Elias; King, David S; Ceravolo, Amanda; Pereiras, Dylan; Solmaz, Sozanne R

2017-08-03

Centromere protein F (CENP-F) is a component of the kinetochore and a regulator of cell cycle progression. CENP-F recruits the dynein transport machinery and orchestrates several cell cycle-specific transport events, including transport of the nucleus, mitochondria and chromosomes. A key regulatory step for several of these functions is likely the G2 phase-specific export of CENP-F from the nucleus to the cytosol, where the cytoplasmic dynein transport machinery resides; however, the molecular mechanism of this process is elusive. Here, we have identified 3 phosphorylation sites within the bipartite classical nuclear localization signal (cNLS) of CENP-F. These sites are specific for cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1), which is active in G2 phase. Phosphomimetic mutations of these residues strongly diminish the interaction of the CENP-F cNLS with its nuclear transport receptor karyopherin α. These mutations also diminish nuclear localization of the CENP-F cNLS in cells. Notably, the cNLS is phosphorylated in the -1 position, which is important to orient the adjacent major motif for binding into its pocket on karyopherin α. We propose that localization of CENP-F is regulated by a cNLS, and a nuclear export pathway, resulting in nuclear localization during most of interphase. In G2 phase, the cNLS is weakened by phosphorylation through Cdk1, likely resulting in nuclear export of CENP-F via the still active nuclear export pathway. Once CENP-F resides in the cytosol, it can engage in pathways that are important for cell cycle progression, kinetochore assembly and the faithful segregation of chromosomes into daughter cells.

Protein friction limits diffusive and directed movements of kinesin motors on microtubules.

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Bormuth, Volker; Varga, Vladimir; Howard, Jonathon; Schäffer, Erik

2009-08-14

Friction limits the operation of macroscopic engines and is critical to the performance of micromechanical devices. We report measurements of friction in a biological nanomachine. Using optical tweezers, we characterized the frictional drag force of individual kinesin-8 motor proteins interacting with their microtubule tracks. At low speeds and with no energy source, the frictional drag was related to the diffusion coefficient by the Einstein relation. At higher speeds, the frictional drag force increased nonlinearly, consistent with the motor jumping 8 nanometers between adjacent tubulin dimers along the microtubule, and was asymmetric, reflecting the structural polarity of the microtubule. We argue that these frictional forces arise from breaking bonds between the motor domains and the microtubule, and they limit the speed and efficiency of kinesin.

Regulation of developmental and environmental signaling by interaction between microtubules and membranes in plant cells

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Qun Zhang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Cell division and expansion require the ordered arrangement of microtubules, which are subject to spatial and temporal modifications by developmental and environmental factors. Understanding how signals translate to changes in cortical microtubule organization is of fundamental importance. A defining feature of the cortical microtubule array is its association with the plasma membrane; modules of the plasma membrane are thought to play important roles in the mediation of microtubule organization. In this review, we highlight advances in research on the regulation of cortical microtubule organization by membrane-associated and membrane-tethered proteins and lipids in response to phytohormones and stress. The transmembrane kinase receptor Rho-like guanosine triphosphatase, phospholipase D, phosphatidic acid, and phosphoinositides are discussed with a focus on their roles in microtubule organization.

Modulation of microtubule assembly by the HIV-1 Tat protein is strongly dependent on zinc binding to Tat

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Muller Sylviane

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background During HIV-1 infection, the Tat protein plays a key role by transactivating the transcription of the HIV-1 proviral DNA. In addition, Tat induces apoptosis of non-infected T lymphocytes, leading to a massive loss of immune competence. This apoptosis is notably mediated by the interaction of Tat with microtubules, which are dynamic components essential for cell structure and division. Tat binds two Zn2+ ions through its conserved cysteine-rich region in vitro, but the role of zinc in the structure and properties of Tat is still controversial. Results To investigate the role of zinc, we first characterized Tat apo- and holo-forms by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Both of the Tat forms are monomeric and poorly folded but differ by local conformational changes in the vicinity of the cysteine-rich region. The interaction of the two Tat forms with tubulin dimers and microtubules was monitored by analytical ultracentrifugation, turbidity measurements and electron microscopy. At 20°C, both of the Tat forms bind tubulin dimers, but only the holo-Tat was found to form discrete complexes. At 37°C, both forms promoted the nucleation and increased the elongation rates of tubulin assembly. However, only the holo-Tat increased the amount of microtubules, decreased the tubulin critical concentration, and stabilized the microtubules. In contrast, apo-Tat induced a large amount of tubulin aggregates. Conclusion Our data suggest that holo-Tat corresponds to the active form, responsible for the Tat-mediated apoptosis.

CENTROSOMES AND MICROTUBULES DURING MEIOSIS IN THE MUSHROOM BOLETUS RUBINELLUS

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McLaughlin, David J.

1971-01-01

The double centrosome in the basidium of Boletus rubinellus has been observed in three planes with the electron microscope at interphase preceding nuclear fusion, at prophase I, and at interphase I. It is composed of two components connected by a band-shaped middle part. At anaphase I a single, enlarged centrosome is found at the spindle pole, which is attached to the cell membrane. Microtubules mainly oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the basidium are present at prefusion, prophase I and interphase I. Cytoplasmic microtubules are absent when the spindle is present. The relationship of the centrosome in B. rubinellus to that in other organisms and the role of the cytoplasmic microtubules are discussed. PMID:4329156

TBCD links centriologenesis, spindle microtubule dynamics, and midbody abscission in human cells.

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Mónica López Fanarraga

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Microtubule-organizing centers recruit alpha- and beta-tubulin polypeptides for microtubule nucleation. Tubulin synthesis is complex, requiring five specific cofactors, designated tubulin cofactors (TBCs A-E, which contribute to various aspects of microtubule dynamics in vivo. Here, we show that tubulin cofactor D (TBCD is concentrated at the centrosome and midbody, where it participates in centriologenesis, spindle organization, and cell abscission. TBCD exhibits a cell-cycle-specific pattern, localizing on the daughter centriole at G1 and on procentrioles by S, and disappearing from older centrioles at telophase as the protein is recruited to the midbody. Our data show that TBCD overexpression results in microtubule release from the centrosome and G1 arrest, whereas its depletion produces mitotic aberrations and incomplete microtubule retraction at the midbody during cytokinesis. TBCD is recruited to the centriole replication site at the onset of the centrosome duplication cycle. A role in centriologenesis is further supported in differentiating ciliated cells, where TBCD is organized into "centriolar rosettes". These data suggest that TBCD participates in both canonical and de novo centriolar assembly pathways.

Mto2 multisite phosphorylation inactivates non-spindle microtubule nucleation complexes during mitosis

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Borek, Weronika E.; Groocock, Lynda M.; Samejima, Itaru; Zou, Juan; de Lima Alves, Flavia; Rappsilber, Juri; Sawin, Kenneth E.

2015-01-01

Microtubule nucleation is highly regulated during the eukaryotic cell cycle, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. During mitosis in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation ceases simultaneously with intranuclear mitotic spindle assembly. Cytoplasmic nucleation depends on the Mto1/2 complex, which binds and activates the γ-tubulin complex and also recruits the γ-tubulin complex to both centrosomal (spindle pole body) and non-centrosomal sites. Here we show that the Mto1/2 complex disassembles during mitosis, coincident with hyperphosphorylation of Mto2 protein. By mapping and mutating multiple Mto2 phosphorylation sites, we generate mto2-phosphomutant strains with enhanced Mto1/2 complex stability, interaction with the γ-tubulin complex and microtubule nucleation activity. A mutant with 24 phosphorylation sites mutated to alanine, mto2[24A], retains interphase-like behaviour even in mitotic cells. This provides a molecular-level understanding of how phosphorylation ‘switches off' microtubule nucleation complexes during the cell cycle and, more broadly, illuminates mechanisms regulating non-centrosomal microtubule nucleation. PMID:26243668

Microtubule-targeting drugs rescue axonal swellings in cortical neurons from spastin knockout mice

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Coralie Fassier

2013-01-01

Mutations in SPG4, encoding the microtubule-severing protein spastin, are responsible for the most frequent form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP, a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases characterized by degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. We previously reported that mice harboring a deletion in Spg4, generating a premature stop codon, develop progressive axonal degeneration characterized by focal axonal swellings associated with impaired axonal transport. To further characterize the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this mutant phenotype, we have assessed microtubule dynamics and axonal transport in primary cultures of cortical neurons from spastin-mutant mice. We show an early and marked impairment of microtubule dynamics all along the axons of spastin-deficient cortical neurons, which is likely to be responsible for the occurrence of axonal swellings and cargo stalling. Our analysis also reveals that a modulation of microtubule dynamics by microtubule-targeting drugs rescues the mutant phenotype of cortical neurons. Together, these results contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SPG4-linked HSP and ascertain the influence of microtubule-targeted drugs on the early axonal phenotype in a mouse model of the disease.

EWSR1 regulates mitosis by dynamically influencing microtubule acetylation.

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Wang, Yi-Long; Chen, Hui; Zhan, Yi-Qun; Yin, Rong-Hua; Li, Chang-Yan; Ge, Chang-Hui; Yu, Miao; Yang, Xiao-Ming

2016-08-17

EWSR1, participating in transcription and splicing, has been identified as a translocation partner for various transcription factors, resulting in translocation, which in turn plays crucial roles in tumorigenesis. Recent studies have investigated the role of EWSR1 in mitosis. However, the effect of EWSR1 on mitosis is poorly understood. Here, we observed that depletion of EWSR1 resulted in cell cycle arrest in the mitotic phase, mainly due to an increase in the time from nuclear envelope breakdown to metaphase, resulting in a high percentage of unaligned chromosomes and multipolar spindles. We also demonstrated that EWSR1 is a spindle-associated protein that interacts with α-tubulin during mitosis. EWSR1 depletion increased the cold-sensitivity of spindle microtubules, and decreased the rate of spindle assembly. EWSR1 regulated the level of microtubule acetylation in the mitotic spindle; microtubule acetylation was rescued in EWSR1-depleted mitotic cells following suppression of HDAC6 activity by its specific inhibitor or siRNA treatment. In summary, these results suggest that EWSR1 regulates the acetylation of microtubules in a cell cycle-dependent manner through its dynamic location on spindle MTs, and may be a novel regulator for mitosis progress independent of its translocation.

Dietary flavonoid fisetin binds to β-tubulin and disrupts microtubule dynamics in prostate cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhtar, Eiman; Adhami, Vaqar Mustafa; Sechi, Mario; Mukhtar, Hasan

2015-10-28

Microtubule targeting based therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment; however, resistance and side effects remain a major limitation. Therefore, novel strategies that can overcome these limitations are urgently needed. We made a novel discovery that fisetin, a hydroxyflavone, is a microtubule stabilizing agent. Fisetin binds to tubulin and stabilizes microtubules with binding characteristics far superior than paclitaxel. Surface plasmon resonance and computational docking studies suggested that fisetin binds to β-tubulin with superior affinity compared to paclitaxel. Fisetin treatment of human prostate cancer cells resulted in robust up-regulation of microtubule associated proteins (MAP)-2 and -4. In addition, fisetin treated cells were enriched in α-tubulin acetylation, an indication of stabilization of microtubules. Fisetin significantly inhibited PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Nudc, a protein associated with microtubule motor dynein/dynactin complex that regulates microtubule dynamics, was inhibited with fisetin treatment. Further, fisetin treatment of a P-glycoprotein overexpressing multidrug-resistant cancer cell line NCI/ADR-RES inhibited the viability and colony formation. Our results offer in vitro proof-of-concept for fisetin as a microtubule targeting agent. We suggest that fisetin could be developed as an adjuvant for treatment of prostate and other cancer types. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on microtubule organisation and morphogenesis in plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staxen, I.

1994-09-01

The involvement of the cytoskeleton in the development of somatic embryos was studied in Larix x eurolepis. Protoplasts were isolated from both somatic embryo-regenerating and non-generating cultures and fractionated on a discontinuous Percoll density gradient, whereby a highly embryogenic protoplast fraction could be enriched. Protoplasts of two cell lines of Larix eurolepis, one with regenerating potential and one lacking this potential, were compared. In contrast to the non-regenerating line were a protoplast-like organisation of the cortical microtubules was maintained, re-organisation of this microtubular network occurred in the regenerable line after only three days of culture, indicating that organised growth was occurring. However, this early organisation of cortical microtubules may not always be a valid marker for regenerable and non-regenerable material. In order to investigate the effect of ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation on the microtubule cytoskeleton, protoplasts were isolated from leaves of Petunia hybrida and subjected to four different doses of UV-B radiation. The organisation of the microtubules and the progression of the cells through the cell cycle was observed at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after irradiation. UV-B induced breaks in the cortical microtubules resulting in shorter fragments with increasing amounts of radiation. Also, the division of the protoplasts was delayed, which was related to the absence of an microtubule network. Whole Petunia plants were grown in growth chambers in the presence and absence of UV-B. The plants responded to UV-B with increased rates of CO 2 assimilation, a 60% increase in UV-screening compounds and the changes in the morphology of the leaves that were reflected in a 70-100% increase in leaf area and 20% decrease in leaf thickness. The microtubules of the epidermal cells was not affected by UV-B, nor was the number of epidermal cells (per unit area). The increase in leaf area in the UV-treated plants

The effects of 60Co γ-ray irradiation on cytoplasmic microtubules of mouse macrophages and lymphocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Qianqian; Mao Zijun; Yin Zhiwei; Hu Yumin

1989-05-01

The effects of 60 Co γ-ray irradiation on cytoplasmic microtubules of mouse macrophages and lymphocytes were investigated by immunofluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscope. The results indicated. (1) microtubule organization of the irradiated cells remarkably differed from that of the control since the doses over 4 Gy; (2) 144 hours after irradiation the alterations of microtubules have been shown to be basically r epaired ; (3) the cytoplasmic microtubules and centrioles disappeared under transmission electron microscope, the membranes irradiated and microvilli showed changes under scanning electron microscope too. From these observations and those of other workers who studied the radiation effect on extracted microtubule proteins in vitro, the authors support that 60 Co γ-ray irradiation can inhabits cytoplasmic microtubule assembling

Interactive domains in the molecular chaperone human alphaB crystallin modulate microtubule assembly and disassembly.

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Joy G Ghosh

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Small heat shock proteins regulate microtubule assembly during cell proliferation and in response to stress through interactions that are poorly understood.Novel functions for five interactive sequences in the small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone, human alphaB crystallin, were investigated in the assembly/disassembly of microtubules and aggregation of tubulin using synthetic peptides and mutants of human alphaB crystallin.The interactive sequence (113FISREFHR(120 exposed on the surface of alphaB crystallin decreased microtubule assembly by approximately 45%. In contrast, the interactive sequences, (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 and (156ERTIPITRE(164, corresponding to the beta8 strand and the C-terminal extension respectively, which are involved in complex formation, increased microtubule assembly by approximately 34-45%. The alphaB crystallin peptides, (113FISREFHR(120 and (156ERTIPITRE(164, inhibited microtubule disassembly by approximately 26-36%, and the peptides (113FISREFHR(120 and (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 decreased the thermal aggregation of tubulin by approximately 42-44%. The (131LTITSSLSSDGV(142 and (156ERTIPITRE(164 peptides were more effective than the widely used anti-cancer drug, Paclitaxel, in modulating tubulinmicrotubule dynamics. Mutagenesis of these interactive sequences in wt human alphaB crystallin confirmed the effects of the alphaB crystallin peptides on microtubule assembly/disassembly and tubulin aggregation. The regulation of microtubule assembly by alphaB crystallin varied over a narrow range of concentrations. The assembly of microtubules was maximal at alphaB crystallin to tubulin molar ratios between 1:4 and 2:1, while molar ratios >2:1 inhibited microtubule assembly.Interactive sequences on the surface of human alphaB crystallin collectively modulate microtubule assembly through a dynamic subunit exchange mechanism that depends on the concentration and ratio of alphaB crystallin to tubulin. These are the first

Calcium regulates ATP-sensitive microtubule binding by Chlamydomonas outer arm dynein.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakato, Miho; King, Stephen M

2003-10-31

The Chlamydomonas outer dynein arm contains three distinct heavy chains (alpha, beta, and gamma) that exhibit different motor properties. The LC4 protein, which binds 1-2 Ca2+ with KCa = 3 x 10-5 m, is associated with the gamma heavy chain and has been proposed to act as a sensor to regulate dynein motor function in response to alterations in intraflagellar Ca2+ levels. Here we genetically dissect the outer arm to yield subparticles containing different motor unit combinations and assess the microtubule-binding properties of these complexes both prior to and following preincubation with tubulin and ATP, which was used to inhibit ATP-insensitive (structural) microtubule binding. We observed that the alpha heavy chain exhibits a dominant Ca2+-independent ATP-sensitive MT binding activity in vitro that is inhibited by attachment of tubulin to the structural microtubule-binding domain. Furthermore, we show that ATP-sensitive microtubule binding by a dynein subparticle containing only the beta and gamma heavy chains does not occur at Ca2+ concentrations below pCa 6 but is maximally activated above pCa 5. This activity was not observed in mutant dyneins containing small deletions in the microtubule-binding region of the beta heavy chain or in dyneins that lack both the alpha heavy chain and the motor domain of the beta heavy chain. These findings strongly suggest that Ca2+ binding directly to a component of the dynein complex regulates ATP-sensitive interactions between the beta heavy chain and microtubules and lead to a model for how individual motor units are controlled within the outer dynein arm.

Optical properties of template synthesized nanowalled ZnS microtubules

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Kumar, Rajesh; Chakarvarti, S. K.

2007-12-01

Electrodeposition is a versatile technique combining low processing cost with ambient conditions that can be used to prepare metallic, polymeric and semiconducting nano/micro structures. In the present work, track-etch membranes (TEMs) of makrofol (KG) have been used as templates for synthesis of ZnS nanowalled microtubules using electrodeposition technique. The morphology of the microtubules was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Size effects on the band gap of tubules have also been studied by UV-visible spectrophotometer.

Regulation of microtubule nucleation mediated by gamma-tubulin complexes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sulimenko, Vadym; Hájková, Zuzana; Klebanovych, Anastasiya; Dráber, Pavel

2017-01-01

Roč. 254, č. 3 (2017), s. 1187-1199 ISSN 0033-183X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD13015 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : mitotic spindle formation * ring complex * fission yeast * organizing centers * protein complex * golgi-complex * cell-cycle * pole body * augmin * centrosome * Centrosomes * Microtubule nucleation * Microtubule-organizing centers * Non-centrosomal nucleation sites * Spindle pole bodies * gamma-Tubulin complexes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 2.870, year: 2016

Buckling analysis of orthotropic protein microtubules under axial and radial compression based on couple stress theory.

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Beni, Yaghoub Tadi; Zeverdejani, M Karimi; Mehralian, Fahimeh

2017-10-01

Protein microtubules (MTs) are one of the important intercellular components and have a vital role in the stability and strength of the cells. Due to applied external loads, protein microtubules may be involved buckling phenomenon. Due to impact of protein microtubules in cell reactions, it is important to determine their critical buckling load. Considering nature of protein microtubules, various parameters are effective on microtubules buckling. The small size of microtubules and also lack of uniformity of MTs properties in different directions caused the necessity of accuracy in the analysis of these bio-structure. In fact, microtubules must be considered as a size dependent cylinder, which behave as an orthotropic material. Hence, in the present work using first-order shear deformation model (FSDT), the buckling equations of anisotropic MTs are derived based on new modified couple stress theory (NMCST). After solving the stability equations, the influences of various parameters are measured on the MTs critical buckling load. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dinitroaniline herbicide resistance and the microtubule cytoskeleton.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony; Hussey

1999-03-01

Dinitroaniline herbicides have been used for pre-emergence weed control for the past 25 years in cotton, soybean, wheat and oilseed crops. Considering their long persistence and extensive use, resistance to dinitroanilines is fairly rare. However, the most widespread dinitroaniline-resistant weeds, the highly resistant (R) and the intermediate (I) biotypes of the invasive goosegrass Eleusine indica, are now infesting more than 1000 cotton fields in the southern states of the USA. The molecular basis of this resistance has been identified, and found to be a point mutation in a major microtubule cytoskeletal protein, alpha-tubulin. These studies have served both to explain the establishment of resistance and to reveal fundamental properties of tubulin gene expression and microtubule structure.

Tubulin cofactor B regulates microtubule densities during microglia transition to the reactive states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fanarraga, M.L.; Villegas, J.C.; Carranza, G.; Castano, R.; Zabala, J.C.

2009-01-01

Microglia are highly dynamic cells of the CNS that continuously survey the welfare of the neural parenchyma and play key roles modulating neurogenesis and neuronal cell death. In response to injury or pathogen invasion parenchymal microglia transforms into a more active cell that proliferates, migrates and behaves as a macrophage. The acquisition of these extra skills implicates enormous modifications of the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons. Here we show that tubulin cofactor B (TBCB), which has been found to contribute to various aspects of microtubule dynamics in vivo, is also implicated in microglial cytoskeletal changes. We find that TBCB is upregulated in post-lesion reactive parenchymal microglia/macrophages, in interferon treated BV-2 microglial cells, and in neonate amoeboid microglia where the microtubule densities are remarkably low. Our data demonstrate that upon TBCB downregulation both, after microglia differentiation to the ramified phenotype in vivo and in vitro, or after TBCB gene silencing, microtubule densities are restored in these cells. Taken together these observations support the view that TBCB functions as a microtubule density regulator in microglia during activation, and provide an insight into the understanding of the complex mechanisms controlling microtubule reorganization during microglial transition between the amoeboid, ramified, and reactive phenotypes

SAS-4 is recruited to a dynamic structure in newly forming centrioles that is stabilized by the gamma-tubulin-mediated addition of centriolar microtubules.

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Dammermann, Alexander; Maddox, Paul S; Desai, Arshad; Oegema, Karen

2008-02-25

Centrioles are surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM), which is proposed to promote new centriole assembly by concentrating gamma-tubulin. Here, we quantitatively monitor new centriole assembly in living Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, focusing on the conserved components SAS-4 and SAS-6. We show that SAS-4 and SAS-6 are coordinately recruited to the site of new centriole assembly and reach their maximum levels during S phase. Centriolar SAS-6 is subsequently reduced by a mechanism intrinsic to the early assembly pathway that does not require progression into mitosis. Centriolar SAS-4 remains in dynamic equilibrium with the cytoplasmic pool until late prophase, when it is stably incorporated in a step that requires gamma-tubulin and microtubule assembly. These results indicate that gamma-tubulin in the PCM stabilizes the nascent daughter centriole by promoting microtubule addition to its outer wall. Such a mechanism may help restrict new centriole assembly to the vicinity of preexisting parent centrioles that recruit PCM.

Dictyoceratidan poisons: Defined mark on microtubule-tubulin dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gnanambal K, Mary Elizabeth; Lakshmipathy, Shailaja Vommi

2016-03-01

Tubulin/microtubule assembly and disassembly is characterized as one of the chief processes during cell growth and division. Hence drugs those perturb these process are considered to be effective in killing fast multiplying cancer cells. There is a collection of natural compounds which disturb microtubule/tubulin dis/assemblage and there have been a lot of efforts concerted in the marine realm too, to surveying such killer molecules. Close to half the natural compounds shooting out from marine invertebrates are generally with no traceable definite mechanisms of action though may be tough anti-cancerous hits at nanogram levels, hence fatefully those discoveries conclude therein without a capacity of translation from laboratory to pharmacy. Astoundingly at least 50% of natural compounds which have definite mechanisms of action causing disorders in tubulin/microtubule kinetics have an isolation history from sponges belonging to the Phylum: Porifera. Poriferans have always been a wonder worker to treat cancers with a choice of, yet precise targets on cancerous tissues. There is a specific order: Dictyoceratida within this Phylum which has contributed to yielding at least 50% of effective compounds possessing this unique mechanism of action mentioned above. However, not much notice is driven to Dictyoceratidans alongside the order: Demospongiae thus dictating the need to know its select microtubule/tubulin irritants since the unearthing of avarol in the year 1974 till date. Hence this review selectively pinpoints all the compounds, noteworthy derivatives and analogs stemming from order: Dictyoceratida focusing on the past, present and future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Msd1/SSX2IP-dependent microtubule anchorage ensures spindle orientation and primary cilia formation

OpenAIRE

Hori, Akiko; Ikebe, Chiho; Tada, Masazumi; Toda, Takashi

2014-01-01

Anchoring microtubules to the centrosome is critical for cell geometry and polarity, yet the molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that the conserved human Msd1/SSX2IP is required for microtubule anchoring. hMsd1/SSX2IP is delivered to the centrosome in a centriolar satellite-dependent manner and binds the microtubule-nucleator ?-tubulin complex. hMsd1/SSX2IP depletion leads to disorganised interphase microtubules and misoriented mitotic spindles with reduced length and intensity....

Validate Mitotic Checkpoint and Kinetochore Motor Proteins in Breast Cancer Cells as Targets for the Development of Novel Anti-Mitotic Drugs

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yen, Timothy J

2005-01-01

.... Taxol and vincristine are microtubule poisons that block the proper function of microtubules that are essential for a broad spectrum of motile biological processes that include cell division, vesicle...

ATPase Cycle of the Nonmotile Kinesin NOD Allows Microtubule End Tracking and Drives Chromosome Movement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cochran, J.; Sindelar, C; Mulko, N; Collins, K; Kong, S; Hawley, R; Kull, F

2009-01-01

Segregation of nonexchange chromosomes during Drosophila melanogaster meiosis requires the proper function of NOD, a nonmotile kinesin-10. We have determined the X-ray crystal structure of the NOD catalytic domain in the ADP- and AMPPNP-bound states. These structures reveal an alternate conformation of the microtubule binding region as well as a nucleotide-sensitive relay of hydrogen bonds at the active site. Additionally, a cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of the nucleotide-free microtubule-NOD complex shows an atypical binding orientation. Thermodynamic studies show that NOD binds tightly to microtubules in the nucleotide-free state, yet other nucleotide states, including AMPPNP, are weakened. Our pre-steady-state kinetic analysis demonstrates that NOD interaction with microtubules occurs slowly with weak activation of ADP product release. Upon rapid substrate binding, NOD detaches from the microtubule prior to the rate-limiting step of ATP hydrolysis, which is also atypical for a kinesin. We propose a model for NOD's microtubule plus-end tracking that drives chromosome movement.

The dynamic interplay of plasma membrane domains and cortical microtubules in secondary cell wall patterning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihisa eOda

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Patterning of the cellulosic cell wall underlies the shape and function of plant cells. The cortical microtubule array plays a central role in the regulation of cell wall patterns. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which secondary cell wall patterns are established through cortical microtubules remain to be fully determined. Our recent study in xylem vessel cells revealed that a mutual inhibitory interaction between cortical microtubules and distinct plasma membrane domains leads to distinctive patterning in secondary cell walls. Our research revealed that the recycling of active and inactive ROP proteins by a specific GAP and GEF pair establishes distinct de novo plasma membrane domains. Active ROP recruits a plant-specific microtubule-associated protein, MIDD1, which mediates the mutual interaction between cortical microtubules and plasma membrane domains. In this mini review, we summarize recent research regarding secondary wall patterning, with a focus on the emerging interplay between plasma membrane domains and cortical microtubules through MIDD1 and ROP.

Microtubules Nonlinear Models Dynamics Investigations through the exp(−Φ(ξ-Expansion Method Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Alam

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In this research article, we present exact solutions with parameters for two nonlinear model partial differential equations(PDEs describing microtubules, by implementing the exp(−Φ(ξ-Expansion Method. The considered models, describing highly nonlinear dynamics of microtubules, can be reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations. While the first PDE describes the longitudinal model of nonlinear dynamics of microtubules, the second one describes the nonlinear model of dynamics of radial dislocations in microtubules. The acquired solutions are then graphically presented, and their distinct properties are enumerated in respect to the corresponding dynamic behavior of the microtubules they model. Various patterns, including but not limited to regular, singular kink-like, as well as periodicity exhibiting ones, are detected. Being the method of choice herein, the exp(−Φ(ξ-Expansion Method not disappointing in the least, is found and declared highly efficient.

Stabilization, not polymerization, of microtubules inhibits the nuclear translocation of STATs in adipocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleason, Evanna L.; Hogan, Jessica C.; Stephens, Jacqueline M.

2004-01-01

Signal transducers and activators of transcriptions (STATs) are a family of latent transcription factors which are activated by a variety of growth factors and cytokines in many cell types. However, the mechanism by which these transcription factors translocate to the nucleus is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine the requirement of microfilaments and microtubules for cytokine induced STAT activation in cultured adipocytes. We used seven different actin-specific and microtubule-specific agents that are well-established effectors of these cytoskeletal networks. Our results clearly demonstrate that inhibition of microfilaments or the prevention of microtubule polymerization has no effect on the ability of STATs to be tyrosine phosphorylated or to translocate to the nucleus. However, we observed that paclitaxel, a microtubule stabilizer, resulted in a significant decrease in the nuclear translocation of STATs without affecting the cytosolic tyrosine phosphorylation of these transcription factors. In summary, our results demonstrate that the dynamic instability, but not the polymerization, of microtubules contributes to nuclear translocation of STAT proteins in adipocytes

Disruption of microtubule network rescues aberrant actin comets in dynamin2-depleted cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Henmi

Full Text Available A large GTPase dynamin, which is required for endocytic vesicle formation, regulates the actin cytoskeleton through its interaction with cortactin. Dynamin2 mutants impair the formation of actin comets, which are induced by Listeria monocytogenes or phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase. However, the role of dynamin2 in the regulation of the actin comet is still unclear. Here we show that aberrant actin comets in dynamin2-depleted cells were rescued by disrupting of microtubule networks. Depletion of dynamin2, but not cortactin, significantly reduced the length and the speed of actin comets induced by Listeria. This implies that dynamin2 may regulate the actin comet in a cortactin-independent manner. As dynamin regulates microtubules, we investigated whether perturbation of microtubules would rescue actin comet formation in dynamin2-depleted cells. Treatment with taxol or colchicine created a microtubule-free space in the cytoplasm, and made no difference between control and dynamin2 siRNA cells. This suggests that the alteration of microtubules by dynamin2 depletion reduced the length and the speed of the actin comet.

TIPsy tour guides: How microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs facilitate axon guidance

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Elizabeth A Bearce

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The growth cone is a dynamic cytoskeletal vehicle, which drives the end of a developing axon. It serves to interpret and navigate through the complex landscape and guidance cues of the early nervous system. The growth cone’s distinctive cytoskeletal organization offers a fascinating platform to study how extracellular cues can be translated into mechanical outgrowth and turning behaviors. While many studies of cell motility highlight the importance of actin networks in signaling, adhesion, and propulsion, both seminal and emerging works in the field have highlighted a unique and necessary role for microtubules in growth cone navigation. Here, we focus on the role of singular pioneer microtubules, which extend into the growth cone periphery and are regulated by a diverse family of microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs. These +TIPs accumulate at the dynamic ends of microtubules, where they are well-positioned to encounter and respond to key signaling events downstream of guidance receptors, catalyzing immediate changes in microtubule stability and actin cross-talk, that facilitate both axonal outgrowth and turning events.

Modeling microtubule oscillations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jobs, E.; Wolf, D.E.; Flyvbjerg, H.

1997-01-01

Synchronization of molecular reactions in a macroscopic volume may cause the volume's physical properties to change dynamically and thus reveal much about the reactions. As an example, experimental time series for so-called microtubule oscillations are analyzed in terms of a minimal model...... for this complex polymerization-depolymerization cycle. The model reproduces well the qualitatively different time series that result from different experimental conditions, and illuminates the role and importance of individual processes in the cycle. Simple experiments are suggested that can further test...... and define the model and the polymer's reaction cycle....

Luminal localization of α-tubulin K40 acetylation by cryo-EM analysis of fab-labeled microtubules.

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Virupakshi Soppina

Full Text Available The αβ-tubulin subunits of microtubules can undergo a variety of evolutionarily-conserved post-translational modifications (PTMs that provide functional specialization to subsets of cellular microtubules. Acetylation of α-tubulin residue Lysine-40 (K40 has been correlated with increased microtubule stability, intracellular transport, and ciliary assembly, yet a mechanistic understanding of how acetylation influences these events is lacking. Using the anti-acetylated tubulin antibody 6-11B-1 and electron cryo-microscopy, we demonstrate that the K40 acetylation site is located inside the microtubule lumen and thus cannot directly influence events on the microtubule surface, including kinesin-1 binding. Surprisingly, the monoclonal 6-11B-1 antibody recognizes both acetylated and deacetylated microtubules. These results suggest that acetylation induces structural changes in the K40-containing loop that could have important functional consequences on microtubule stability, bending, and subunit interactions. This work has important implications for acetylation and deacetylation reaction mechanisms as well as for interpreting experiments based on 6-11B-1 labeling.

Shaping the tracks : Regulation of microtubule dynamics by kinesins KIF21A and KIF21B

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Riel, W.E.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/338772634

2016-01-01

Control of microtubule dynamics is important for cell morphogenesis. Kinesins, motor proteins known to function in cargo transport, were recently also implicated in altering the microtubule network. Several kinesins are described to cause microtubule network reorganization or stabilization, either

A Mechanism for Cytoplasmic Streaming: Kinesin-Driven Alignment of Microtubules and Fast Fluid Flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteith, Corey E; Brunner, Matthew E; Djagaeva, Inna; Bielecki, Anthony M; Deutsch, Joshua M; Saxton, William M

2016-05-10

The transport of cytoplasmic components can be profoundly affected by hydrodynamics. Cytoplasmic streaming in Drosophila oocytes offers a striking example. Forces on fluid from kinesin-1 are initially directed by a disordered meshwork of microtubules, generating minor slow cytoplasmic flows. Subsequently, to mix incoming nurse cell cytoplasm with ooplasm, a subcortical layer of microtubules forms parallel arrays that support long-range, fast flows. To analyze the streaming mechanism, we combined observations of microtubule and organelle motions with detailed mathematical modeling. In the fast state, microtubules tethered to the cortex form a thin subcortical layer and undergo correlated sinusoidal bending. Organelles moving in flows along the arrays show velocities that are slow near the cortex and fast on the inward side of the subcortical microtubule layer. Starting with fundamental physical principles suggested by qualitative hypotheses, and with published values for microtubule stiffness, kinesin velocity, and cytoplasmic viscosity, we developed a quantitative coupled hydrodynamic model for streaming. The fully detailed mathematical model and its simulations identify key variables that can shift the system between disordered (slow) and ordered (fast) states. Measurements of array curvature, wave period, and the effects of diminished kinesin velocity on flow rates, as well as prior observations on f-actin perturbation, support the model. This establishes a concrete mechanistic framework for the ooplasmic streaming process. The self-organizing fast phase is a result of viscous drag on kinesin-driven cargoes that mediates equal and opposite forces on cytoplasmic fluid and on microtubules whose minus ends are tethered to the cortex. Fluid moves toward plus ends and microtubules are forced backward toward their minus ends, resulting in buckling. Under certain conditions, the buckling microtubules self-organize into parallel bending arrays, guiding varying directions

TONNEAU2/FASS Regulates the Geometry of Microtubule Nucleation and Cortical Array Organization in Interphase Arabidopsis Cells[C][W

Science.gov (United States)

Kirik, Angela; Ehrhardt, David W.; Kirik, Viktor

2012-01-01

Organization of microtubules into ordered arrays involves spatial and temporal regulation of microtubule nucleation. Here, we show that acentrosomal microtubule nucleation in plant cells involves a previously unknown regulatory step that determines the geometry of microtubule nucleation. Dynamic imaging of interphase cortical microtubules revealed that the ratio of branching to in-bundle microtubule nucleation on cortical microtubules is regulated by the Arabidopsis thaliana B′′ subunit of protein phosphatase 2A, which is encoded by the TONNEAU2/FASS (TON2) gene. The probability of nucleation from γ-tubulin complexes localized at the cell cortex was not affected by a loss of TON2 function, suggesting a specific role of TON2 in regulating the nucleation geometry. Both loss of TON2 function and ectopic targeting of TON2 to the plasma membrane resulted in defects in cell shape, suggesting the importance of TON2-mediated regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton in cell morphogenesis. Loss of TON2 function also resulted in an inability for cortical arrays to reorient in response to light stimulus, suggesting an essential role for TON2 and microtubule branching nucleation in reorganization of microtubule arrays. Our data establish TON2 as a regulator of interphase microtubule nucleation and provide experimental evidence for a novel regulatory step in the process of microtubule-dependent nucleation. PMID:22395485

ATX-2, the C. elegans Ortholog of Human Ataxin-2, Regulates Centrosome Size and Microtubule Dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Stubenvoll

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Centrosomes are critical sites for orchestrating microtubule dynamics, and exhibit dynamic changes in size during the cell cycle. As cells progress to mitosis, centrosomes recruit more microtubules (MT to form mitotic bipolar spindles that ensure proper chromosome segregation. We report a new role for ATX-2, a C. elegans ortholog of Human Ataxin-2, in regulating centrosome size and MT dynamics. ATX-2, an RNA-binding protein, forms a complex with SZY-20 in an RNA-independent fashion. Depleting ATX-2 results in embryonic lethality and cytokinesis failure, and restores centrosome duplication to zyg-1 mutants. In this pathway, SZY-20 promotes ATX-2 abundance, which inversely correlates with centrosome size. Centrosomes depleted of ATX-2 exhibit elevated levels of centrosome factors (ZYG-1, SPD-5, γ-Tubulin, increasing MT nucleating activity but impeding MT growth. We show that ATX-2 influences MT behavior through γ-Tubulin at the centrosome. Our data suggest that RNA-binding proteins play an active role in controlling MT dynamics and provide insight into the control of proper centrosome size and MT dynamics.

Taking directions: the role of microtubule-bound nucleation in the self-organization of the plant cortical array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deinum, Eva E; Tindemans, Simon H; Mulder, Bela M

2011-01-01

The highly aligned cortical microtubule array of interphase plant cells is a key regulator of anisotropic cell expansion. Recent computational and analytical work has shown that the non-equilibrium self-organization of this structure can be understood on the basis of experimentally observed collisional interactions between dynamic microtubules attached to the plasma membrane. Most of these approaches assumed that new microtubules are homogeneously and isotropically nucleated on the cortical surface. Experimental evidence, however, shows that nucleation mostly occurs from other microtubules and under specific relative angles. Here, we investigate the impact of directed microtubule-bound nucleations on the alignment process using computer simulations. The results show that microtubule-bound nucleations can increase the degree of alignment achieved, decrease the timescale of the ordering process and widen the regime of dynamic parameters for which the system can self-organize. We establish that the major determinant of this effect is the degree of co-alignment of the nucleations with the parent microtubule. The specific role of sideways branching nucleations appears to allow stronger alignment while maintaining a measure of overall spatial homogeneity. Finally, we investigate the suggestion that observed persistent rotation of microtubule domains can be explained through a handedness bias in microtubule-bound nucleations, showing that this is possible only for an extreme bias and over a limited range of parameters

Taking directions: the role of microtubule-bound nucleation in the self-organization of the plant cortical array

Science.gov (United States)

Deinum, Eva E.; Tindemans, Simon H.; Mulder, Bela M.

2011-10-01

The highly aligned cortical microtubule array of interphase plant cells is a key regulator of anisotropic cell expansion. Recent computational and analytical work has shown that the non-equilibrium self-organization of this structure can be understood on the basis of experimentally observed collisional interactions between dynamic microtubules attached to the plasma membrane. Most of these approaches assumed that new microtubules are homogeneously and isotropically nucleated on the cortical surface. Experimental evidence, however, shows that nucleation mostly occurs from other microtubules and under specific relative angles. Here, we investigate the impact of directed microtubule-bound nucleations on the alignment process using computer simulations. The results show that microtubule-bound nucleations can increase the degree of alignment achieved, decrease the timescale of the ordering process and widen the regime of dynamic parameters for which the system can self-organize. We establish that the major determinant of this effect is the degree of co-alignment of the nucleations with the parent microtubule. The specific role of sideways branching nucleations appears to allow stronger alignment while maintaining a measure of overall spatial homogeneity. Finally, we investigate the suggestion that observed persistent rotation of microtubule domains can be explained through a handedness bias in microtubule-bound nucleations, showing that this is possible only for an extreme bias and over a limited range of parameters.

GDP-to-GTP exchange on the microtubule end can contribute to the frequency of catastrophe.

Science.gov (United States)

Piedra, Felipe-Andrés; Kim, Tae; Garza, Emily S; Geyer, Elisabeth A; Burns, Alexander; Ye, Xuecheng; Rice, Luke M

2016-11-07

Microtubules are dynamic polymers of αβ-tubulin that have essential roles in chromosome segregation and organization of the cytoplasm. Catastrophe-the switch from growing to shrinking-occurs when a microtubule loses its stabilizing GTP cap. Recent evidence indicates that the nucleotide on the microtubule end controls how tightly an incoming subunit will be bound (trans-acting GTP), but most current models do not incorporate this information. We implemented trans-acting GTP into a computational model for microtubule dynamics. In simulations, growing microtubules often exposed terminal GDP-bound subunits without undergoing catastrophe. Transient GDP exposure on the growing plus end slowed elongation by reducing the number of favorable binding sites on the microtubule end. Slower elongation led to erosion of the GTP cap and an increase in the frequency of catastrophe. Allowing GDP-to-GTP exchange on terminal subunits in simulations mitigated these effects. Using mutant αβ-tubulin or modified GTP, we showed experimentally that a more readily exchangeable nucleotide led to less frequent catastrophe. Current models for microtubule dynamics do not account for GDP-to-GTP exchange on the growing microtubule end, so our findings provide a new way of thinking about the molecular events that initiate catastrophe. © 2016 Piedra et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

A computational framework for cortical microtubule dynamics in realistically shaped plant cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bandan Chakrabortty

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Plant morphogenesis is strongly dependent on the directional growth and the subsequent oriented division of individual cells. It has been shown that the plant cortical microtubule array plays a key role in controlling both these processes. This ordered structure emerges as the collective result of stochastic interactions between large numbers of dynamic microtubules. To elucidate this complex self-organization process a number of analytical and computational approaches to study the dynamics of cortical microtubules have been proposed. To date, however, these models have been restricted to two dimensional planes or geometrically simple surfaces in three dimensions, which strongly limits their applicability as plant cells display a wide variety of shapes. This limitation is even more acute, as both local as well as global geometrical features of cells are expected to influence the overall organization of the array. Here we describe a framework for efficiently simulating microtubule dynamics on triangulated approximations of arbitrary three dimensional surfaces. This allows the study of microtubule array organization on realistic cell surfaces obtained by segmentation of microscopic images. We validate the framework against expected or known results for the spherical and cubical geometry. We then use it to systematically study the individual contributions of global geometry, cell-edge induced catastrophes and cell-face induced stability to array organization in a cuboidal geometry. Finally, we apply our framework to analyze the highly non-trivial geometry of leaf pavement cells of Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana and Hedera helix. We show that our simulations can predict multiple features of the microtubule array structure in these cells, revealing, among others, strong constraints on the orientation of division planes.

A computational framework for cortical microtubule dynamics in realistically shaped plant cells

KAUST Repository

Chakrabortty, Bandan; Blilou, Ikram; Scheres, Ben; Mulder, Bela M.

2018-01-01

Plant morphogenesis is strongly dependent on the directional growth and the subsequent oriented division of individual cells. It has been shown that the plant cortical microtubule array plays a key role in controlling both these processes. This ordered structure emerges as the collective result of stochastic interactions between large numbers of dynamic microtubules. To elucidate this complex self-organization process a number of analytical and computational approaches to study the dynamics of cortical microtubules have been proposed. To date, however, these models have been restricted to two dimensional planes or geometrically simple surfaces in three dimensions, which strongly limits their applicability as plant cells display a wide variety of shapes. This limitation is even more acute, as both local as well as global geometrical features of cells are expected to influence the overall organization of the array. Here we describe a framework for efficiently simulating microtubule dynamics on triangulated approximations of arbitrary three dimensional surfaces. This allows the study of microtubule array organization on realistic cell surfaces obtained by segmentation of microscopic images. We validate the framework against expected or known results for the spherical and cubical geometry. We then use it to systematically study the individual contributions of global geometry, cell-edge induced catastrophes and cell-face induced stability to array organization in a cuboidal geometry. Finally, we apply our framework to analyze the highly non-trivial geometry of leaf pavement cells of Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana and Hedera helix. We show that our simulations can predict multiple features of the microtubule array structure in these cells, revealing, among others, strong constraints on the orientation of division planes.

A computational framework for cortical microtubule dynamics in realistically shaped plant cells

KAUST Repository

Chakrabortty, Bandan

2018-02-02

Plant morphogenesis is strongly dependent on the directional growth and the subsequent oriented division of individual cells. It has been shown that the plant cortical microtubule array plays a key role in controlling both these processes. This ordered structure emerges as the collective result of stochastic interactions between large numbers of dynamic microtubules. To elucidate this complex self-organization process a number of analytical and computational approaches to study the dynamics of cortical microtubules have been proposed. To date, however, these models have been restricted to two dimensional planes or geometrically simple surfaces in three dimensions, which strongly limits their applicability as plant cells display a wide variety of shapes. This limitation is even more acute, as both local as well as global geometrical features of cells are expected to influence the overall organization of the array. Here we describe a framework for efficiently simulating microtubule dynamics on triangulated approximations of arbitrary three dimensional surfaces. This allows the study of microtubule array organization on realistic cell surfaces obtained by segmentation of microscopic images. We validate the framework against expected or known results for the spherical and cubical geometry. We then use it to systematically study the individual contributions of global geometry, cell-edge induced catastrophes and cell-face induced stability to array organization in a cuboidal geometry. Finally, we apply our framework to analyze the highly non-trivial geometry of leaf pavement cells of Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana and Hedera helix. We show that our simulations can predict multiple features of the microtubule array structure in these cells, revealing, among others, strong constraints on the orientation of division planes.

Clostridium difficile toxin CDT induces formation of microtubule-based protrusions and increases adherence of bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carsten Schwan

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Clostridium difficile causes antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis by production of the Rho GTPase-glucosylating toxins A and B. Recently emerging hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strains additionally produce the binary ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin CDT (Clostridium difficile transferase, which ADP-ribosylates actin and inhibits actin polymerization. Thus far, the role of CDT as a virulence factor is not understood. Here we report by using time-lapse- and immunofluorescence microscopy that CDT and other binary actin-ADP-ribosylating toxins, including Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin and Clostridium perfringens iota toxin, induce redistribution of microtubules and formation of long (up to >150 microm microtubule-based protrusions at the surface of intestinal epithelial cells. The toxins increase the length of decoration of microtubule plus-ends by EB1/3, CLIP-170 and CLIP-115 proteins and cause redistribution of the capture proteins CLASP2 and ACF7 from microtubules at the cell cortex into the cell interior. The CDT-induced microtubule protrusions form a dense meshwork at the cell surface, which wrap and embed bacterial cells, thereby largely increasing the adherence of Clostridia. The study describes a novel type of microtubule structure caused by less efficient microtubule capture and offers a new perspective for the pathogenetic role of CDT and other binary actin-ADP-ribosylating toxins in host-pathogen interactions.

Magnolol Inhibits the Growth of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer via Inhibiting Microtubule Polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Shen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The tubulin/microtubule system, which is an integral component of the cytoskeleton, plays an essential role in mitosis. Targeting mitotic progression by disturbing microtubule dynamics is a rational strategy for cancer treatment. Methods: Microtubule polymerization assay was performed to examine the effect of Magnolol (a novel natural phenolic compound isolated from Magnolia obovata on cellular microtubule polymerization in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC cells. Cell cycle analysis, mitotic index assay, cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay, western blotting analysis of cell cycle regulators, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, and live/dead viability staining were carried out to investigate the Magnolol’s inhibitory effect on proliferation and viability of NSCLS cells in vitro. Xenograft model of human A549 NSCLC tumor was used to determine the Magnolol’s efficacy in vivo. Results: Magnolol treatment effectively inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation of NSCLC cells. Further study proved that Magnolol induced the mitotic phase arrest and inhibited G2/M progression in a dose-dependent manner, which were mechanistically associated with expression alteration of a series of cell cycle regulators. Furthermore, Magnolol treatment disrupted the cellular microtubule organization via inhibiting the polymerization of microtubule. We also found treatment with NSCLC cells with Magnolol resulted in apoptosis activation through a p53-independent pathway, and autophgy induction via down-regulation of the Akt/mTOR pathway. Finally, Magnolol treatment significantly suppressed the NSCLC tumor growth in mouse xenograft model in vivo. Conclusion: These findings identify Magnolol as a promising candidate with anti-microtubule polymerization activity for NSCLC treatment.

A structural model for microtubule minus-end recognition and protection by CAMSAP proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Atherton, Joseph; Jiang, Kai; Stangier, Marcel M.; Luo, Yanzhang; Hua, Shasha; Houben, Klaartje; Van Hooff, Jolien J.E.; Joseph, Agnel Praveen; Scarabelli, Guido; Grant, Barry J.; Roberts, Anthony J.; Topf, Maya; Steinmetz, Michel O.; Baldus, Marc; Moores, Carolyn A.; Akhmanova, Anna

2017-01-01

CAMSAP and Patronin family members regulate microtubule minus-end stability and localization and thus organize noncentrosomal microtubule networks, which are essential for cell division, polarization and differentiation. Here, we found that the CAMSAP C-terminal CKK domain is widely present among

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on microtubule organisation and morphogenesis in plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staxen, I.

1994-09-01

The involvement of the cytoskeleton in the development of somatic embryos was studied in Larix x eurolepis. Protoplasts were isolated from both somatic embryo-regenerating and non-generating cultures and fractionated on a discontinuous Percoll density gradient. Protoplasts of two cell lines of Larix eurolepis, one with regenerating potential and one lacking this potential, were compared. In contrast to the non-regenerating line were a protoplast-like organisation of the cortical microtubules was maintained, re-organisation of this microtubular network occurred in the regenerable line after only three days of culture, indicating that organised growth was occurring. However, this early organisation of cortical microtubules may not always be a valid marker for regenerable and non-regenerable material. In order to investigate the effect of ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation on the microtubule cytoskeleton, protoplasts were isolated from leaves of Petunia hybrida and subjected to four different doses of UV-B radiation. The organisation of the microtubules and the progression of the cells through the cell cycle was observed at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after irradiation. UV-B induced breaks in the cortical microtubules resulting in shorter fragments with increasing amounts of radiation. Also, the division of the protoplasts was delayed. Whole Petunia plants were grown in growth chambers in the presence and absence of UV-B. The plants responded to UV-B with increased rates of CO{sub 2} assimilation, a 60% increase in UV-screening compounds and the changes in the morphology of the leaves that were reflected in a 70-100% increase in leaf area and 20% decrease in leaf thickness. The microtubules of the epidermal cells was not affected by UV-B, nor was the number of epidermal cells (per unit area). The increase in leaf area in the UV-treated plants appeared due to stimulation of cell division in the leaf meristems. 111 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs.

Heuristic consequences of a load of oxygen in microtubules.

Science.gov (United States)

Denis, Pierre A

2014-04-01

The current cell oxygen paradigm shows some major gaps that have not yet been resolved. Something seems to be lacking for the comprehensive statement of the oxygen distribution in the cell, especially the low cytoplasmic oxygen level. The entrapment of oxygen in microtubules (MTs) resolves the latter observation, as well as the occurrence of an extensive cytoplasmic foam formation. It leads to a novel oxygen paradigm for cells. During the steady-state treadmilling, the mobile cavity would absorb oxygenated cytoplasm forward, entrap gas nuclei and concentrate them. A fluorescence method is described to confirm the in vitro load of oxygen in MTs during their periodic growths and shrinkages. The latter operating mechanism is called the gas dynamic instability (GDI) of MTs. Several known biosystems could rest on the GDI. (1) The GTP-cap is linked with the gas meniscus encountered in a tube filled with gas. The GTP hydrolysis is linked to the conformational change of the GTPase domain according to the bubble pressure, and to the shaking of protofilaments with gas particles (soliton-like waves). (2) The GDI provides a free energy water pump because water molecules have to escape from MT pores when foam concentrates within the MT. Beside ATP hydrolysis in motor proteins, the GDI provides an additional driving force in intracellular transport of cargo. The water streams flowing from the MT through slits organize themselves as water layers between the cargo and the MT surface, and break ionic bridges. It makes the cargo glide over a water rail. (3) The GDI provides a universal motor for chromosome segregation because the depolymerization of kinetochorial MTs is expected to generate a strong cytoplasmic foam. Chromosomes are sucked up according to the pressure difference (or density difference) applied to opposite sides of the kinetochore, which is in agreement with Archimedes' principle of buoyancy. Non-kinetochorial MTs reabsorb foam during GDI. Last, the mitotic spindle

Prickle isoforms control the direction of tissue polarity by microtubule independent and dependent mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine A. Sharp

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Planar cell polarity signaling directs the polarization of cells within the plane of many epithelia. While these tissues exhibit asymmetric localization of a set of core module proteins, in Drosophila, more than one mechanism links the direction of core module polarization to the tissue axes. One signaling system establishes a polarity bias in the parallel, apical microtubules upon which vesicles containing core proteins traffic. Swapping expression of the differentially expressed Prickle isoforms, Prickle and Spiny-legs, reverses the direction of core module polarization. Studies in the proximal wing and the anterior abdomen indicated that this results from their differential control of microtubule polarity. Prickle and Spiny-legs also control the direction of polarization in the distal wing (D-wing and the posterior abdomen (P-abd. We report here that this occurs without affecting microtubule polarity in these tissues. The direction of polarity in the D-wing is therefore likely determined by a novel mechanism independent of microtubule polarity. In the P-abd, Prickle and Spiny-legs interpret at least two directional cues through a microtubule-polarity-independent mechanism.

Dietary flavonoid fisetin binds to β-tubulin and disrupts microtubule dynamics in prostate cancer cells

OpenAIRE

Mukhtar, Eiman; Adhami, Vaqar Mustafa; Sechi, Mario; Mukhtar, Hasan

2015-01-01

Microtubule targeting based therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment; however, resistance and side effects remain a major limitation. Therefore, novel strategies that can overcome these limitations are urgently needed. We made a novel discovery that fisetin, a hydroxyflavone, is a microtubule stabilizing agent. Fisetin binds to tubulin and stabilizes microtubules with binding characteristics far superior than paclitaxel. Surface plasmon resonance and computational docking studies sugges...

Atomic-resolution structure of the CAP-Gly domain of dynactin on polymeric microtubules determined by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Si; Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin; Zhang, Huilan; Lu, Xingyu; Williams, John Charles; Polenova, Tatyana

2015-11-24

Microtubules and their associated proteins perform a broad array of essential physiological functions, including mitosis, polarization and differentiation, cell migration, and vesicle and organelle transport. As such, they have been extensively studied at multiple levels of resolution (e.g., from structural biology to cell biology). Despite these efforts, there remain significant gaps in our knowledge concerning how microtubule-binding proteins bind to microtubules, how dynamics connect different conformational states, and how these interactions and dynamics affect cellular processes. Structures of microtubule-associated proteins assembled on polymeric microtubules are not known at atomic resolution. Here, we report a structure of the cytoskeleton-associated protein glycine-rich (CAP-Gly) domain of dynactin motor on polymeric microtubules, solved by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. We present the intermolecular interface of CAP-Gly with microtubules, derived by recording direct dipolar contacts between CAP-Gly and tubulin using double rotational echo double resonance (dREDOR)-filtered experiments. Our results indicate that the structure adopted by CAP-Gly varies, particularly around its loop regions, permitting its interaction with multiple binding partners and with the microtubules. To our knowledge, this study reports the first atomic-resolution structure of a microtubule-associated protein on polymeric microtubules. Our approach lays the foundation for atomic-resolution structural analysis of other microtubule-associated motors.

Actin and microtubule networks contribute differently to cell response for small and large strains

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Kubitschke, H.; Schnauss, J.; Nnetu, K. D.; Warmt, E.; Stange, R.; Kaes, J.

2017-09-01

Cytoskeletal filaments provide cells with mechanical stability and organization. The main key players are actin filaments and microtubules governing a cell’s response to mechanical stimuli. We investigated the specific influences of these crucial components by deforming MCF-7 epithelial cells at small (≤5% deformation) and large strains (>5% deformation). To understand specific contributions of actin filaments and microtubules, we systematically studied cellular responses after treatment with cytoskeleton influencing drugs. Quantification with the microfluidic optical stretcher allowed capturing the relative deformation and relaxation of cells under different conditions. We separated distinctive deformational and relaxational contributions to cell mechanics for actin and microtubule networks for two orders of magnitude of drug dosages. Disrupting actin filaments via latrunculin A, for instance, revealed a strain-independent softening. Stabilizing these filaments by treatment with jasplakinolide yielded cell softening for small strains but showed no significant change at large strains. In contrast, cells treated with nocodazole to disrupt microtubules displayed a softening at large strains but remained unchanged at small strains. Stabilizing microtubules within the cells via paclitaxel revealed no significant changes for deformations at small strains, but concentration-dependent impact at large strains. This suggests that for suspended cells, the actin cortex is probed at small strains, while at larger strains; the whole cell is probed with a significant contribution from the microtubules.

Direct incorporation of guanosine 5'-diphosphate into microtubules without guanosine 5'-triphosphate hydrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, E.; Batra, J.K.; Lin, C.M.

1986-01-01

Using highly purified calf brain tubulin bearing [8- 14 C]guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP) in the exchangeable nucleotide site and heat-treated microtubule-associated proteins, the authors have found that a significant proportion of exchangeable-site GDP in microtubules can be incorporated directly during guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) dependent polymerization of tubulin, without an initial exchange of GDP for GTP and subsequent GTP hydrolysis during assembly. The precise amount of GDP incorporated directly into microtubules is highly dependent on specific reaction conditions, being favored by high tubulin concentrations, low GTP and Mg 2+ concentrations, and exogenous GDP in the reaction mixture. Minimum effects were observed with changes in reaction pH or temperature, changes in concentration of microtubule-associated proteins, alteration of the sulfonate buffer, or the presence of a calcium chelator in the reaction mixture. Under conditions most favorable for direct GDP incorporation, about one-third of the GDP in microtubules is incorporated directly (without GTP hydrolysis) and two-thirds is incorporated hydrolytically (as a consequence of GTP hydrolysis). Direct incorporation of GDP occurs in a constant proportion throughout elongation, and the amount of direct incorporation probably reflects the rapid equilibration of GDP and GTP at the exchangeable site that occurs before the onset of assembly

Quantitative cell polarity imaging defines leader-to-follower transitions during collective migration and the key role of microtubule-dependent adherens junction formation.

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Revenu, Céline; Streichan, Sebastian; Donà, Erika; Lecaudey, Virginie; Hufnagel, Lars; Gilmour, Darren

2014-03-01

The directed migration of cell collectives drives the formation of complex organ systems. A characteristic feature of many migrating collectives is a 'tissue-scale' polarity, whereby 'leader' cells at the edge of the tissue guide trailing 'followers' that become assembled into polarised epithelial tissues en route. Here, we combine quantitative imaging and perturbation approaches to investigate epithelial cell state transitions during collective migration and organogenesis, using the zebrafish lateral line primordium as an in vivo model. A readout of three-dimensional cell polarity, based on centrosomal-nucleus axes, allows the transition from migrating leaders to assembled followers to be quantitatively resolved for the first time in vivo. Using live reporters and a novel fluorescent protein timer approach, we investigate changes in cell-cell adhesion underlying this transition by monitoring cadherin receptor localisation and stability. This reveals that while cadherin 2 is expressed across the entire tissue, functional apical junctions are first assembled in the transition zone and become progressively more stable across the leader-follower axis of the tissue. Perturbation experiments demonstrate that the formation of these apical adherens junctions requires dynamic microtubules. However, once stabilised, adherens junction maintenance is microtubule independent. Combined, these data identify a mechanism for regulating leader-to-follower transitions within migrating collectives, based on the relocation and stabilisation of cadherins, and reveal a key role for dynamic microtubules in this process.

CEP295 interacts with microtubules and is required for centriole elongation.

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Chang, Ching-Wen; Hsu, Wen-Bin; Tsai, Jhih-Jie; Tang, Chieh-Ju C; Tang, Tang K

2016-07-01

Centriole duplication is a tightly ordered process during which procentrioles are assembled in G1-S and elongate during S and G2. Here, we show that human CEP295 (Drosophila Ana1) is not essential for initial cartwheel assembly, but is required to build distal half centrioles during S and G2. Using super-resolution and immunogold electron microscopy, we demonstrate that CEP295 is recruited to the proximal end of procentrioles in early S phase, when it is also localized at the centriolar microtubule wall that surrounds the human SAS6 cartwheel hub. Interestingly, depletion of CEP295 not only inhibits the recruitments of POC5 and POC1B to the distal half centrioles in G2, resulting in shorter centrioles, it also blocks the post-translational modification of centriolar microtubules (e.g. acetylation and glutamylation). Importantly, our results indicate that CEP295 directly interacts with microtubules, and that excess CEP295 could induce the assembly of overly long centrioles. Furthermore, exogenous expression of the N-terminal domain of CEP295 exerts a dominant-negative effect on centriole elongation. Collectively, these findings suggest that CEP295 is essential for building the distal half centrioles and for post-translational modification of centriolar microtubules. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Challenges and opportunities in the high-resolution cryo-EM visualization of microtubules and their binding partners.

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Nogales, Eva; Kellogg, Elizabeth H

2017-10-01

As non-crystallizable polymers, microtubules have been the target of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies since the technique was first established. Over the years, image processing strategies have been developed that take care of the unique, pseudo-helical symmetry of the microtubule. With recent progress in data quality and data processing, cryo-EM reconstructions are now reaching resolutions that allow the generation of atomic models of microtubules and the factors that bind them. These include cellular partners that contribute to microtubule cellular functions, or small ligands that interfere with those functions in the treatment of cancer. The stage is set to generate a family portrait for all identified microtubule interacting proteins and to use cryo-EM as a drug development tool in the targeting of tubulin. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dissecting the nanoscale distributions and functions of microtubule-end-binding proteins EB1 and ch-TOG in interphase HeLa cells.

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Satoko Nakamura

Full Text Available Recently, the EB1 and XMAP215/TOG families of microtubule binding proteins have been demonstrated to bind autonomously to the growing plus ends of microtubules and regulate their behaviour in in vitro systems. However, their functional redundancy or difference in cells remains obscure. Here, we compared the nanoscale distributions of EB1 and ch-TOG along microtubules using high-resolution microscopy techniques, and also their roles in microtubule organisation in interphase HeLa cells. The ch-TOG accumulation sites protruded ∼100 nm from the EB1 comets. Overexpression experiments showed that ch-TOG and EB1 did not interfere with each other's localisation, confirming that they recognise distinct regions at the ends of microtubules. While both EB1 and ch-TOG showed similar effects on microtubule plus end dynamics and additively increased microtubule dynamicity, only EB1 exhibited microtubule-cell cortex attachment activity. These observations indicate that EB1 and ch-TOG regulate microtubule organisation differently via distinct regions in the plus ends of microtubules.

Epothilones as lead structures for the synthesis-based discovery of new chemotypes for microtubule stabilization.

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Feyen, Fabian; Cachoux, Frédéric; Gertsch, Jürg; Wartmann, Markus; Altmann, Karl-Heinz

2008-01-01

Epothilones are macrocyclic bacterial natural products with potent microtubule-stabilizing and antiproliferative activity. They have served as successful lead structures for the development of several clinical candidates for anticancer therapy. However, the structural diversity of this group of clinical compounds is rather limited, as their structures show little divergence from the original natural product leads. Our own research has explored the question of whether epothilones can serve as a basis for the development of new structural scaffolds, or chemotypes, for microtubule stabilization that might serve as a basis for the discovery of new generations of anticancer drugs. We have elaborated a series of epothilone-derived macrolactones whose overall structural features significantly deviate from those of the natural epothilone scaffold and thus define new structural families of microtubule-stabilizing agents. Key elements of our hypermodification strategy are the change of the natural epoxide geometry from cis to trans, the incorporation of a conformationally constrained side chain, the removal of the C3-hydroxyl group, and the replacement of C12 with nitrogen. So far, this approach has yielded analogs 30 and 40 that are the most advanced, the most rigorously modified, structures, both of which are potent antiproliferative agents with low nanomolar activity against several human cancer cell lines in vitro. The synthesis was achieved through a macrolactone-based strategy or a high-yielding RCM reaction. The 12-aza-epothilone ("azathilone" 40) may be considered a "non-natural" natural product that still retains most of the overall structural characteristics of a true natural product but is structurally unique, because it lies outside of the general scope of Nature's biosynthetic machinery for polyketide synthesis. Like natural epothilones, both 30 and 40 promote tubulin polymerization in vitro and at the cellular level induce cell cycle arrest in mitosis. These

Ase1p Organizes Antiparallel Microtubule Arrays during Interphase and Mitosis in Fission YeastV⃞

OpenAIRE

Loïodice, Isabelle; Staub, Jayme; Setty, Thanuja Gangi; Nguyen, Nam-Phuong T.; Paoletti, Anne; Tran, P. T.

2005-01-01

Proper microtubule organization is essential for cellular processes such as organelle positioning during interphase and spindle formation during mitosis. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe presents a good model for understanding microtubule organization. We identify fission yeast ase1p, a member of the conserved ASE1/PRC1/MAP65 family of microtubule bundling proteins, which functions in organizing the spindle midzone during mitosis. Using fluorescence live cell imaging, we show that ...

Stabilization of microtubules by inorganic phosphate and its structural analogues, the fluoride complexes of aluminum and beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlier, M.F.; Didry, D.; Melki, R.; Chabre, M.; Pantaloni, D.

1988-01-01

In order to elucidate how the elementary reactions of GTP cleavage and subsequent inorganic phosphate (P/sub i/) release, which accompany microtubule assembly, regulate microtubule dynamics, the effect of P/sub i/ and of its structural analogues AlF 4 - and BeF 3 - on the stability of GDP-microtubules has been investigated. Inorganic phosphate binds to microtubules with a low affinity (K/sub D/ = 25 mM) and slows down the rate of GDP-subunit dissociation by about 2 orders of magnitude. AlF 4 - and BeF 3 - exhibit phosphate-like effects with 1000-fold higher affinity. Evidence has been obtained for direct binding of BeF 3 - to microtubules with a stoichiometry of 1 mol of BeF 3 - per mole of GDP-subunit and an equilibrium dissociation constant of 12-15 μM. AlF 4 - and P/sub i/ compete for this site. Phosphate analogues abolish oscillatory polymerization kinetics and slow down microtubule turnover at steady state. In view of these results, the authors propose that P/sub i/ and its structural analogues bind to the site of the γ-phosphate of GTP in the E site and reconstitute a GDP-P/sub i/-microtubule, from which tubulin subunits dissociate very slowly. They therefore understand that, following GTP cleavage on microtubules, P/sub i/ release in the medium is accompanied by a structural change resulting in a large destabilization of the polymer. A cap of slowly dissociating GDP-P/sub i/-subunits prevents depolymerization of the microtubule GDP-core at steady state. The similarity with the actin system is studied

Loss of the Greatwall Kinase Weakens the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

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M Kasim Diril

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The Greatwall kinase/Mastl is an essential gene that indirectly inhibits the phosphatase activity toward mitotic Cdk1 substrates. Here we show that although Mastl knockout (MastlNULL MEFs enter mitosis, they progress through mitosis without completing cytokinesis despite the presence of misaligned chromosomes, which causes chromosome segregation defects. Furthermore, we uncover the requirement of Mastl for robust spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC maintenance since the duration of mitotic arrest caused by microtubule poisons in MastlNULL MEFs is shortened, which correlates with premature disappearance of the essential SAC protein Mad1 at the kinetochores. Notably, MastlNULL MEFs display reduced phosphorylation of a number of proteins in mitosis, which include the essential SAC kinase MPS1. We further demonstrate that Mastl is required for multi-site phosphorylation of MPS1 as well as robust MPS1 kinase activity in mitosis. In contrast, treatment of MastlNULL cells with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA rescues the defects in MPS1 kinase activity, mislocalization of phospho-MPS1 as well as Mad1 at the kinetochore, and premature SAC silencing. Moreover, using in vitro dephosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that Mastl promotes persistent MPS1 phosphorylation by inhibiting PP2A/B55-mediated MPS1 dephosphorylation rather than affecting Cdk1 kinase activity. Our findings establish a key regulatory function of the Greatwall kinase/Mastl->PP2A/B55 pathway in preventing premature SAC silencing.

Loss of the Greatwall Kinase Weakens the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

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Diril, M Kasim; Bisteau, Xavier; Kitagawa, Mayumi; Caldez, Matias J; Wee, Sheena; Gunaratne, Jayantha; Lee, Sang Hyun; Kaldis, Philipp

2016-09-01

The Greatwall kinase/Mastl is an essential gene that indirectly inhibits the phosphatase activity toward mitotic Cdk1 substrates. Here we show that although Mastl knockout (MastlNULL) MEFs enter mitosis, they progress through mitosis without completing cytokinesis despite the presence of misaligned chromosomes, which causes chromosome segregation defects. Furthermore, we uncover the requirement of Mastl for robust spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintenance since the duration of mitotic arrest caused by microtubule poisons in MastlNULL MEFs is shortened, which correlates with premature disappearance of the essential SAC protein Mad1 at the kinetochores. Notably, MastlNULL MEFs display reduced phosphorylation of a number of proteins in mitosis, which include the essential SAC kinase MPS1. We further demonstrate that Mastl is required for multi-site phosphorylation of MPS1 as well as robust MPS1 kinase activity in mitosis. In contrast, treatment of MastlNULL cells with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA) rescues the defects in MPS1 kinase activity, mislocalization of phospho-MPS1 as well as Mad1 at the kinetochore, and premature SAC silencing. Moreover, using in vitro dephosphorylation assays, we demonstrate that Mastl promotes persistent MPS1 phosphorylation by inhibiting PP2A/B55-mediated MPS1 dephosphorylation rather than affecting Cdk1 kinase activity. Our findings establish a key regulatory function of the Greatwall kinase/Mastl->PP2A/B55 pathway in preventing premature SAC silencing.

Multipolar spindle pole coalescence is a major source of kinetochore mis-attachment and chromosome mis-segregation in cancer cells.

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William T Silkworth

Full Text Available Many cancer cells display a CIN (Chromosome Instability phenotype, by which they exhibit high rates of chromosome loss or gain at each cell cycle. Over the years, a number of different mechanisms, including mitotic spindle multipolarity, cytokinesis failure, and merotelic kinetochore orientation, have been proposed as causes of CIN. However, a comprehensive theory of how CIN is perpetuated is still lacking. We used CIN colorectal cancer cells as a model system to investigate the possible cellular mechanism(s underlying CIN. We found that CIN cells frequently assembled multipolar spindles in early mitosis. However, multipolar anaphase cells were very rare, and live-cell experiments showed that almost all CIN cells divided in a bipolar fashion. Moreover, fixed-cell analysis showed high frequencies of merotelically attached lagging chromosomes in bipolar anaphase CIN cells, and higher frequencies of merotelic attachments in multipolar vs. bipolar prometaphases. Finally, we found that multipolar CIN prometaphases typically possessed gamma-tubulin at all spindle poles, and that a significant fraction of bipolar metaphase/early anaphase CIN cells possessed more than one centrosome at a single spindle pole. Taken together, our data suggest a model by which merotelic kinetochore attachments can easily be established in multipolar prometaphases. Most of these multipolar prometaphase cells would then bi-polarize before anaphase onset, and the residual merotelic attachments would produce chromosome mis-segregation due to anaphase lagging chromosomes. We propose this spindle pole coalescence mechanism as a major contributor to chromosome instability in cancer cells.

Microtubule-Mediated Inositol Lipid Signaling Plays Critical Roles in Regulation of Blebbing.

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Tatsuroh Sugiyama

Full Text Available Cells migrate by extending pseudopods such as lamellipodia and blebs. Although the signals leading to lamellipodia extension have been extensively investigated, those for bleb extension remain unclear. Here, we investigated signals for blebbing in Dictyostelium cells using a newly developed assay to induce blebbing. When cells were cut into two pieces with a microneedle, the anucleate fragments vigorously extended blebs. This assay enabled us to induce blebbing reproducibly, and analyses of knockout mutants and specific inhibitors identified candidate molecules that regulate blebbing. Blebs were also induced in anucleate fragments of leukocytes, indicating that this assay is generally applicable to animal cells. After cutting, microtubules in the anucleate fragments promptly depolymerized, followed by the extension of blebs. Furthermore, when intact cells were treated with a microtubule inhibitor, they frequently extended blebs. The depolymerization of microtubules induced the delocalization of inositol lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate from the cell membrane. PI3 kinase-null cells frequently extended blebs, whereas PTEN-null cells extended fewer blebs. From these observations, we propose a model in which microtubules play a critical role in bleb regulation via inositol lipid metabolism.

BORC Functions Upstream of Kinesins 1 and 3 to Coordinate Regional Movement of Lysosomes along Different Microtubule Tracks.

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Guardia, Carlos M; Farías, Ginny G; Jia, Rui; Pu, Jing; Bonifacino, Juan S

2016-11-15

The multiple functions of lysosomes are critically dependent on their ability to undergo bidirectional movement along microtubules between the center and the periphery of the cell. Centrifugal and centripetal movement of lysosomes is mediated by kinesin and dynein motors, respectively. We recently described a multi-subunit complex named BORC that recruits the small GTPase Arl8 to lysosomes to promote their kinesin-dependent movement toward the cell periphery. Here, we show that BORC and Arl8 function upstream of two structurally distinct kinesin types: kinesin-1 (KIF5B) and kinesin-3 (KIF1Bβ and KIF1A). Remarkably, KIF5B preferentially moves lysosomes on perinuclear tracks enriched in acetylated α-tubulin, whereas KIF1Bβ and KIF1A drive lysosome movement on more rectilinear, peripheral tracks enriched in tyrosinated α-tubulin. These findings establish BORC as a master regulator of lysosome positioning through coupling to different kinesins and microtubule tracks. Common regulation by BORC enables coordinate control of lysosome movement in different regions of the cell. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Expansion and Polarity Sorting in Microtubule-Dynein Bundles(WHAT IS LIFE? THE NEXT 100 YEARS OF YUKAWA'S DREAM)

OpenAIRE

Assaf, ZEMEL; Alex, MOGILNER; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California

2008-01-01

Interactions of multiple molecular motors with dynamic polymers, such as actin and microtubules, form the basis for many processes in the cell cytoskeleton. One example is the active 'sorting' of microtubule bundles by dynein molecular motors into aster-like arrays of microtubules; in these bundles dynein motors cross-link and slide neighboring microtubules apart. A number of models have been suggested to quantify the active dynamics of cross-linked bundles of polar filaments. In the case of ...

Microtubule-Targeting Agents Enter the Central Nervous System (CNS): Double-edged Swords for Treating CNS Injury and Disease.

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Hur, Eun-Mi; Lee, Byoung Dae

2014-12-01

Microtubules have been among the most successful targets in anticancer therapy and a large number of microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) are in various stages of clinical development for the treatment of several malignancies. Given that injury and diseases in the central nervous system (CNS) are accompanied by acute or chronic disruption of the structural integrity of neurons and that microtubules provide structural support for the nervous system at cellular and intracellular levels, microtubules are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for treating CNS disorders. It has been postulated that exogenous application of MTAs might prevent the breakdown or degradation of microtubules after injury or during neurodegeneration, which will thereby aid in preserving the structural integrity and function of the nervous system. Here we review recent evidence that supports this notion and also discuss potential risks of targeting microtubules as a therapy for treating nerve injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

Microtubule-Targeting Agents Enter the Central Nervous System (CNS: Double-edged Swords for Treating CNS Injury and Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun-Mi Hur

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Microtubules have been among the most successful targets in anticancer therapy and a large number of microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs are in various stages of clinical development for the treatment of several malignancies. Given that injury and diseases in the central nervous system (CNS are accompanied by acute or chronic disruption of the structural integrity of neurons and that microtubules provide structural support for the nervous system at cellular and intracellular levels, microtubules are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for treating CNS disorders. It has been postulated that exogenous application of MTAs might prevent the breakdown or degradation of microtubules after injury or during neurodegeneration, which will thereby aid in preserving the structural integrity and function of the nervous system. Here we review recent evidence that supports this notion and also discuss potential risks of targeting microtubules as a therapy for treating nerve injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of structurally simplified noscapine analogues as microtubule binding agents

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ghaly, P.E.; Churchill, C.D.M.; Abou El-Magd, R.M.; Hájková, Zuzana; Dráber, Pavel; West, F.G.; Tuszyński, J.A.

2017-01-01

Roč. 95, č. 6 (2017), s. 649-655 ISSN 0008-4042 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-22194S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : noscapine * microtubule * tubulin * cytotoxicity * microtubule dynamics * docking Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology Impact factor: 1.080, year: 2016

Lateral motion and bending of microtubules studied with a new single-filament tracking routine in living cells.

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Pallavicini, Carla; Levi, Valeria; Wetzler, Diana E; Angiolini, Juan F; Benseñor, Lorena; Despósito, Marcelo A; Bruno, Luciana

2014-06-17

The cytoskeleton is involved in numerous cellular processes such as migration, division, and contraction and provides the tracks for transport driven by molecular motors. Therefore, it is very important to quantify the mechanical behavior of the cytoskeletal filaments to get a better insight into cell mechanics and organization. It has been demonstrated that relevant mechanical properties of microtubules can be extracted from the analysis of their motion and shape fluctuations. However, tracking individual filaments in living cells is extremely complex due, for example, to the high and heterogeneous background. We introduce a believed new tracking algorithm that allows recovering the coordinates of fluorescent microtubules with ∼9 nm precision in in vitro conditions. To illustrate potential applications of this algorithm, we studied the curvature distributions of fluorescent microtubules in living cells. By performing a Fourier analysis of the microtubule shapes, we found that the curvatures followed a thermal-like distribution as previously reported with an effective persistence length of ∼20 μm, a value significantly smaller than that measured in vitro. We also verified that the microtubule-associated protein XTP or the depolymerization of the actin network do not affect this value; however, the disruption of intermediate filaments decreased the persistence length. Also, we recovered trajectories of microtubule segments in actin or intermediate filament-depleted cells, and observed a significant increase of their motion with respect to untreated cells showing that these filaments contribute to the overall organization of the microtubule network. Moreover, the analysis of trajectories of microtubule segments in untreated cells showed that these filaments presented a slower but more directional motion in the cortex with respect to the perinuclear region, and suggests that the tracking routine would allow mapping the microtubule dynamical organization in cells

Molecular architecture of axonemal microtubule doublets revealedby cryo-electron tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sui, Haixin; Downing, Kenneth H.

2006-05-22

The axoneme, which forms the core of eukaryotic flagella and cilia, is one of the largest macromolecular machines with a structure that is largely conserved from protists to mammals. Microtubule doublets are structural components of axonemes containing a number of proteins besides tubulin, and are usually found in arrays of nine doublets arranged around two singlet microtubules. Coordinated sliding of adjacent doublets, which involves a host of other proteins in the axoneme, produces periodic beating movements of the axoneme. We have obtained a 3D density map of intact microtubule doublets using cryo-electron tomography and image averaging. Our map, with a resolution of about 3 nm, provides insights into locations of particular proteins within the doublets and the structural features of the doublets that define their mechanical properties. We identify likely candidates for several of these non-tubulin components of the doublets. This work offers novel insight on how tubulin protofilaments and accessory proteins attach together to form the doublets and provides a structural basis for understanding doublet function in axonemes.

Cyclin G2 is a centrosome-associated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein that influences microtubule stability and induces a p53-dependent cell cycle arrest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arachchige Don, Aruni S.; Dallapiazza, Robert F.; Bennin, David A.; Brake, Tiffany; Cowan, Colleen E.; Horne, Mary C.

2006-01-01

Cyclin G2 is an atypical cyclin that associates with active protein phosphatase 2A. Cyclin G2 gene expression correlates with cell cycle inhibition; it is significantly upregulated in response to DNA damage and diverse growth inhibitory stimuli, but repressed by mitogenic signals. Ectopic expression of cyclin G2 promotes cell cycle arrest, cyclin dependent kinase 2 inhibition and the formation of aberrant nuclei [Bennin, D. A., Don, A. S., Brake, T., McKenzie, J. L., Rosenbaum, H., Ortiz, L., DePaoli-Roach, A. A., and Horne, M. C. (2002). Cyclin G2 associates with protein phosphatase 2A catalytic and regulatory B' subunits in active complexes and induces nuclear aberrations and a G 1 /S-phase cell cycle arrest. J Biol Chem 277, 27449-67]. Here we report that endogenous cyclin G2 copurifies with centrosomes and microtubules (MT) and that ectopic G2 expression alters microtubule stability. We find exogenous and endogenous cyclin G2 present at microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) where it colocalizes with centrosomal markers in a variety of cell lines. We previously reported that cyclin G2 forms complexes with active protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and colocalizes with PP2A in a detergent-resistant compartment. We now show that cyclin G2 and PP2A colocalize at MTOCs in transfected cells and that the endogenous proteins copurify with isolated centrosomes. Displacement of the endogenous centrosomal scaffolding protein AKAP450 that anchors PP2A at the centrosome resulted in the depletion of centrosomal cyclin G2. We find that ectopic expression of cyclin G2 induces microtubule bundling and resistance to depolymerization, inhibition of polymer regrowth from MTOCs and a p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we determined that a 100 amino acid carboxy-terminal region of cyclin G2 is sufficient to both direct GFP localization to centrosomes and induce cell cycle inhibition. Colocalization of endogenous cyclin G2 with only one of two GFP-centrin-tagged centrioles, the

VP1, the major capsid protein of the mouse polyomavirus, binds microtubules, promotes their acetylation and blocks the host cell cycle

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Horníková, L.; Fraiberk, M.; Man, Petr; Janovec, V.; Forstová, J.

2017-01-01

Roč. 284, č. 2 (2017), s. 301-323 E-ISSN 1742-4658 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1509 Grant - others:Ministerstvo pro místní rozvoj(CZ) CZ.2.16./3.1.00/24023 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : cell cycle arrest * chaperone Hsp90 * microtubules Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology

Coupling of kinesin ATP turnover to translocation and microtubule regulation: one engine, many machines.

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Friel, Claire T; Howard, Jonathon

2012-12-01

The cycle of ATP turnover is integral to the action of motor proteins. Here we discuss how variation in this cycle leads to variation of function observed amongst members of the kinesin superfamily of microtubule associated motor proteins. Variation in the ATP turnover cycle among superfamily members can tune the characteristic kinesin motor to one of the range of microtubule-based functions performed by kinesins. The speed at which ATP is hydrolysed affects the speed of translocation. The ratio of rate constants of ATP turnover in relation to association and dissociation from the microtubule influence the processivity of translocation. Variation in the rate-limiting step of the cycle can reverse the way in which the motor domain interacts with the microtubule producing non-motile kinesins. Because the ATP turnover cycle is not fully understood for the majority of kinesins, much work remains to show how the kinesin engine functions in such a wide variety of molecular machines.

Influence of carbon nanotubes on the buckling of microtubule bundles in viscoelastic cytoplasm using nonlocal strain gradient theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Farajpour

Full Text Available Carbon nanotubes are a new class of microtubule-stabilizing agents since they interact with protein microtubules in living cells, interfering with cell division and inducing apoptosis. In the present work, a modified beam model is developed to investigate the effect of carbon nanotubes on the buckling of microtubule bundles in living cell. A realistic interaction model is employed using recent experimental data on the carbon nanotube-stabilized microtubules. Small scale and surface effects are taken into account applying the nonlocal strain gradient theory and surface elasticity theory. Pasternak model is used to describe the normal and shearing effects of enclosing filament matrix on the buckling behavior of the system. An exact solution is obtained for the buckling growth rates of the mixed bundle in viscoelastic surrounding cytoplasm. The present results are compared with those reported in the open literature for single microtubules and an excellent agreement is found. Finally, the effects of different parameters such as the size, chirality, position and surface energy of carbon nanotubes on the buckling growth rates of microtubule bundles are studied. It is found that the buckling growth rate may increase or decrease by adding carbon nanotubes, depending on the diameter and chirality of carbon nanotubes. Keywords: Microtubules, Carbon nanotubes, Buckling, Size effects

Finding the Cell Center by a Balance of Dynein and Myosin Pulling and Microtubule Pushing: A Computational Study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jie; Burakov, Anton; Rodionov, Vladimir

2010-01-01

The centrosome position in many types of interphase cells is actively maintained in the cell center. Our previous work indicated that the centrosome is kept at the center by pulling force generated by dynein and actin flow produced by myosin contraction and that an unidentified factor that depends on microtubule dynamics destabilizes position of the centrosome. Here, we use modeling to simulate the centrosome positioning based on the idea that the balance of three forces—dyneins pulling along microtubule length, myosin-powered centripetal drag, and microtubules pushing on organelles—is responsible for the centrosome displacement. By comparing numerical predictions with centrosome behavior in wild-type and perturbed interphase cells, we rule out several plausible hypotheses about the nature of the microtubule-based force. We conclude that strong dynein- and weaker myosin-generated forces pull the microtubules inward competing with microtubule plus-ends pushing the microtubule aster outward and that the balance of these forces positions the centrosome at the cell center. The model also predicts that kinesin action could be another outward-pushing force. Simulations demonstrate that the force-balance centering mechanism is robust yet versatile. We use the experimental observations to reverse engineer the characteristic forces and centrosome mobility. PMID:20980619

The CENP-T C-Terminus Is Exclusively Proximal to H3.1 and not to H3.2 or H3.3

Science.gov (United States)

Abendroth, Christian; Hofmeister, Antje; Hake, Sandra B.; Kamweru, Paul K.; Miess, Elke; Dornblut, Carsten; Küffner, Isabell; Deng, Wen; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Orthaus, Sandra; Hoischen, Christian; Diekmann, Stephan

2015-01-01

The kinetochore proteins assemble onto centromeric chromatin and regulate DNA segregation during cell division. The inner kinetochore proteins bind centromeres while most outer kinetochore proteins assemble at centromeres during mitosis, connecting the complex to microtubules. The centromere–kinetochore complex contains specific nucleosomes and nucleosomal particles. CENP-A replaces canonical H3 in centromeric nucleosomes, defining centromeric chromatin. Next to CENP-A, the CCAN multi-protein complex settles which contains CENP-T/W/S/X. These four proteins are described to form a nucleosomal particle at centromeres. We had found the CENP-T C-terminus and the CENP-S termini next to histone H3.1 but not to CENP-A, suggesting that the Constitutive Centromere-Associated Network (CCAN) bridges a CENP-A- and a H3-containing nucleosome. Here, we show by in vivo FRET that this proximity between CENP-T and H3 is specific for H3.1 but neither for the H3.1 mutants H3.1C96A and H3.1C110A nor for H3.2 or H3.3. We also found CENP-M next to H3.1 but not to these H3.1 mutants. Consistently, we detected CENP-M next to CENP-S. These data elucidate the local molecular neighborhood of CCAN proteins next to a H3.1-containing centromeric nucleosome. They also indicate an exclusive position of H3.1 clearly distinct from H3.2, thus documenting a local, and potentially also functional, difference between H3.1 and H3.2. PMID:25775162

The CENP-T C-Terminus Is Exclusively Proximal to H3.1 and not to H3.2 or H3.3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Abendroth

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The kinetochore proteins assemble onto centromeric chromatin and regulate DNA segregation during cell division. The inner kinetochore proteins bind centromeres while most outer kinetochore proteins assemble at centromeres during mitosis, connecting the complex to microtubules. The centromere–kinetochore complex contains specific nucleosomes and nucleosomal particles. CENP-A replaces canonical H3 in centromeric nucleosomes, defining centromeric chromatin. Next to CENP-A, the CCAN multi-protein complex settles which contains CENP-T/W/S/X. These four proteins are described to form a nucleosomal particle at centromeres. We had found the CENP-T C-terminus and the CENP-S termini next to histone H3.1 but not to CENP-A, suggesting that the Constitutive Centromere-Associated Network (CCAN bridges a CENP-A- and a H3-containing nucleosome. Here, we show by in vivo FRET that this proximity between CENP-T and H3 is specific for H3.1 but neither for the H3.1 mutants H3.1C96A and H3.1C110A nor for H3.2 or H3.3. We also found CENP-M next to H3.1 but not to these H3.1 mutants. Consistently, we detected CENP-M next to CENP-S. These data elucidate the local molecular neighborhood of CCAN proteins next to a H3.1-containing centromeric nucleosome. They also indicate an exclusive position of H3.1 clearly distinct from H3.2, thus documenting a local, and potentially also functional, difference between H3.1 and H3.2.

Three-dimensional fine structure of the organization of microtubules in neurite varicosities by ultra-high voltage electron microscope tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, Tomoki; Yoshimura, Ryoichi; Endo, Yasuhisa

2017-09-01

Neurite varicosities are highly specialized compartments that are involved in neurotransmitter/ neuromodulator release and provide a physiological platform for neural functions. However, it remains unclear how microtubule organization contributes to the form of varicosity. Here, we examine the three-dimensional structure of microtubules in varicosities of a differentiated PC12 neural cell line using ultra-high voltage electron microscope tomography. Three-dimensional imaging showed that a part of the varicosities contained an accumulation of organelles that were separated from parallel microtubule arrays. Further detailed analysis using serial sections and whole-mount tomography revealed microtubules running in a spindle shape of swelling in some other types of varicosities. These electron tomographic results showed that the structural diversity and heterogeneity of microtubule organization supported the form of varicosities, suggesting that a different distribution pattern of microtubules in varicosities is crucial to the regulation of varicosities development.

Erucin, the major isothiocyanate in arugula (Eruca sativa, inhibits proliferation of MCF7 tumor cells by suppressing microtubule dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Azarenko

Full Text Available Consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with reduced risk of various types of cancer. Isothiocyanates including sulforaphane and erucin are believed to be responsible for this activity. Erucin [1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylthiobutane], which is metabolically and structurally related to sulforaphane, is present in large quantities in arugula (Eruca sativa, Mill., kohlrabi and Chinese cabbage. However, its cancer preventive mechanisms remain poorly understood. We found that erucin inhibits proliferation of MCF7 breast cancer cells (IC50 = 28 µM in parallel with cell cycle arrest at mitosis (IC50 = 13 µM and apoptosis, by a mechanism consistent with impairment of microtubule dynamics. Concentrations of 5-15 µM erucin suppressed the dynamic instability of microtubules during interphase in the cells. Most dynamic instability parameters were inhibited, including the rates and extents of growing and shortening, the switching frequencies between growing and shortening, and the overall dynamicity. Much higher erucin concentrations were required to reduce the microtubule polymer mass. In addition, erucin suppressed dynamic instability of microtubules reassembled from purified tubulin in similar fashion. The effects of erucin on microtubule dynamics, like those of sulforaphane, are similar qualitatively to those of much more powerful clinically-used microtubule-targeting anticancer drugs, including taxanes and the vinca alkaloids. The results suggest that suppression of microtubule dynamics by erucin and the resulting impairment of critically important microtubule-dependent cell functions such as mitosis, cell migration and microtubule-based transport may be important in its cancer preventive activities.

Identification and characterization of SSE15206, a microtubule depolymerizing agent that overcomes multidrug resistance

KAUST Repository

Manzoor, Safia

2018-02-13

Microtubules are highly dynamic structures that form spindle fibres during mitosis and are one of the most validated cancer targets. The success of drugs targeting microtubules, however, is often limited by the development of multidrug resistance. Here we describe the discovery and characterization of SSE15206, a pyrazolinethioamide derivative [3-phenyl-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide] that has potent antiproliferative activities in cancer cell lines of different origins and overcomes resistance to microtubule-targeting agents. Treatment of cells with SSE15206 causes aberrant mitosis resulting in G2/M arrest due to incomplete spindle formation, a phenotype often associated with drugs that interfere with microtubule dynamics. SSE15206 inhibits microtubule polymerization both in biochemical and cellular assays by binding to colchicine site in tubulin as shown by docking and competition studies. Prolonged treatment of cells with the compound results in apoptotic cell death [increased Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and Annexin V/PI staining] accompanied by p53 induction. More importantly, we demonstrate that SSE15206 is able to overcome resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in different cancer cell lines including multidrug-resistant KB-V1 and A2780-Pac-Res cell lines overexpressing MDR-1, making it a promising hit for the lead optimization studies to target multidrug resistance.

SDF1 Reduces Interneuron Leading Process Branching through Dual Regulation of Actin and Microtubules

Science.gov (United States)

Lysko, Daniel E.; Putt, Mary

2014-01-01

Normal cerebral cortical function requires a highly ordered balance between projection neurons and interneurons. During development these two neuronal populations migrate from distinct progenitor zones to form the cerebral cortex, with interneurons originating in the more distant ganglionic eminences. Moreover, deficits in interneurons have been linked to a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders underscoring the importance of understanding interneuron development and function. We, and others, have identified SDF1 signaling as one important modulator of interneuron migration speed and leading process branching behavior in mice, although how SDF1 signaling impacts these behaviors remains unknown. We previously found SDF1 inhibited leading process branching while increasing the rate of migration. We have now mechanistically linked SDF1 modulation of leading process branching behavior to a dual regulation of both actin and microtubule organization. We find SDF1 consolidates actin at the leading process tip by de-repressing calpain protease and increasing proteolysis of branched-actin-supporting cortactin. Additionally, SDF1 stabilizes the microtubule array in the leading process through activation of the microtubule-associated protein doublecortin (DCX). DCX stabilizes the microtubule array by bundling microtubules within the leading process, reducing branching. These data provide mechanistic insight into the regulation of interneuron leading process dynamics during neuronal migration in mice and provides insight into how cortactin and DCX, a known human neuronal migration disorder gene, participate in this process. PMID:24695713

SDF1 reduces interneuron leading process branching through dual regulation of actin and microtubules.

Science.gov (United States)

Lysko, Daniel E; Putt, Mary; Golden, Jeffrey A

2014-04-02

Normal cerebral cortical function requires a highly ordered balance between projection neurons and interneurons. During development these two neuronal populations migrate from distinct progenitor zones to form the cerebral cortex, with interneurons originating in the more distant ganglionic eminences. Moreover, deficits in interneurons have been linked to a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders underscoring the importance of understanding interneuron development and function. We, and others, have identified SDF1 signaling as one important modulator of interneuron migration speed and leading process branching behavior in mice, although how SDF1 signaling impacts these behaviors remains unknown. We previously found SDF1 inhibited leading process branching while increasing the rate of migration. We have now mechanistically linked SDF1 modulation of leading process branching behavior to a dual regulation of both actin and microtubule organization. We find SDF1 consolidates actin at the leading process tip by de-repressing calpain protease and increasing proteolysis of branched-actin-supporting cortactin. Additionally, SDF1 stabilizes the microtubule array in the leading process through activation of the microtubule-associated protein doublecortin (DCX). DCX stabilizes the microtubule array by bundling microtubules within the leading process, reducing branching. These data provide mechanistic insight into the regulation of interneuron leading process dynamics during neuronal migration in mice and provides insight into how cortactin and DCX, a known human neuronal migration disorder gene, participate in this process.

Microtubule dynamics of the centrosome-like polar organizers from the basal land plant Marchantia polymorpha.

Science.gov (United States)

Buschmann, Henrik; Holtmannspötter, Michael; Borchers, Agnes; O'Donoghue, Martin-Timothy; Zachgo, Sabine

2016-02-01

The liverwort Marchantia employs both modern and ancestral devices during cell division: it forms preprophase bands and in addition it shows centrosome-like polar organizers. We investigated whether polar organizers and preprophase bands cooperate to set up the division plane. To this end, two novel green fluorescent protein-based microtubule markers for dividing cells of Marchantia were developed. Cells of the apical notch formed polar organizers first and subsequently assembled preprophase bands. Polar organizers were formed de novo from multiple mobile microtubule foci localizing to the nuclear envelope. The foci then became concentrated by bipolar aggregation. We determined the comet production rate of polar organizers and show that microtubule plus ends of astral microtubules polymerize faster than those found on cortical microtubules. Importantly, it was observed that conditions increasing polar organizer numbers interfere with preprophase band formation. The data show that polar organizers have much in common with centrosomes, but that they also have specialized features. The results suggest that polar organizers contribute to preprophase band formation and in this way are involved in controlling the division plane. Our analyses of the basal land plant Marchantia shed new light on the evolution of plant cell division. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Cationic membranes complexed with oppositely charged microtubules: hierarchical self-assembly leading to bio-nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raviv, Uri; Needleman, Daniel J; Safinya, Cyrus R

2006-01-01

The self-assembly of microtubules and charged membranes has been studied, using x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Polyelectrolyte lipid complexes usually form structures templated by the lipid phase, when the polyelectrolyte curvature is much larger than the membrane spontaneous curvature. When the polyelectrolyte curvature approaches the membrane spontaneous curvature, as in microtubules, two types of new structures emerge. Depending on the conditions, vesicles either adsorb onto the microtubule, forming a 'beads on a rod' structure, or coat the microtubule, which now forms the template. Tubulin oligomers then coat the external lipid layer, forming a lipid protein nanotube. The tubulin oligomer coverage at the external layer is determined by the membrane charge density. The energy barrier between the beads on a rod and the lipid-protein nanotube states depends on the membrane bending rigidity and membrane charge density. By controlling the lipid/tubulin stoichiometry we can switch between lipid-protein nanotubes with open ends to lipid-protein nanotubes with closed end with lipid cups. This forms the basis for controlled drug encapsulation and release

Katanin spiral and ring structures shed light on power stroke for microtubule severing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zehr, Elena; Szyk, Agnieszka; Piszczek, Grzegorz; Szczesna, Ewa; Zuo, Xiaobing; Roll-Mecak, Antonina

2017-08-07

Microtubule-severing enzymes katanin, spastin and fidgetin are AAA ATPases critical for the biogenesis and maintenance of complex microtubule arrays in axons, spindles and cilia. Because of a lack of 3D structures, their mechanism has remained poorly understood. We report the first X-ray structure of the monomeric AAA katanin module and cryo-EM reconstructions of the hexamer in two conformations. These reveal an unexpected asymmetric arrangement of the AAA domains mediated by structural elements unique to severing enzymes and critical for their function. Our reconstructions show that katanin cycles between open spiral and closed ring conformations, depending on the ATP occupancy of a gating protomer that tenses or relaxes inter-protomer interfaces. Cycling of the hexamer between these conformations would provide the power stroke for microtubule severing.

Microtubule Regulation of Kv7 Channels Orchestrates cAMP-Mediated Vasorelaxations in Rat Arterial Smooth Muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindman, Johanna; Khammy, Makhala M; Lundegaard, Pia R

2018-01-01

Microtubules can regulate GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor) signaling in various cell types. In vascular smooth muscle, activation of the β-adrenoceptor leads to production of cAMP to mediate a vasorelaxation. Little is known about the role of microtubules in smooth muscle, and given the importance...... of renal and mesenteric arteries that the microtubule stabilizer, paclitaxel, prevented. Sharp microelectrode experiments showed that colchicine treatment caused increased hyperpolarization of mesenteric artery segments in response to isoprenaline. Application of the Kv7 channel blocker, XE991, attenuated...

Microtubule self-organisation by reaction-diffusion processes causes collective transport and organisation of cellular particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Demongeot Jacques

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The transport of intra-cellular particles by microtubules is a major biological function. Under appropriate in vitro conditions, microtubule preparations behave as a 'complex' system and show 'emergent' phenomena. In particular, they form dissipative structures that self-organise over macroscopic distances by a combination of reaction and diffusion. Results Here, we show that self-organisation also gives rise to a collective transport of colloidal particles along a specific direction. Particles, such as polystyrene beads, chromosomes, nuclei, and vesicles are carried at speeds of several microns per minute. The process also results in the macroscopic self-organisation of these particles. After self-organisation is completed, they show the same pattern of organisation as the microtubules. Numerical simulations of a population of growing and shrinking microtubules, incorporating experimentally realistic reaction dynamics, predict self-organisation. They forecast that during self-organisation, macroscopic parallel arrays of oriented microtubules form which cross the reaction space in successive waves. Such travelling waves are capable of transporting colloidal particles. The fact that in the simulations, the aligned arrays move along the same direction and at the same speed as the particles move, suggest that this process forms the underlying mechanism for the observed transport properties. Conclusions This process constitutes a novel physical chemical mechanism by which chemical energy is converted into collective transport of colloidal particles along a given direction. Self-organisation of this type provides a new mechanism by which intra cellular particles such as chromosomes and vesicles can be displaced and simultaneously organised by microtubules. It is plausible that processes of this type occur in vivo.

Microtubule self-organisation by reaction-diffusion processes causes collective transport and organisation of cellular particles

Science.gov (United States)

Glade, Nicolas; Demongeot, Jacques; Tabony, James

2004-01-01

Background The transport of intra-cellular particles by microtubules is a major biological function. Under appropriate in vitro conditions, microtubule preparations behave as a 'complex' system and show 'emergent' phenomena. In particular, they form dissipative structures that self-organise over macroscopic distances by a combination of reaction and diffusion. Results Here, we show that self-organisation also gives rise to a collective transport of colloidal particles along a specific direction. Particles, such as polystyrene beads, chromosomes, nuclei, and vesicles are carried at speeds of several microns per minute. The process also results in the macroscopic self-organisation of these particles. After self-organisation is completed, they show the same pattern of organisation as the microtubules. Numerical simulations of a population of growing and shrinking microtubules, incorporating experimentally realistic reaction dynamics, predict self-organisation. They forecast that during self-organisation, macroscopic parallel arrays of oriented microtubules form which cross the reaction space in successive waves. Such travelling waves are capable of transporting colloidal particles. The fact that in the simulations, the aligned arrays move along the same direction and at the same speed as the particles move, suggest that this process forms the underlying mechanism for the observed transport properties. Conclusions This process constitutes a novel physical chemical mechanism by which chemical energy is converted into collective transport of colloidal particles along a given direction. Self-organisation of this type provides a new mechanism by which intra cellular particles such as chromosomes and vesicles can be displaced and simultaneously organised by microtubules. It is plausible that processes of this type occur in vivo. PMID:15176973

Microtubule organization in three-dimensional confined geometries: Evaluating the role of elasticity through a combined in vitro and modeling approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cosentino Lagomarsino, M.; Tanase, C.; Vos, J.W.; Emons, A.M.C.; Mulder, B.; Dogterom, M.

2007-01-01

Microtubules or microtubule bundles in cells often grow longer than the size of the cell, which causes their shape and organization to adapt to constraints imposed by the cell geometry. We test the reciprocal role of elasticity and confinement in the organization of growing microtubules in a

Stable and efficient Q-compensated least-squares migration with compressive sensing, sparsity-promoting, and preconditioning

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Xintao; Wang, Shangxu; Tang, Genyang; Meng, Xiangcui

2017-10-01

The anelastic effects of subsurface media decrease the amplitude and distort the phase of propagating wave. These effects, also referred to as the earth's Q filtering effects, diminish seismic resolution. Ignoring anelastic effects during seismic imaging process generates an image with reduced amplitude and incorrect position of reflectors, especially for highly absorptive media. The numerical instability and the expensive computational cost are major concerns when compensating for anelastic effects during migration. We propose a stable and efficient Q-compensated imaging methodology with compressive sensing, sparsity-promoting, and preconditioning. The stability is achieved by using the Born operator for forward modeling and the adjoint operator for back propagating the residual wavefields. Constructing the attenuation-compensated operators by reversing the sign of attenuation operator is avoided. The method proposed is always stable. To reduce the computational cost that is proportional to the number of wave-equation to be solved (thereby the number of frequencies, source experiments, and iterations), we first subsample over both frequencies and source experiments. We mitigate the artifacts caused by the dimensionality reduction via promoting sparsity of the imaging solutions. We further employ depth- and Q-preconditioning operators to accelerate the convergence rate of iterative migration. We adopt a relatively simple linearized Bregman method to solve the sparsity-promoting imaging problem. Singular value decomposition analysis of the forward operator reveals that attenuation increases the condition number of migration operator, making the imaging problem more ill-conditioned. The visco-acoustic imaging problem converges slower than the acoustic case. The stronger the attenuation, the slower the convergence rate. The preconditioning strategy evidently decreases the condition number of migration operator, which makes the imaging problem less ill-conditioned and

Xyloglucan Deficiency Disrupts Microtubule Stability and Cellulose Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, Altering Cell Growth and Morphogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Chaowen; Zhang, Tian; Zheng, Yunzhen; Cosgrove, Daniel J.; Anderson, Charles T.

2015-11-02

Xyloglucan constitutes most of the hemicellulose in eudicot primary cell walls and functions in cell wall structure and mechanics. Although Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) xxt1 xxt2 mutants lacking detectable xyloglucan are viable, they display growth defects that are suggestive of alterations in wall integrity. To probe the mechanisms underlying these defects, we analyzed cellulose arrangement, microtubule patterning and dynamics, microtubule- and wall-integrity-related gene expression, and cellulose biosynthesis in xxt1 xxt2 plants. We found that cellulose is highly aligned in xxt1 xxt2 cell walls, that its three-dimensional distribution is altered, and that microtubule patterning and stability are aberrant in etiolated xxt1 xxt2 hypocotyls. We also found that the expression levels of microtubule-associated genes, such as MAP70-5 and CLASP, and receptor genes, such as HERK1 and WAK1, were changed in xxt1 xxt2 plants and that cellulose synthase motility is reduced in xxt1 xxt2 cells, corresponding with a reduction in cellulose content. Our results indicate that loss of xyloglucan affects both the stability of the microtubule cytoskeleton and the production and patterning of cellulose in primary cell walls. These findings establish, to our knowledge, new links between wall integrity, cytoskeletal dynamics, and wall synthesis in the regulation of plant morphogenesis.

Capu and Spire Assemble a Cytoplasmic Actin~Mesh that Maintains Microtubule Organization in the Drosophila Oocyte

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahlgaard, K.; Raposo, A.A.S.F.; Niccoli, T.

2007-01-01

Mutants in the actin nucleators Cappuccino and Spire disrupt the polarized microtubule network in the Drosophila oocyte that defines the anterior-posterior axis, suggesting that microtubule organization depends on actin. Here, we show that Cappuccino and Spire organize an isotropic mesh of actin...

Interaction of the Tobacco mosaic virus movement protein with microtubules during the cell cycle in tobacco BY-2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutant, Emmanuel; Fitterer, Chantal; Ritzenthaler, Christophe; Heinlein, Manfred

2009-10-01

Cell-to-cell movement of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) involves the interaction of virus-encoded 30-kDa movement protein (MP) with microtubules. In cells behind the infection front that accumulate high levels of MP, this activity is reflected by the formation of stabilized MP/microtubule complexes. The ability of MP to bind along and stabilize microtubules is conserved upon expression in mammalian cells. In mammalian cells, the protein also leads to inhibition of mitosis and cell division through a microtubule-independent process correlated with the loss of centrosomal gamma-tubulin and of centrosomal microtubule-nucleation activity. Since MP has the capacity to interact with plant factors involved in microtubule nucleation and dynamics, we used inducible expression in BY-2 cells to test whether MP expression inhibits mitosis and cell division also in plants. We demonstrate that MP:GFP associates with all plant microtubule arrays and, unlike in mammalian cells, does not interfere with mitosis. Thus, MP function and the interaction of MP with factors of the cytoskeleton do not entail an inhibition of mitosis in plants. We also report that the protein targets primary plasmodesmata in BY-2 cells immediately upon or during cytokinesis and that the accumulation of MP in plasmodesmata occurs in the presence of inhibitors of the cytoskeleton and the secretory pathway.

Arabidopsis Microtubule-Associated Protein MAP65-3 Cross-Links Antiparallel Microtubules toward Their Plus Ends in the Phragmoplast via Its Distinct C-Terminal Microtubule Binding Domain[W

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Chin-Min Kimmy; Lee, Yuh-Ru Julie; Kiyama, Lindsay D.; Dinesh-Kumar, Savithramma P.; Liu, Bo

2012-01-01

Plant cytokinesis is brought about by the phragmoplast, which contains an antiparallel microtubule (MT) array. The MT-associated protein MAP65-3 acts as an MT-bundling factor that specifically cross-links antiparallel MTs near their plus ends. MAP65 family proteins contain an N-terminal dimerization domain and C-terminal MT interaction domain. Compared with other MAP65 isoforms, MAP65-3 contains an extended C terminus. A MT binding site was discovered in the region between amino acids 496 and 588 and found to be essential for the organization of phragmoplast MTs. The frequent cytokinetic failure caused by loss of MAP65-3 was not rescued by ectopic expression of MAP65-1 under the control of the MAP65-3 promoter, indicating nonoverlapping functions between the two isoforms. In the presence of MAP65-3, however, ectopic MAP65-1 appeared in the phragmoplast midline. We show that MAP65-1 could acquire the function of MAP65-3 when the C terminus of MAP65-3, which contains the MT binding site, was grafted to it. Our results also show that MAP65-1 and MAP65-3 may share redundant functions in MT stabilization. Such a stabilization effect was likely brought about by MT binding and bundling. We conclude that MAP65-3 contains a distinct C-terminal MT binding site with a specific role in cross-linking antiparallel MTs toward their plus ends in the phragmoplast. PMID:22570443

and its allicin on microtubule and cancer cell lines

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-10-05

Oct 5, 2009 ... microtubule protein polymer that treated by A. hirtifolium. (A), and allicin (B) in .... with a chromogenic thiol: reaction of 4-mercaptopyridine with ... transformed tumor growth in vivo by diallyl disulfide is associated with inhibition ...

Novel mitochondrial extensions provide evidence for a link between microtubule-directed movement and mitochondrial fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowes, Timothy; Gupta, Radhey S.

2008-01-01

Mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in a large number of cellular processes. Previously, we reported that treatment of mammalian cells with the cysteine-alkylators, N-ethylmaleimide and ethacrynic acid, induced rapid mitochondrial fusion forming a large reticulum approximately 30 min after treatment. Here, we further investigated this phenomenon using a number of techniques including live-cell confocal microscopy. In live cells, drug-induced fusion coincided with a cessation of fast mitochondrial movement which was dependent on microtubules. During this loss of movement, thin mitochondrial tubules extending from mitochondria were also observed, which we refer to as 'mitochondrial extensions'. The formation of these mitochondrial extensions, which were not observed in untreated cells, depended on microtubules and was abolished by pretreatment with nocodazole. In this study, we provide evidence that these extensions result from of a block in mitochondrial fission combined with continued application of motile force by microtubule-dependent motor complexes. Our observations strongly suggest the existence of a link between microtubule-based mitochondrial trafficking and mitochondrial fission

The plant formin AtFH4 interacts with both actin and microtubules, and contains a newly identified microtubule-binding domain

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Deeks, M.J.; Fendrych, Matyáš; Smertenko, A.; Bell, K.S.; Oparka, K.; Cvrčková, F.; Žárský, Viktor; Hussey, P.J.

2010-01-01

Roč. 123, č. 8 (2010), s. 1209-1215 ISSN 0021-9533 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06004; GA ČR GAP305/10/0433 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Actin regulating proteins * Membrane * Microtubule Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 6.290, year: 2010

Mechanical splitting of microtubules into protofilament bundles by surface-bound kinesin-1.

Science.gov (United States)

VanDelinder, Virginia; Adams, Peter G; Bachand, George D

2016-12-21

The fundamental biophysics of gliding microtubule (MT) motility by surface-tethered kinesin-1 motor proteins has been widely studied, as well as applied to capture and transport analytes in bioanalytical microdevices. In these systems, phenomena such as molecular wear and fracture into shorter MTs have been reported due the mechanical forces applied on the MT during transport. In the present work, we show that MTs can be split longitudinally into protofilament bundles (PFBs) by the work performed by surface-bound kinesin motors. We examine the properties of these PFBs using several techniques (e.g., fluorescence microscopy, SEM, AFM), and show that the PFBs continue to be mobile on the surface and display very high curvature compared to MT. Further, higher surface density of kinesin motors and shorter kinesin-surface tethers promote PFB formation, whereas modifying MT with GMPCPP or higher paclitaxel concentrations did not affect PFB formation.

The internal Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 facilitates both spindle assembly checkpoint signalling and silencing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lischetti, Tiziana; Zhang, Gang; Sedgwick, Garry G

2014-01-01

Improperly attached kinetochores activate the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and by an unknown mechanism catalyse the binding of two checkpoint proteins, Mad2 and BubR1, to Cdc20 forming the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC). Here, to address the functional role of Cdc20 kinetochore localization...... in the SAC, we delineate the molecular details of its interaction with kinetochores. We find that BubR1 recruits the bulk of Cdc20 to kinetochores through its internal Cdc20 binding domain (IC20BD). We show that preventing Cdc20 kinetochore localization by removal of the IC20BD has a limited effect...... on the SAC because the IC20BD is also required for efficient SAC silencing. Indeed, the IC20BD can disrupt the MCC providing a mechanism for its role in SAC silencing. We thus uncover an unexpected dual function of the second Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 in promoting both efficient SAC signalling and SAC...

The XMAP215 Ortholog Alp14 Promotes Microtubule Nucleation in Fission Yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Flor-Parra, Ignacio; Iglesias-Romero, Ana Belén; Chang, Fred

2018-06-04

The organization and number of microtubules (MTs) in a cell depend on the proper regulation of MT nucleation. Currently, the mechanism of nucleation is the most poorly understood aspect of MT dynamics. XMAP215/chTOG/Alp14/Stu2 proteins are MT polymerases that stimulate MT polymerization at MT plus ends by binding and releasing tubulin dimers. Although these proteins also localize to MT organizing centers and have nucleating activity in vitro, it is not yet clear whether these proteins participate in MT nucleation in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the XMAP215 ortholog Alp14 is critical for efficient MT nucleation in vivo. In multiple assays, loss of Alp14 function led to reduced nucleation rate and numbers of interphase MT bundles. Conversely, activation of Alp14 led to increased nucleation frequency. Alp14 associated with Mto1 and γ-tubulin complex components, and artificially targeting Alp14 to the γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) stimulated nucleation. In imaging individual nucleation events, we found that Alp14 transiently associated with a γ-tubulin particle shortly before the appearance of a new MT. The transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) ortholog Alp7 mediated the localization of Alp14 at nucleation sites but not plus ends, and was required for efficient nucleation but not for MT polymerization. Our findings provide the strongest evidence to date that Alp14 serves as a critical MT nucleation factor in vivo. We suggest a model in which Alp14 associates with the γ-tubulin complex in an Alp7-dependent manner to facilitate the assembly or stabilization of the nascent MT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BICD2, dynactin, and LIS1 cooperate in regulating dynein recruitment to cellular structures

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Splinter, Daniël; Razafsky, David S.; Schlager, Max A.; Serra-Marques, Andrea; Grigoriev, Ilya; Demmers, Jeroen; Keijzer, Nanda; Jiang, Kai; Poser, Ina; Hyman, Anthony A.; Hoogenraad, Casper C.; King, Stephen J.; Akhmanova, Anna

2012-01-01

Cytoplasmic dynein is the major microtubule minus-end–directed cellular motor. Most dynein activities require dynactin, but the mechanisms regulating cargo-dependent dynein–dynactin interaction are poorly understood. In this study, we focus on dynein–dynactin recruitment to cargo by the conserved motor adaptor Bicaudal D2 (BICD2). We show that dynein and dynactin depend on each other for BICD2-mediated targeting to cargo and that BICD2 N-terminus (BICD2-N) strongly promotes stable interaction between dynein and dynactin both in vitro and in vivo. Direct visualization of dynein in live cells indicates that by itself the triple BICD2-N–dynein–dynactin complex is unable to interact with either cargo or microtubules. However, tethering of BICD2-N to different membranes promotes their microtubule minus-end–directed motility. We further show that LIS1 is required for dynein-mediated transport induced by membrane tethering of BICD2-N and that LIS1 contributes to dynein accumulation at microtubule plus ends and BICD2-positive cellular structures. Our results demonstrate that dynein recruitment to cargo requires concerted action of multiple dynein cofactors. PMID:22956769

Tubular lysosome morphology and distribution within macrophages depend on the integrity of cytoplasmic microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanson, J.; Bushnell, A.; Silverstein, S.C.

1987-01-01

Pinocytosis of the fluorescent dye lucifer yellow labels elongated, membrane-bound tubular organelles in several cell types, including cultured human monocytes, thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages, and the macrophage-like cell line J774.2. These tubular structures can be identified as lysosomes by acid phosphatase histochemistry and immunofluorescence localization of cathepsin L. The abundance of tubular lysosomes is markedly increased by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. When labeled by pinocytosis of microperoxidase and examined by electron microscopic histochemistry, the tubular lysosomes have an outside diameter of ≅ 75 nm and a length of several micrometers; they radiate from the cell's centrosphere in alignment with cytoplasmic microtubules and intermediate filaments. Incubation of phorbol myristate acetate-treated macrophages at 4 0 C or in medium containing 5 μM colchicine or nocodazole at 37 0 C leads to disassembly of microtubules and fragmentation of the tubular lysosomes. Return of the cultures to 37 0 C or removal of nocodazole from the medium leads to reassembly of microtubules and the reappearance of tubular lysosomes within 10-20 min. The authors conclude that microtubules are essential for the maintenance of tubular lysosome morphology and that, in macrophages, a significant proportion of the lysosomal compartment is contained within these tubular structures

Auxin-dependent microtubule responses and seedling development are affected in a rice mutant resistant to EPC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nick, P.; Yatou, O.; Furuya, M.; Lambert, A.M.

1994-01-01

Mutants in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. japonica) were used to study the role of the cytoskeleton in signal-dependent morphogenesis. Mutants obtained by gamma ray irradiation were selected that failed to show inhibition of coleoptile elongation by the anti microtubular drug ethyl-N-phenylcarbamate (EPC). The mutation EPC-Resistant 31 (ER31), isolated from such a screen, caused lethality in putatively homozygous embryos. Heterozygotes exhibited drug resistance, impaired development of crown roots, and characteristic changes in the pattern of cell elongation: cell elongation was enhanced in mesocotyls and leaf sheaths, but inhibited in coleoptiles. The orientation of cortical microtubules changed correspondingly: for etiolated seedlings, compared with the wild-type, they were more transverse with respect to the long cell axis in mesocotyls and leaf sheaths, but more longitudinal in coleoptiles. In mutant coleoptiles, in contrast to wild-type, microtubules did not reorient in response to auxin, and their response to microtubule-eliminating and microtubule-stabilizing drugs was conspicuously reduced. In contrast, they responded normally to other stimuli such as gibberellins or red light. Auxin sensitivity as assayed by the dose-response for callus induction did not show any significant differences between wild-type and mutant. The mutant phenotype is interpreted in terms of an interrupted link between auxin-triggered signal transduction and microtubule reorientation. (author)

Emerging microtubule targets in glioma therapy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Katsetos, C.D.; Reginato, M.J.; Baas, P.W.; D'Agostino, L.; Legido, A.; Tuszynski, J. A.; Dráberová, Eduarda; Dráber, Pavel

2015-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 1 (2015), s. 49-72 ISSN 1071-9091 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LH12050; GA MZd NT14467 Grant - others:GA AV ČR M200521203PIPP; NIH(US) R01 NS028785; Philadelphia Health Education Corporation (PHEC)–St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Reunified Endowment (C.D.K.)(US) 323256 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : glioma tumorigenesis * glioblastoma * tubulin * microtubules Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.303, year: 2015

Katanin localization requires triplet microtubules in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

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Jessica M Esparza

Full Text Available Centrioles and basal bodies are essential for a variety of cellular processes that include the recruitment of proteins to these structures for both centrosomal and ciliary function. This recruitment is compromised when centriole/basal body assembly is defective. Mutations that cause basal body assembly defects confer supersensitivity to Taxol. These include bld2, bld10, bld12, uni3, vfl1, vfl2, and vfl3. Flagellar motility mutants do not confer sensitivity with the exception of mutations in the p60 (pf19 and p80 (pf15 subunits of the microtubule severing protein katanin. We have identified additional pf15 and bld2 (ε-tubulin alleles in screens for Taxol sensitivity. Null pf15 and bld2 alleles are viable and are not essential genes in Chlamydomonas. Analysis of double mutant strains with the pf15-3 and bld2-6 null alleles suggests that basal bodies in Chlamydomonas may recruit additional proteins beyond katanin that affect spindle microtubule stability. The bld2-5 allele is a hypomorphic allele and its phenotype is modulated by nutritional cues. Basal bodies in bld2-5 cells are missing proximal ends. The basal body mutants show aberrant localization of an epitope-tagged p80 subunit of katanin. Unlike IFT proteins, katanin p80 does not localize to the transition fibers of the basal bodies based on an analysis of the uni1 mutant as well as the lack of colocalization of katanin p80 with IFT74. We suggest that the triplet microtubules are likely to play a key role in katanin p80 recruitment to the basal body of Chlamydomonas rather than the transition fibers that are needed for IFT localization.

The proteasome of the differently-diverged eukaryote Giardia lamblia and its role in remodeling of the microtubule-based cytoskeleton.

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Ray, Atrayee; Sarkar, Srimonti

2017-08-01

Giardia lamblia is the causative agent of the diarrheal disease giardiasis, against which only a limited number of drugs are currently available. Increasing reports of resistance to these drugs makes it necessary to identify new cellular targets for designing the next generation of anti-giardial drugs. Towards this goal, therapeutic agents that target the parasitic cellular machinery involved in the functioning of the unique microtubule-based cytoskeleton of the Giardia trophozoites are likely to be effective as microtubule function is not only important for the survival of trophozoites within the host, but also their extensive remodeling is necessary during the transition from trophozoites to cysts. Thus, drugs that affect microtubule remodeling have the potential to not only kill the disease-causing trophozoites, but also inhibit transmission of cysts in the community. Recent studies in other model organisms have indicated that the proteasome plays an integral role in the formation and remodeling of the microtubule-based cytoskeleton. This review draws attention to the various processes by which the giardial proteasome may impact the functioning of its microtubule cytoskeleton and highlights the possible differences of the parasitic proteasome and some of other cellular machinery involved in microtubule remodeling, compared to that of the higher eukaryotic host.

Endoplasmic-reticulum-mediated microtubule alignment governs cytoplasmic streaming.

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Kimura, Kenji; Mamane, Alexandre; Sasaki, Tohru; Sato, Kohta; Takagi, Jun; Niwayama, Ritsuya; Hufnagel, Lars; Shimamoto, Yuta; Joanny, Jean-François; Uchida, Seiichi; Kimura, Akatsuki

2017-04-01

Cytoplasmic streaming refers to a collective movement of cytoplasm observed in many cell types. The mechanism of meiotic cytoplasmic streaming (MeiCS) in Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes is puzzling as the direction of the flow is not predefined by cell polarity and occasionally reverses. Here, we demonstrate that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network structure is required for the collective flow. Using a combination of RNAi, microscopy and image processing of C. elegans zygotes, we devise a theoretical model, which reproduces and predicts the emergence and reversal of the flow. We propose a positive-feedback mechanism, where a local flow generated along a microtubule is transmitted to neighbouring regions through the ER. This, in turn, aligns microtubules over a broader area to self-organize the collective flow. The proposed model could be applicable to various cytoplasmic streaming phenomena in the absence of predefined polarity. The increased mobility of cortical granules by MeiCS correlates with the efficient exocytosis of the granules to protect the zygotes from osmotic and mechanical stresses.

Neuronal microtubule organization: from minus end to plus end

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yau, K.W.

2016-01-01

Neurons are highly polarized cells consisting of a dendritic part and axonal part. Dendrites receive signals from other cells while axons transmit signals to other cells. In this thesis, mostly hippocampal neurons from rat embryos are used to study fundamental aspects of the microtubule organization

Application of quasi-steady state methods to molecular motor transport on microtubules in fungal hyphae.

Science.gov (United States)

Dauvergne, Duncan; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

2015-08-21

We consider bidirectional transport of cargo by molecular motors dynein and kinesin that walk along microtubules, and/or diffuse in the cell. The motors compete to transport cargo in opposite directions with respect to microtubule polarity (towards the plus or minus end of the microtubule). In recent work, Gou et al. (2014) used a hierarchical set of models, each consisting of continuum transport equations to track the evolution of motors and their cargo (early endosomes) in the specific case of the fungus Ustilago maydis. We complement their work using a framework of quasi-steady state analysis developed by Newby and Bressloff (2010) and Bressloff and Newby (2013) to reduce the models to an approximating steady state Fokker-Plank equation. This analysis allows us to find analytic approximations to the steady state solutions in many cases where the full models are not easily solved. Consequently, we can make predictions about parameter dependence of the resulting spatial distributions. We also characterize the overall rates of bulk transport and diffusion, and how these are related to state transition parameters, motor speeds, microtubule polarity distribution, and specific assumptions made. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biallelic Mutations in TBCD, Encoding the Tubulin Folding Cofactor D, Perturb Microtubule Dynamics and Cause Early-Onset Encephalopathy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flex, Elisabetta; Niceta, Marcello; Cecchetti, Serena; Thiffault, Isabelle; Au, Margaret G.; Capuano, Alessandro; Piermarini, Emanuela; Ivanova, Anna A.; Francis, Joshua W.; Chillemi, Giovanni; Chandramouli, Balasubramanian; Carpentieri, Giovanna; Haaxma, Charlotte A.; Ciolfi, Andrea; Pizzi, Simone; Douglas, Ganka V.; Levine, Kara; Sferra, Antonella; Dentici, Maria Lisa; Pfundt, Rolph R.; Le Pichon, Jean-Baptiste; Farrow, Emily; Baas, Frank; Piemonte, Fiorella; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Graham, John M.; Saunders, Carol J.; Bertini, Enrico; Kahn, Richard A.; Koolen, David A.; Tartaglia, Marco

2016-01-01

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal elements coordinating and supporting a variety of neuronal processes, including cell division, migration, polarity, intracellular trafficking, and signal transduction. Mutations in genes encoding tubulins and microtubule-associated proteins are known to cause

Non-critical string theory formulation of microtubule dynamics and quantum aspects of brain function

CERN Document Server

Mavromatos, Nikolaos E

1995-01-01

Microtubule (MT) networks, subneural paracrystalline cytosceletal structures, seem to play a fundamental role in the neurons. We cast here the complicated MT dynamics in the form of a 1+1-dimensional non-critical string theory, thus enabling us to provide a consistent quantum treatment of MTs, including enviromental {\\em friction} effects. We suggest, thus, that the MTs are the microsites, in the brain, for the emergence of stable, macroscopic quantum coherent states, identifiable with the {\\em preconscious states}. Quantum space-time effects, as described by non-critical string theory, trigger then an {\\em organized collapse} of the coherent states down to a specific or {\\em conscious state}. The whole process we estimate to take {\\cal O}(1\\,{\\rm sec}), in excellent agreement with a plethora of experimental/observational findings. The {\\em microscopic arrow of time}, endemic in non-critical string theory, and apparent here in the self-collapse process, provides a satisfactory and simple resolution to the age...

Spindle pole body-anchored Kar3 drives the nucleus along microtubules from another nucleus in preparation for nuclear fusion during yeast karyogamy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibeaux, Romain; Politi, Antonio Z; Nédélec, François; Antony, Claude; Knop, Michael

2013-02-01

Nuclear migration during yeast karyogamy, termed nuclear congression, is required to initiate nuclear fusion. Congression involves a specific regulation of the microtubule minus end-directed kinesin-14 motor Kar3 and a rearrangement of the cytoplasmic microtubule attachment sites at the spindle pole bodies (SPBs). However, how these elements interact to produce the forces necessary for nuclear migration is less clear. We used electron tomography, molecular genetics, quantitative imaging, and first principles modeling to investigate how cytoplasmic microtubules are organized during nuclear congression. We found that Kar3, with the help of its light chain, Cik1, is anchored during mating to the SPB component Spc72 that also serves as a nucleator and anchor for microtubules via their minus ends. Moreover, we show that no direct microtubule-microtubule interactions are required for nuclear migration. Instead, SPB-anchored Kar3 exerts the necessary pulling forces laterally on microtubules emanating from the SPB of the mating partner nucleus. Therefore, a twofold symmetrical application of the core principle that drives nuclear migration in higher cells is used in yeast to drive nuclei toward each other before nuclear fusion.

Cenp-meta is required for sustained spindle checkpoint

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Thomas Rubin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Cenp-E is a kinesin-like motor protein required for efficient end-on attachment of kinetochores to the spindle microtubules. Cenp-E immunodepletion in Xenopus mitotic extracts results in the loss of mitotic arrest and massive chromosome missegregation, whereas its depletion in mammalian cells leads to chromosome segregation defects despite the presence of a functional spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. Cenp-meta has previously been reported to be the Drosophila homolog of vertebrate Cenp-E. In this study, we show that cenp-metaΔ mutant neuroblasts arrest in mitosis when treated with colchicine. cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a mitotic delay. Yet, despite the persistence of the two checkpoint proteins Mad2 and BubR1 on unattached kinetochores, these cells eventually enter anaphase and give rise to highly aneuploid daughter cells. Indeed, we find that cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a slow but continuous degradation of cyclin B, which eventually triggers the mitotic exit observed. Thus, our data provide evidence for a role of Cenp-meta in sustaining the SAC response.

The plant microtubule-associated protein AtMAP65-3/PLE is essential for cytokinetic phragmoplast function.

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Müller, Sabine; Smertenko, Andrei; Wagner, Vera; Heinrich, Maria; Hussey, Patrick J; Hauser, Marie-Theres

2004-03-09

Directional cell expansion in interphase and nuclear and cell division in M-phase are mediated by four microtubule arrays, three of which are unique to plants: the interphase array, the preprophase band, and the phragmoplast. The plant microtubule-associated protein MAP65 has been identified as a key structural component in these arrays. The Arabidopsis genome has nine MAP65 genes, and here we show that one, AtMAP65-3/PLE, locates only to the mitotic arrays and is essential for cytokinesis. The Arabidopsis pleiade (ple) alleles are single recessive mutations, and we show that these mutations are in the AtMAP65-3 gene. Moreover, these mutations cause C-terminal truncations that abolish microtubule binding. In the ple mutants the anaphase spindle is normal, and the cytokinetic phragmoplast can form but is distorted; not only is it wider, but the midline, the region where oppositely oriented microtubules overlap, is unusually expanded. Here we present data that demonstrate an essential role for AtMAP65-3/PLE in cytokinesis in plant cells.

Mutations in Human Tubulin Proximal to the Kinesin-Binding Site Alter Dynamic Instability at Microtubule Plus- and Minus-Ends

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Ti, Shih-Chieh; Pamula, Melissa C.; Howes, Stuart C.; Duellberg, Christian; Cade, Nicholas I.; Kleiner, Ralph E.; Forth, Scott; Surrey, Thomas; Nogales, Eva; Kapoor, Tarun M.

2016-04-01

The assembly of microtubule-based cellular structures depends on regulated tubulin polymerization and directional transport. In this research, we have purified and characterized tubulin heterodimers that have human β-tubulin isotype III (TUBB3), as well as heterodimers with one of two β-tubulin mutations (D417H or R262H). Both point mutations are proximal to the kinesin-binding site and have been linked to an ocular motility disorder in humans. Compared to wild-type, microtubules with these mutations have decreased catastrophe frequencies and increased average lifetimes of plus- and minus-end-stabilizing caps. Importantly, the D417H mutation does not alter microtubule lattice structure or Mal3 binding to growing filaments. Instead, this mutation reduces the affinity of tubulin for TOG domains and colchicine, suggesting that the distribution of tubulin heterodimer conformations is changed. Together, our findings reveal how residues on the surface of microtubules, distal from the GTP-hydrolysis site and inter-subunit contacts, can alter polymerization dynamics at the plus- and minus-ends of microtubules.

Two Types of Genetic Interaction Implicate the Whirligig Gene of Drosophila Melanogaster in Microtubule Organization in the Flagellar Axoneme

Science.gov (United States)

Green, L. L.; Wolf, N.; McDonald, K. L.; Fuller, M. T.

1990-01-01

The mutant nc4 allele of whirligig (3-54.4) of Drosophila melanogaster fails to complement mutations in an α-tubulin locus, α1t, mutations in a β-tubulin locus, B2t, or a mutation in the haywire locus. However, wrl fails to map to any of the known α- or β-tubulin genes. The extragenic failure to complement could indicate that the wrl product participates in structural interactions with microtubule proteins. The whirligig locus appears to be haploinsufficient for male fertility. Both a deficiency of wrl and possible loss of function alleles obtained by reverting the failure to complement between wrl(nc4) and B2t(n) are dominant male sterile in a genetic background wild type for tubulin. The dominant male sterility of the revertant alleles is suppressed if the flies are also heterozygous for B2t(n), for a deficiency of α1t, or for the hay(nc2) allele. These results suggest that it is not the absolute level of wrl gene product but its level relative to tubulin or microtubule function that is important for normal spermatogenesis. The phenotype of homozygous wrl mutants suggests that the whirligig product plays a role in postmeiotic spermatid differentiation, possibly in organizing the microtubules of the sperm flagellar axoneme. Flies homozygous for either wrl(nc4) or revertant alleles are viable and female fertile but male sterile. Premeiotic and meiotic stages of spermatogenesis appear normal. However, in post-meiotic stages, flagellar axonemes show loss of the accessory microtubule on the B-subfiber of outer doublet microtubules, outer triplet instead of outer doublet microtubules, and missing central pair microtubules. PMID:2127579

Optomechanical proposal for monitoring microtubule mechanical vibrations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Barzanjeh, Sh.; Salari, V.; Tuszynski, J. A.; Cifra, Michal; Simon, C.

2017-01-01

Roč. 96, č. 1 (2017), č. článku 012404. ISSN 2470-0045 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-17102S Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) SAV-15-22 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Vibrational modes * Microtubule * Resonance frequencies Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers OBOR OECD: Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics) Impact factor: 2.366, year: 2016

SAS-6 engineering reveals interdependence between cartwheel and microtubules in determining centriole architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilbert, Manuel; Noga, Akira; Frey, Daniel; Hamel, Virginie; Guichard, Paul; Kraatz, Sebastian H W; Pfreundschuh, Moritz; Hosner, Sarah; Flückiger, Isabelle; Jaussi, Rolf; Wieser, Mara M; Thieltges, Katherine M; Deupi, Xavier; Müller, Daniel J; Kammerer, Richard A; Gönczy, Pierre; Hirono, Masafumi; Steinmetz, Michel O

2016-04-01

Centrioles are critical for the formation of centrosomes, cilia and flagella in eukaryotes. They are thought to assemble around a nine-fold symmetric cartwheel structure established by SAS-6 proteins. Here, we have engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii SAS-6-based oligomers with symmetries ranging from five- to ten-fold. Expression of a SAS-6 mutant that forms six-fold symmetric cartwheel structures in vitro resulted in cartwheels and centrioles with eight- or nine-fold symmetries in vivo. In combination with Bld10 mutants that weaken cartwheel-microtubule interactions, this SAS-6 mutant produced six- to eight-fold symmetric cartwheels. Concurrently, the microtubule wall maintained eight- and nine-fold symmetries. Expressing SAS-6 with analogous mutations in human cells resulted in nine-fold symmetric centrioles that exhibited impaired length and organization. Together, our data suggest that the self-assembly properties of SAS-6 instruct cartwheel symmetry, and lead us to propose a model in which the cartwheel and the microtubule wall assemble in an interdependent manner to establish the native architecture of centrioles.

Involvement of microtubules in lipoprotein degradation and utilization for steroidogenesis in cultured rat luteal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajan, V.P.; Menon, K.M.

1985-01-01

Cells isolated from superovulated rat ovaries metabolize low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) of human or rat origin and use the lipoprotein-derived cholesterol as a precursor for progesterone production. Under in vitro conditions, both lipoproteins are internalized and degraded in the lysosomes, although degradation of HDL is of lower magnitude than that of LDL. In this report we have examined the role of cellular microtubules in the internalization and degradation of human LDL and HDL in cultured rat luteal cells. The microtubule depolymerizing agents colchicine, podophyllotoxin, vinblastine, and nocodazole as well as taxol, deuterium oxide, and dimethyl sulfoxide, which are known to rapidly polymerize cellular tubulin into microtubules, were used to block the function of microtubules. When these antimicrotubule agents were included in the incubations, degradation of the apolipoproteins of [ 125 I]iodo-LDL and [ 125 I]iodo-HDL by the luteal cells was inhibited by 50-85% compared to untreated control values. Maximum inhibitory effects were observed when the cells were preincubated with the inhibitor for at least 4 h at 37 C before treatment with the labeled lipoprotein. Lipoprotein-stimulated progesterone production by luteal cells was also inhibited by 50% or more in the presence of antimicrotubule agents. However, basal and hCG-stimulated progesterone production were unaffected by these inhibitors. The binding of [ 125 I]iodo-LDL and [ 125 I]iodo-HDL to luteal cell plasma membrane receptors was not affected by the microtubule inhibitors. Although binding was unaffected and degradation was impaired in the presence of the inhibitors, there was no detectable accumulation of undegraded lipoprotein within the cells during the 24 h of study

Phosphatase PP2A and microtubule-mediated pulling forces disassemble centrosomes during mitotic exit

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Stephen J. Enos

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Centrosomes are microtubule-nucleating organelles that facilitate chromosome segregation and cell division in metazoans. Centrosomes comprise centrioles that organize a micron-scale mass of protein called pericentriolar material (PCM from which microtubules nucleate. During each cell cycle, PCM accumulates around centrioles through phosphorylation-mediated assembly of PCM scaffold proteins. During mitotic exit, PCM swiftly disassembles by an unknown mechanism. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans embryos to determine the mechanism and importance of PCM disassembly in dividing cells. We found that the phosphatase PP2A and its regulatory subunit SUR-6 (PP2ASUR-6, together with cortically directed microtubule pulling forces, actively disassemble PCM. In embryos depleted of these activities, ∼25% of PCM persisted from one cell cycle into the next. Purified PP2ASUR-6 could dephosphorylate the major PCM scaffold protein SPD-5 in vitro. Our data suggest that PCM disassembly occurs through a combination of dephosphorylation of PCM components and force-driven fragmentation of the PCM scaffold.

Image-based compound profiling reveals a dual inhibitor of tyrosine kinase and microtubule polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanabe, Kenji

2016-04-27

Small-molecule compounds are widely used as biological research tools and therapeutic drugs. Therefore, uncovering novel targets of these compounds should provide insights that are valuable in both basic and clinical studies. I developed a method for image-based compound profiling by quantitating the effects of compounds on signal transduction and vesicle trafficking of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Using six signal transduction molecules and two markers of vesicle trafficking, 570 image features were obtained and subjected to multivariate analysis. Fourteen compounds that affected EGFR or its pathways were classified into four clusters, based on their phenotypic features. Surprisingly, one EGFR inhibitor (CAS 879127-07-8) was classified into the same cluster as nocodazole, a microtubule depolymerizer. In fact, this compound directly depolymerized microtubules. These results indicate that CAS 879127-07-8 could be used as a chemical probe to investigate both the EGFR pathway and microtubule dynamics. The image-based multivariate analysis developed herein has potential as a powerful tool for discovering unexpected drug properties.

Wolbachia utilizes host microtubules and Dynein for anterior localization in the Drosophila oocyte.

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Patrick M Ferree

2005-10-01

Full Text Available To investigate the role of the host cytoskeleton in the maternal transmission of the endoparasitic bacteria Wolbachia, we have characterized their distribution in the female germ line of Drosophila melanogaster. In the germarium, Wolbachia are distributed to all germ cells of the cyst, establishing an early infection in the cell destined to become the oocyte. During mid-oogenesis, Wolbachia exhibit a distinct concentration between the anterior cortex and the nucleus in the oocyte, where many bacteria appear to contact the nuclear envelope. Following programmed rearrangement of the microtubule network, Wolbachia dissociate from this anterior position and become dispersed throughout the oocyte. This localization pattern is distinct from mitochondria and all known axis determinants. Manipulation of microtubules and cytoplasmic Dynein and Dynactin, but not Kinesin-1, disrupts anterior bacterial localization in the oocyte. In live egg chambers, Wolbachia exhibit movement in nurse cells but not in the oocyte, suggesting that the bacteria are anchored by host factors. In addition, we identify mid-oogenesis as a period in the life cycle of Wolbachia in which bacterial replication occurs. Total bacterial counts show that Wolbachia increase at a significantly higher rate in the oocyte than in the average nurse cell, and that normal Wolbachia levels in the oocyte depend on microtubules. These findings demonstrate that Wolbachia utilize the host microtubule network and associated proteins for their subcellular localization in the Drosophila oocyte. These interactions may also play a role in bacterial motility and replication, ultimately leading to the bacteria's efficient maternal transmission.

Arabidopsis cortical microtubules position cellulose synthase delivery to the plasma membrane and interact with cellulose synthase trafficking compartments.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gutierrez, R.; Lindeboom, J.J.; Paredez, A.R.; Emons, A.M.C.; Ehrhardt, D.W.

2009-01-01

Plant cell morphogenesis relies on the organization and function of two polymer arrays separated by the plasma membrane: the cortical microtubule cytoskeleton and cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall. Studies using in vivo markers confirmed that one function of the cortical microtubule array is

Human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncoprotein engages but does not abrogate the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Yueyang [Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Munger, Karl, E-mail: kmunger@rics.bwh.harvard.edu [Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

2012-10-10

The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis by censoring kinetochore-microtubule interactions. It is frequently rendered dysfunctional during carcinogenesis causing chromosome missegregation and genomic instability. There are conflicting reports whether the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein drives chromosomal instability by abolishing the SAC. Here we report that degradation of mitotic cyclins is impaired in cells with HPV16 E7 expression. RNAi-mediated depletion of Mad2 or BubR1 indicated the involvement of the SAC, suggesting that HPV16 E7 expression causes sustained SAC engagement. Mutational analyses revealed that HPV16 E7 sequences that are necessary for retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein binding as well as sequences previously implicated in binding the nuclear and mitotic apparatus (NuMA) protein and in delocalizing dynein from the mitotic spindle contribute to SAC engagement. Importantly, however, HPV16 E7 does not markedly compromise the SAC response to microtubule poisons.

Vault mobility depends in part on microtubules and vaults can be recruited to the nuclear envelope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zon, Arend van; Mossink, Marieke H.; Houtsmuller, Adriaan B.; Schoester, Martijn; Scheffer, George L.; Scheper, Rik J.; Sonneveld, Pieter; Wiemer, Erik A.C.

2006-01-01

Vaults are ribonucleoproteins that may function in intracellular transport processes. We investigated the intracellular distribution and dynamics of vaults in non-small cell lung cancer cells in which vaults are labeled with the green fluorescent protein. Immunofluorescence experiments showed that vaults are dispersed throughout the cytoplasm; a small fraction is found in close proximity to microtubules. Immunoprecipitation experiments corroborated these results showing co-precipitation of MVP and β-tubulin. Using quantitative fluorescence-recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we demonstrated that vault mobility over longer distances in part depends on intact microtubules; vaults moving slower when microtubules are depolymerized by nocodazole. Biochemical fractionation indicated a small fraction of MVP associated with the nucleus, however, no GFP-tagged vaults could be observed inside the nucleus. We observed an accumulation of vaults at the nuclear envelope upon treatment of cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. Analysis of nucleo-cytoplasmic transport using a fluorescent substrate containing a classical NLS and NES expressed in MVP +/+ and MVP -/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts indicated no differences in nuclear import/export kinetics, suggesting no role for vaults in these processes. We hypothesize that a subset of vaults moves directionally via microtubules, possibly towards the nucleus

Microtubule-dependent targeting of the exocyst complex is necessary for xylem development in Arabidopsis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vukašinović, Nemanja; Oda, Y.; Pejchar, Přemysl; Synek, Lukáš; Pečenková, Tamara; Rawat, Anamika; Sekereš, Juraj; Potocký, Martin; Žárský, Viktor

2017-01-01

Roč. 213, č. 3 (2017), s. 1052-1067 ISSN 0028-646X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-14886S Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LO1417 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : secondary cell-wall * tracheary element differentiation * cortical microtubules * plasma-membrane * vesicle trafficking * secretory pathways * auxin transport * exocytosis * deposition * thaliana * conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex * exocyst * microtubules * secondary cell wall * tracheary elements * xylem Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 7.330, year: 2016

Microtubule dynamics. II. Kinetics of self-assembly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, H.; Jobs, E.

1997-01-01

Inverse scattering theory describes the conditions necessary and sufficient to determine an unknown potential from known scattering data. No similar theory exists for when and how one may deduce the kinetics of an unknown chemical reaction from quantitative information about its final state and i...... to analyze the self-assembly of microtubules from tubulin are general, and many other reactions and processes may be studied as inverse problems with these methods when enough experimental data are available....

The Microtubule Plus-End Tracking Protein CLASP2 Is Required for Hematopoiesis and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Maintenance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ksenija Drabek

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Mammalian CLASPs are microtubule plus-end tracking proteins whose essential function as regulators of microtubule behavior has been studied mainly in cultured cells. We show here that absence of murine CLASP2 in vivo results in thrombocytopenia, progressive anemia, and pancytopenia, due to defects in megakaryopoiesis, in erythropoiesis, and in the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cell activity. Furthermore, microtubule stability and organization are affected upon attachment of Clasp2 knockout hematopoietic stem-cell-enriched populations, and these cells do not home efficiently toward their bone marrow niche. Strikingly, CLASP2-deficient hematopoietic stem cells contain severely reduced mRNA levels of c-Mpl, which encodes the thrombopoietin receptor, an essential factor for megakaryopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell maintenance. Our data suggest that thrombopoietin signaling is impaired in Clasp2 knockout mice. We propose that the CLASP2-mediated stabilization of microtubules is required for proper attachment, homing, and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells and that this is necessary to sustain c-Mpl transcription.

Plasma membrane factor XIIIA transglutaminase activity regulates osteoblast matrix secretion and deposition by affecting microtubule dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadil F Al-Jallad

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Transglutaminase activity, arising potentially from transglutaminase 2 (TG2 and Factor XIIIA (FXIIIA, has been linked to osteoblast differentiation where it is required for type I collagen and fibronectin matrix deposition. In this study we have used an irreversible TG-inhibitor to 'block -and-track' enzyme(s targeted during osteoblast differentiation. We show that the irreversible TG-inhibitor is highly potent in inhibiting osteoblast differentiation and mineralization and reduces secretion of both fibronectin and type I collagen and their release from the cell surface. Tracking of the dansyl probe by Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the inhibitor targets plasma membrane-associated FXIIIA. TG2 appears not to contribute to crosslinking activity on the osteoblast surface. Inhibition of FXIIIA with NC9 resulted in defective secretory vesicle delivery to the plasma membrane which was attributable to a disorganized microtubule network and decreased microtubule association with the plasma membrane. NC9 inhibition of FXIIIA resulted in destabilization of microtubules as assessed by cellular Glu-tubulin levels. Furthermore, NC9 blocked modification of Glu-tubulin into 150 kDa high-molecular weight Glu-tubulin form which was specifically localized to the plasma membrane. FXIIIA enzyme and its crosslinking activity were colocalized with plasma membrane-associated tubulin, and thus, it appears that FXIIIA crosslinking activity is directed towards stabilizing the interaction of microtubules with the plasma membrane. Our work provides the first mechanistic cues as to how transglutaminase activity could affect protein secretion and matrix deposition in osteoblasts and suggests a novel function for plasma membrane FXIIIA in microtubule dynamics.

Direct Cytoplasmic Delivery and Nuclear Targeting Delivery of HPMA-MT Conjugates in a Microtubules Dependent Fashion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jiaju; Zhu, Xi; Luo, Kui; Li, Lian; Tang, Manlin; Liu, Yanxi; Zhou, Zhou; Huang, Yuan

2016-09-06

As the hearts of tumor cells, the nucleus is the ultimate target of many chemotherapeutic agents and genes. However, nuclear drug delivery is always hampered by multiple intracellular obstacles, such as low efficiency of lysosome escape and insufficient nuclear trafficking. Herein, an N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) polymer-based drug delivery system was designed, which could achieve direct cytoplasmic delivery by a nonendocytic pathway and transport into the nucleus in a microtubules dependent fashion. A special targeting peptide (MT), derived from an endogenic parathyroid hormone-related protein, was conjugated to the polymer backbone, which could accumulate into the nucleus a by microtubule-mediated pathway. The in vitro studies found that low temperature and NaN3 could not influence the cell internalization of the conjugates. Besides, no obvious overlay of the conjugates with lysosome demonstrated that the polymer conjugates could enter the tumor cell cytoplasm by a nonendocytic pathway, thus avoiding the drug degradation in the lysosome. Furthermore, after suppression of the microtubule dynamics with microtubule stabilizing docetaxel (DTX) and destabilizing nocodazole (Noc), the nuclear accumulation of polymeric conjugates was significantly inhibited. Living cells fluorescence recovery after photobleaching study found that the nuclear import rate of conjugates was 2-fold faster compared with the DTX and Noc treated groups. These results demonstrated that the conjugates transported into the nucleus in a microtubules dependent way. Therefore, in addition to direct cytoplasmic delivery, our peptide conjugated polymeric platform could simultaneously mediate nuclear drug accumulation, which may open a new path for further intracellular genes/peptides delivery.

Kif4 Is Essential for Mouse Oocyte Meiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Camlin, Nicole J; McLaughlin, Eileen A; Holt, Janet E

2017-01-01

Progression through the meiotic cell cycle must be strictly regulated in oocytes to generate viable embryos and offspring. During mitosis, the kinesin motor protein Kif4 is indispensable for chromosome condensation and separation, midzone formation and cytokinesis. Additionally, the bioactivity of Kif4 is dependent on phosphorylation via Aurora Kinase B and Cdk1, which regulate Kif4 function throughout mitosis. Here, we examine the role of Kif4 in mammalian oocyte meiosis. Kif4 localized in the cytoplasm throughout meiosis I and II, but was also observed to have a dynamic subcellular distribution, associating with both microtubules and kinetochores at different stages of development. Co-localization and proximity ligation assays revealed that the kinetochore proteins, CENP-C and Ndc80, are potential Kif4 interacting proteins. Functional analysis of Kif4 in oocytes via antisense knock-down demonstrated that this protein was not essential for meiosis I completion. However, Kif4 depleted oocytes displayed enlarged polar bodies and abnormal metaphase II spindles, indicating an essential role for this protein for correct asymmetric cell division in meiosis I. Further investigation of the phosphoregulation of meiotic Kif4 revealed that Aurora Kinase and Cdk activity is critical for Kif4 kinetochore localization and interaction with Ndc80 and CENP-C. Finally, Kif4 protein but not gene expression was found to be upregulated with age, suggesting a role for this protein in the decline of oocyte quality with age.

Dynein Light Intermediate Chain 2 Facilitates the Metaphase to Anaphase Transition by Inactivating the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagar P Mahale

Full Text Available The multi-functional molecular motor cytoplasmic dynein performs diverse essential roles during mitosis. The mechanistic importance of the dynein Light Intermediate Chain homologs, LIC1 and LIC2 is unappreciated, especially in the context of mitosis. LIC1 and LIC2 are believed to exist in distinct cytoplasmic dynein complexes as obligate subunits. LIC1 had earlier been reported to be required for metaphase to anaphase progression by inactivating the kinetochore-microtubule attachment-sensing arm of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. However, the functional importance of LIC2 during mitosis remains elusive. Here we report prominent novel roles for the LIC2 subunit of cytoplasmic dynein in regulating the spindle assembly checkpoint. LIC2 depletion in mammalian cells led to prolonged metaphase arrest in the presence of an active SAC and also to stretched kinetochores, thus implicating it in SAC inactivation. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy of SAC components revealed accumulation of both attachment- and tension-sensing checkpoint proteins at metaphase kinetochores upon LIC2 depletion. These observations support a stronger and more diverse role in checkpoint inactivation for LIC2 in comparison to its close homolog LIC1. Our study uncovers a novel functional hierarchy during mitotic checkpoint inactivation between the closely related but homologous LIC subunits of cytoplasmic dynein. These subtle functional distinctions between dynein subpopulations could be exploited to study specific aspects of the spindle assembly checkpoint, which is a key mediator of fidelity in eukaryotic cell division.

A Genome-wide RNAi Screen for Microtubule Bundle Formation and Lysosome Motility Regulation in Drosophila S2 Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amber L. Jolly

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Long-distance intracellular transport of organelles, mRNA, and proteins (“cargo” occurs along the microtubule cytoskeleton by the action of kinesin and dynein motor proteins, but the vast network of factors involved in regulating intracellular cargo transport are still unknown. We capitalize on the Drosophila melanogaster S2 model cell system to monitor lysosome transport along microtubule bundles, which require enzymatically active kinesin-1 motor protein for their formation. We use an automated tracking program and a naive Bayesian classifier for the multivariate motility data to analyze 15,683 gene phenotypes and find 98 proteins involved in regulating lysosome motility along microtubules and 48 involved in the formation of microtubule filled processes in S2 cells. We identify innate immunity genes, ion channels, and signaling proteins having a role in lysosome motility regulation and find an unexpected relationship between the dynein motor, Rab7a, and lysosome motility regulation.

Griseofulvin stabilizes microtubule dynamics, activates p53 and inhibits the proliferation of MCF-7 cells synergistically with vinblastine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathinasamy, Krishnan; Jindal, Bhavya; Asthana, Jayant; Singh, Parminder; Balaji, Petety V; Panda, Dulal

2010-01-01

Griseofulvin, an antifungal drug, has recently been shown to inhibit proliferation of various types of cancer cells and to inhibit tumor growth in athymic mice. Due to its low toxicity, griseofulvin has drawn considerable attention for its potential use in cancer chemotherapy. This work aims to understand how griseofulvin suppresses microtubule dynamics in living cells and sought to elucidate the antimitotic and antiproliferative action of the drug. The effects of griseofulvin on the dynamics of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells were measured by confocal microscopy. Immunofluorescence microscopy, western blotting and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effects of griseofulvin on spindle microtubule organization, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Further, interactions of purified tubulin with griseofulvin were studied in vitro by spectrophotometry and spectrofluorimetry. Docking analysis was performed using autodock4 and LigandFit module of Discovery Studio 2.1. Griseofulvin strongly suppressed the dynamic instability of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells by reducing the rate and extent of the growing and shortening phases. At or near half-maximal proliferation inhibitory concentration, griseofulvin dampened the dynamicity of microtubules in MCF-7 cells without significantly disrupting the microtubule network. Griseofulvin-induced mitotic arrest was associated with several mitotic abnormalities like misaligned chromosomes, multipolar spindles, misegregated chromosomes resulting in cells containing fragmented nuclei. These fragmented nuclei were found to contain increased concentration of p53. Using both computational and experimental approaches, we provided evidence suggesting that griseofulvin binds to tubulin in two different sites; one site overlaps with the paclitaxel binding site while the second site is located at the αβ intra-dimer interface. In combination studies, griseofulvin and vinblastine were found to exert synergistic

The polarity protein Par6 is coupled to the microtubule network during molluscan early embryogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Homma, Taihei [Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Shimizu, Miho [Kuroda Chiromorphology Team, ERATO-SORST, JST, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan); Kuroda, Reiko, E-mail: ckuroda@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kuroda Chiromorphology Team, ERATO-SORST, JST, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan); Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan)

2011-01-07

Research highlights: {yields} The cDNAs encoding Par6 and aPKC homologues were cloned from the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. {yields} L. stagnalis Par6 directly interacts with tubulin and microtubules and localizes to the microtubule cytoskeleton during the early embryogenesis. {yields} Identical sequence and localization of LsPar6 for the dextral and the sinistral snails exclude the possibility of the gene being the primary determinant of body handedness. -- Abstract: Cell polarity, which directs the orientation of asymmetric cell division and segregation of fate determinants, is a fundamental feature of development and differentiation. Regulators of polarity have been extensively studied, and the critical importance of the Par (partitioning-defective) complex as the polarity machinery is now recognized in a wide range of eukaryotic systems. The Par polarity module is evolutionarily conserved, but its mechanism and cooperating factors vary among different systems. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis homologue of partitioning-defective 6 (Lspar6). The protein product LsPar6 shows high affinity for microtubules and localizes to the mitotic apparatus during embryonic cell division. In vitro assays revealed direct binding of LsPar6 to tubulin and microtubules, which is the first evidence of the direct interaction between the two proteins. The interaction is mediated by two distinct regions of LsPar6 both located in the N-terminal half. Atypical PKC, a functional partner of Par6, was also found to localize to the mitotic spindle. These results suggest that the L. stagnalis Par complex employs the microtubule network in cell polarity processes during the early embryogenesis. Identical sequence and localization of LsPar6 for the dextral and the sinistral snails exclude the possibility of the gene being the primary determinant of handedness.

The polarity protein Par6 is coupled to the microtubule network during molluscan early embryogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homma, Taihei; Shimizu, Miho; Kuroda, Reiko

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The cDNAs encoding Par6 and aPKC homologues were cloned from the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. → L. stagnalis Par6 directly interacts with tubulin and microtubules and localizes to the microtubule cytoskeleton during the early embryogenesis. → Identical sequence and localization of LsPar6 for the dextral and the sinistral snails exclude the possibility of the gene being the primary determinant of body handedness. -- Abstract: Cell polarity, which directs the orientation of asymmetric cell division and segregation of fate determinants, is a fundamental feature of development and differentiation. Regulators of polarity have been extensively studied, and the critical importance of the Par (partitioning-defective) complex as the polarity machinery is now recognized in a wide range of eukaryotic systems. The Par polarity module is evolutionarily conserved, but its mechanism and cooperating factors vary among different systems. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis homologue of partitioning-defective 6 (Lspar6). The protein product LsPar6 shows high affinity for microtubules and localizes to the mitotic apparatus during embryonic cell division. In vitro assays revealed direct binding of LsPar6 to tubulin and microtubules, which is the first evidence of the direct interaction between the two proteins. The interaction is mediated by two distinct regions of LsPar6 both located in the N-terminal half. Atypical PKC, a functional partner of Par6, was also found to localize to the mitotic spindle. These results suggest that the L. stagnalis Par complex employs the microtubule network in cell polarity processes during the early embryogenesis. Identical sequence and localization of LsPar6 for the dextral and the sinistral snails exclude the possibility of the gene being the primary determinant of handedness.

Microtubules in cell migration, morphogenesis and metabolism: Making the connections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noordstra, I.

2017-01-01

Cell polarity refers to a fundamental property of eukaryotic cells, in which cellular components and structures are organized in an asymmetric fashion. In order to control their polarity, cells make use of microtubules, hollow polymers that extend throughout the cytoplasm. Due to the asymmetry of

A microtubule inhibitor, ABT-751, induces autophagy and delays apoptosis in Huh-7 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Ren-Jie [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Lin, Su-Shuan [Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Wu, Wen-Ren [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Lih-Ren [Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Division of Physiology, Livestock Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan (China); Li, Chien-Feng [Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan (China); National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institute, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Han-De; Chou, Chien-Ting; Chen, Ya-Chun [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Liang, Shih-Shin [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chien, Shang-Tao [Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shiue, Yow-Ling, E-mail: ylshiue@mail.nsysu.edu.tw [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

2016-11-15

The objective was to investigate the upstream mechanisms of apoptosis which were triggered by a novel anti-microtubule drug, ABT-751, in hepatocellular carcinoma-derived Huh-7 cells. Effects of ABT-751 were evaluated by immunocytochemistry, flow cytometric, alkaline comet, soft agar, immunoblotting, CytoID, green fluorescent protein-microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta detection, plasmid transfection, nuclear/cytosol fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, small-hairpin RNA interference and mitochondria/cytosol fractionation assays. Results showed that ABT-751 caused dysregulation of microtubule, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage, G{sub 2}/M cell cycle arrest, inhibition of anchorage-independent cell growth and apoptosis in Huh-7 cells. ABT-751 also induced early autophagy via upregulation of nuclear TP53 and downregulation of the AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) pathway. Through modulation of the expression levels of DNA damage checkpoint proteins and G{sub 2}/M cell cycle regulators, ABT-751 induced G{sub 2}/M cell cycle arrest. Subsequently, ABT-751 triggered apoptosis with marked downregulation of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2, upregulation of mitochondrial BCL2 antagonist/killer 1 and BCL2 like 11 protein levels, and cleavages of caspase 8 (CASP8), CASP9, CASP3 and DNA fragmentation factor subunit alpha proteins. Suppression of ROS significantly decreased ABT-751-induced autophagic and apoptotic cells. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy significantly increased the percentages of ABT-751-induced apoptotic cells. The autophagy induced by ABT-751 plays a protective role to postpone apoptosis by exerting adaptive responses following microtubule damage, ROS and/or impaired mitochondria. - Highlights: • An anti-microtubule agent, ABT-751, induces autophagy and apoptosis in Huh-7 cells. �

Proteomics of cancer cell lines resistant to microtubule-stabilizing agents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrethsen, Jakob; Angeletti, Ruth H; Horwitz, Susan Band

2014-01-01

Despite the clinical success of microtubule-interacting agents (MIA), a significant challenge for oncologists is the inability to predict the response of individual patients with cancer to these drugs. In the present study, six cell lines were compared by 2D DIGE proteomics to investigate cellula...

Aluminum ions inhibit phospholipase D in a microtubule-dependent manner

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pejchar, Přemysl; Pleskot, R.; Schwarzerová, K.; Martinec, Jan; Valentová, O.; Novotná, Z.

2008-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 5 (2008), s. 554-556 ISSN 1065-6995 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA522/05/0340 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Aluminum toxicity * Phospholipase D * Microtubules Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.619, year: 2008

Glucose regulated proteins 78 and 75 bind to the receptor for hyaluronan mediated motility in interphase microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwabara, Hiroko; Yoneda, Masahiko; Hayasaki, Hana; Nakamura, Toshiya; Mori, Hiroshi

2006-01-01

The receptor for hyaluronan mediated motility (RHAMM), which is a hyaluronan-binding protein, is a centrosomal and microtubal protein. Here, we have identified two RHAMM-binding proteins, glucose regulated protein (GRP) 78 and GRP75, using co-immunoprecipitation analysis. These two proteins directly bound to glutathione-S-transferase-RHAMM fusion proteins. By double immunostaining, GRP78 and GRP75 colocalized with RHAMM in interphase microtubules, but were separated in mitotic spindles. Prevention of microtubule polymerization by TN-16 and vincristine sulfate induced RHAMM overexpression without a significant change in GRP78/75. Taken together, GRP78/75 and RHAMM complexes may stabilize microtubules in the interphase, associated with a downregulation of RHAMM. These results reveal a new biochemical activity of RHAMM

Non-equilibrium assembly of microtubules: from molecules to autonomous chemical robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, H; Ross, Jennifer L

2017-09-18

Biological systems have evolved to harness non-equilibrium processes from the molecular to the macro scale. It is currently a grand challenge of chemistry, materials science, and engineering to understand and mimic biological systems that have the ability to autonomously sense stimuli, process these inputs, and respond by performing mechanical work. New chemical systems are responding to the challenge and form the basis for future responsive, adaptive, and active materials. In this article, we describe a particular biochemical-biomechanical network based on the microtubule cytoskeletal filament - itself a non-equilibrium chemical system. We trace the non-equilibrium aspects of the system from molecules to networks and describe how the cell uses this system to perform active work in essential processes. Finally, we discuss how microtubule-based engineered systems can serve as testbeds for autonomous chemical robots composed of biological and synthetic components.

Functional importance of the anaphase-promoting complex-Cdh1-mediated degradation of TMAP/CKAP2 in regulation of spindle function and cytokinesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Kyung Uk; Park, Young Soo; Seong, Yeon-Sun; Kang, Dongmin; Bae, Chang-Dae; Park, Joobae

2007-05-01

Cytoskeleton-associated protein 2 (CKAP2), also known as tumor-associated microtubule-associated protein (TMAP), is a novel microtubule-associated protein that is frequently upregulated in various malignances. However, its cellular functions remain unknown. A previous study has shown that its protein level begins to increase during G(1)/S and peaks at G(2)/M, after which it decreases abruptly. Ectopic overexpression of TMAP/CKAP2 induced microtubule bundling related to increased microtubule stability. TMAP/CKAP2 overexpression also resulted in cell cycle arrest during mitosis due to a defect in centrosome separation and subsequent formation of a monopolar spindle. We also show that degradation of TMAP/CKAP2 during mitotic exit is mediated by the anaphase-promoting complex bound to Cdh1 and that the KEN box motif near the N terminus is necessary for its destruction. Compared to the wild type, expression of a nondegradable mutant of TMAP/CKAP2 significantly increased the occurrence of spindle defects and cytokinesis failure. These results suggest that TMAP/CKAP2 plays a role in the assembly and maintenance of mitotic spindles, presumably by regulating microtubule dynamics, and its destruction during mitotic exit serves an important role in the completion of cytokinesis and in the maintenance of spindle bipolarity in the next mitosis.

Cell proliferation, cell shape, and microtubule and cellulose microfibril organization of tobacco BY-2 cells are not altered by exposure to near weightlessness in space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sieberer, B.; Kieft, H.; Franssen-Verheijen, M.A.W.; Emons, A.M.C.; Vos, J.W.

2009-01-01

The microtubule cytoskeleton and the cell wall both play key roles in plant cell growth and division, determining the plant’s final stature. At near weightlessness, tubulin polymerizes into microtubules in vitro, but these microtubules do not self-organize in the ordered patterns observed at 1g.

Role of membrane sterols and cortical microtubules in gravity resistance in plants

Science.gov (United States)

Hoson, T.; Koizumi, T.; Matsumoto, S.; Kumasaki, S.; Soga, K.; Wakabayashi, K.; Sakaki, T.

Resistance to the gravitational force is a principal graviresponse in plants comparable to gravitropism Nevertheless only limited information has been obtained for this graviresponse We have examined mechanisms of signal perception transformation and transduction of the perceived signal and response to the transduced signal in gravity resistance using hypergravity conditions produced by centrifugation In Arabidopsis hypocotyls hypergravity treatment greatly increased the expression level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A reductase HMGR which catalyzes a reaction producing mevalonic acid a key precursor of terpenoids such as membrane sterols Geranyl diphosphate synthase gene was also up-regulated by hypergravity whereas the expression of other genes involved in membrane lipid metabolism was not influenced Hypergravity caused an increase in sterol content in azuki bean epicotyls but not in phospholipid glycolipid or fatty acid content Also hypergravity did not influence fatty acid composition in any lipid class Thus the effect of hypergravity on membrane lipid metabolism was specific for sterol synthesis On the other hand alpha- and beta-tubulin genes were up-regulated by hypergravity treatment in Arabidopsis hypocotyls Hypergravity also induced reorientation of cortical microtubules in azuki epicotyls the percentage of epidermal cells with transverse microtubles was decreased whereas that with longitudinal microtubules was increased Inhibitors of HMGR action and microtubule-disrupting agents completely prevented the gravity resistance

Curcumin alters the cytoskeleton and microtubule organization on trophozoites of Giardia lamblia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, Filiberto; Palomo-Ligas, Lissethe; Hernández-Hernández, José Manuel; Pérez-Rangel, Armando; Aguayo-Ortiz, Rodrigo; Hernández-Campos, Alicia; Castillo, Rafael; González-Pozos, Sirenia; Cortés-Zárate, Rafael; Ramírez-Herrera, Mario Alberto; Mendoza-Magaña, María Luisa; Castillo-Romero, Araceli

2017-08-01

Giardia lamblia is a worldwide protozoan responsible for a significant number of intestinal infections. There are several drugs for the treatment of giardiasis, but they often cause side effects. Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has antigiardial activity; however, the molecular target and mechanism of antiproliferative activity are not clear. The effects of curcumin on cellular microtubules have been widely investigated. Since tubulin is the most abundant protein in the cytoskeleton of Giardia, to elucidate whether curcumin has activity against the microtubules of this parasite, we treated trophozoites with curcumin and the cells were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Curcumin inhibited Giardia proliferation and adhesion in a time-concentration-dependent mode. The higher inhibitory concentrations of curcumin (3 and 15μM) disrupted the cytoskeletal structures of trophozoites; the damage was evident on the ventral disk, flagella and in the caudal region, also the membrane was affected. The immunofluorescence images showed altered distribution of tubulin staining on ventral disk and flagella. Additionally, we found that curcumin caused a clear reduction of tubulin expression. By docking analysis and molecular dynamics we showed that curcumin has a high probability to bind at the interface of the tubulin dimer close to the vinblastine binding site. All the data presented indicate that curcumin may inhibit Giardia proliferation by perturbing microtubules. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The centrosomal linker and microtubules provide dual levels of spatial coordination of centrosomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Panic

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The centrosome is the principal microtubule organizing center in most animal cells. It consists of a pair of centrioles surrounded by pericentriolar material. The centrosome, like DNA, duplicates exactly once per cell cycle. During interphase duplicated centrosomes remain closely linked by a proteinaceous linker. This centrosomal linker is composed of rootletin filaments that are anchored to the centrioles via the protein C-Nap1. At the onset of mitosis the linker is dissolved by Nek2A kinase to support the formation of the bipolar mitotic spindle. The importance of the centrosomal linker for cell function during interphase awaits characterization. Here we assessed the phenotype of human RPE1 C-Nap1 knockout (KO cells. The absence of the linker led to a modest increase in the average centrosome separation from 1 to 2.5 μm. This small impact on the degree of separation is indicative of a second level of spatial organization of centrosomes. Microtubule depolymerisation or stabilization in C-Nap1 KO cells dramatically increased the inter-centrosomal separation (> 8 μm. Thus, microtubules position centrosomes relatively close to one another in the absence of linker function. C-Nap1 KO cells had a Golgi organization defect with a two-fold expansion of the area occupied by the Golgi. When the centrosomes of C-Nap1 KO cells showed considerable separation, two spatially distinct Golgi stacks could be observed. Furthermore, migration of C-Nap1 KO cells was slower than their wild type RPE1 counterparts. These data show that the spatial organization of centrosomes is modulated by a combination of centrosomal cohesion and microtubule forces. Furthermore a modest increase in centrosome separation has major impact on Golgi organization and cell migration.

Colchicine Depolymerizes Microtubules, Increases Junctophilin-2, and Improves Right Ventricular Function in Experimental Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

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Prins, Kurt W; Tian, Lian; Wu, Danchen; Thenappan, Thenappan; Metzger, Joseph M; Archer, Stephen L

2017-05-31

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal disease characterized by obstructive pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Although RV function predicts outcomes in PAH, mechanisms of RV dysfunction are poorly understood, and RV-targeted therapies are lacking. We hypothesized that in PAH, abnormal microtubular structure in RV cardiomyocytes impairs RV function by reducing junctophilin-2 (JPH2) expression, resulting in t-tubule derangements. Conversely, we assessed whether colchicine, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent, could increase JPH2 expression and enhance RV function in monocrotaline-induced PAH. Immunoblots, confocal microscopy, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and treadmill testing were used to examine colchicine's (0.5 mg/kg 3 times/week) effects on pulmonary hemodynamics, RV function, and functional capacity. Rats were treated with saline (n=28) or colchicine (n=24) for 3 weeks, beginning 1 week after monocrotaline (60 mg/kg, subcutaneous). In the monocrotaline RV, but not the left ventricle, microtubule density is increased, and JPH2 expression is reduced, with loss of t-tubule localization and t-tubule disarray. Colchicine reduces microtubule density, increases JPH2 expression, and improves t-tubule morphology in RV cardiomyocytes. Colchicine therapy diminishes RV hypertrophy, improves RV function, and enhances RV-pulmonary artery coupling. Colchicine reduces small pulmonary arteriolar thickness and improves pulmonary hemodynamics. Finally, colchicine increases exercise capacity. Monocrotaline-induced PAH causes RV-specific derangement of microtubules marked by reduction in JPH2 and t-tubule disarray. Colchicine reduces microtubule density, increases JPH2 expression, and improves both t-tubule architecture and RV function. Colchicine also reduces adverse pulmonary vascular remodeling. These results provide biological plausibility for a clinical trial to repurpose colchicine as a RV-directed therapy for PAH

Functional Importance of the Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cdh1-Mediated Degradation of TMAP/CKAP2 in Regulation of Spindle Function and Cytokinesis▿ †

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Kyung Uk; Park, Young Soo; Seong, Yeon-Sun; Kang, Dongmin; Bae, Chang-Dae; Park, Joobae

2007-01-01

Cytoskeleton-associated protein 2 (CKAP2), also known as tumor-associated microtubule-associated protein (TMAP), is a novel microtubule-associated protein that is frequently upregulated in various malignances. However, its cellular functions remain unknown. A previous study has shown that its protein level begins to increase during G1/S and peaks at G2/M, after which it decreases abruptly. Ectopic overexpression of TMAP/CKAP2 induced microtubule bundling related to increased microtubule stability. TMAP/CKAP2 overexpression also resulted in cell cycle arrest during mitosis due to a defect in centrosome separation and subsequent formation of a monopolar spindle. We also show that degradation of TMAP/CKAP2 during mitotic exit is mediated by the anaphase-promoting complex bound to Cdh1 and that the KEN box motif near the N terminus is necessary for its destruction. Compared to the wild type, expression of a nondegradable mutant of TMAP/CKAP2 significantly increased the occurrence of spindle defects and cytokinesis failure. These results suggest that TMAP/CKAP2 plays a role in the assembly and maintenance of mitotic spindles, presumably by regulating microtubule dynamics, and its destruction during mitotic exit serves an important role in the completion of cytokinesis and in the maintenance of spindle bipolarity in the next mitosis. PMID:17339342

Duplication in the microtubule-actin cross-linking factor 1 gene causes a novel neuromuscular condition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Louise H; Mosbech, Mai-Britt; Færgeman, Nils J

2014-01-01

Spectrins and plakins are important communicators linking cytoskeletal components to each other and to cellular junctions. Microtubule-actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) belongs to the spectraplakin family and is involved in control of microtubule dynamics. Complete knock out of MACF1 in mice...... muscles and diminished motor skills, with heterogeneous presentation among the affected family members. To corroborate these findings we used RNA interference to knock down the VAB-10 locus containing the MACF1 homologue in C. elegans, and we could show that this also causes movement disturbances...

Kindlin1 regulates microtubule function to ensure normal mitosis.

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Patel, Hitesh; Stavrou, Ifigeneia; Shrestha, Roshan L; Draviam, Viji; Frame, Margaret C; Brunton, Valerie G

2016-08-01

Loss of Kindlin 1 (Kin1) results in the skin blistering disorder Kindler Syndrome (KS), whose symptoms also include skin atrophy and reduced keratinocyte proliferation. Kin1 binds to integrins to modulate their activation and more recently it has been shown to regulate mitotic spindles and cell survival in a Plk1-dependent manner. Here we report that short-term Kin1 deletion in mouse skin results in impaired mitosis, which is associated with reduced acetylated tubulin (ac-tub) levels and cell proliferation. In cells, impaired mitosis and reduced ac-tub levels are also accompanied by reduced microtubule stability, all of which are rescued by HDAC6 inhibition. The ability of Kin1 to regulate HDAC6-dependent cellular ac-tub levels is dependent on its phosphorylation by Plk1. Taken together, these data define a novel role for Kin1 in microtubule acetylation and stability and offer a mechanistic insight into how certain KS phenotypes, such as skin atrophy and reduced cell proliferation, arise. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, IBCB, SIBS, CAS.

Differential regulation of microtubule severing by APC underlies distinct patterns of projection neuron and interneuron migration

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Eom, Tae-Yeon; Stanco, Amelia; Guo, Jiami; Wilkins, Gary; Deslauriers, Danielle; Yan, Jessica; Monckton, Chase; Blair, Josh; Oon, Eesim; Perez, Abby; Salas, Eduardo; Oh, Adrianna; Ghukasyan, Vladimir; Snider, William D.; Rubenstein, John L. R.; Anton, E. S.

2014-01-01

Coordinated migration of distinct classes of neurons to appropriate positions leads to the formation of functional neuronal circuitry in the cerebral cortex. Two major classes of cortical neurons, interneurons and projection neurons, utilize distinctly different modes (radial vs. tangential) and routes of migration to arrive at their final positions in the cerebral cortex. Here, we show that adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) modulates microtubule (MT) severing in interneurons to facilitate tangential mode of interneuron migration, but not the glial-guided, radial migration of projection neurons. APC regulates the stability and activity of the MT severing protein p60-katanin in interneurons to promote the rapid remodeling of neuronal processes necessary for interneuron migration. These findings reveal how severing and restructuring of MTs facilitate distinct modes of neuronal migration necessary for laminar organization of neurons in the developing cerebral cortex. PMID:25535916

Effects of colchicine treatment on the microtubule cytoskeleton and total protein during microsporogenesis in ginkgo biloba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Q.J.; Mei, F.F.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of colchicine treatment on the microtubule cytoskeleton and the expression of proteins during microsporogenesis in G. biloba, as observed by immunofluorescence and 2-DE analysis in microsporangia treated with colchicine. The results showed the microtubule structures were affected by the colchicine in Ginkgo biloba, but the treatment effect of the colchicine had certain limitation in G. biloba. The percentage of microsporocytes whose microtubule structures were affected by the colchicine treatment was less than that observed in other plant species, not higher than 10 %. It was also found that the expression level of several endogenous proteins were changed in G. biloba when the microsporangia were treated with colchicine. Although we only tested colchicines was only tested in the present study, G. biloba appeared to possess factors that restricted the effect of such chemical agents. Our observations led us to speculate that the endogenous proteins are possibly responsible for the reduced effects of colchicine treatment in G. biloba. (author)

Phosphorylation of the yeast γ-tubulin Tub4 regulates microtubule function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Tien-chen; Gombos, Linda; Neuner, Annett

2011-01-01

The yeast ¿-tubulin Tub4 is assembled with Spc97 and Spc98 into the small Tub4 complex. The Tub4 complex binds via the receptor proteins Spc72 and Spc110 to the spindle pole body (SPB), the functional equivalent of the mammalian centrosome, where the Tub4 complex organizes cytoplasmic and nuclear...... microtubules. Little is known about the regulation of the Tub4 complex. Here, we isolated the Tub4 complex with the bound receptors from yeast cells. Analysis of the purified Tub4 complex by mass spectrometry identified more than 50 phosphorylation sites in Spc72, Spc97, Spc98, Spc110 and Tub4. To examine...... the functional relevance of the phosphorylation sites, phospho-mimicking and non-phosphorylatable mutations in Tub4, Spc97 and Spc98 were analyzed. Three phosphorylation sites in Tub4 were found to be critical for Tub4 stability and microtubule organization. One of the sites is highly conserved in ¿-tubulins...

Birefringence of single and bundled microtubules.

Science.gov (United States)

Oldenbourg, R; Salmon, E D; Tran, P T

1998-01-01

We have measured the birefringence of microtubules (MTs) and of MT-based macromolecular assemblies in vitro and in living cells by using the new Pol-Scope. A single microtubule in aqueous suspension and imaged with a numerical aperture of 1.4 had a peak retardance of 0.07 nm. The peak retardance of a small bundle increased linearly with the number of MTs in the bundle. Axonemes (prepared from sea urchin sperm) had a peak retardance 20 times higher than that of single MTs, in accordance with the nine doublets and two singlets arrangement of parallel MTs in the axoneme. Measured filament retardance decreased when the filament was defocused or the numerical aperture of the imaging system was decreased. However, the retardance "area," which we defined as the image retardance integrated along a line perpendicular to the filament axis, proved to be independent of focus and of numerical aperture. These results are in good agreement with a theory that we developed for measuring retardances with imaging optics. Our theoretical concept is based on Wiener's theory of mixed dielectrics, which is well established for nonimaging applications. We extend its use to imaging systems by considering the coherence region defined by the optical set-up. Light scattered from within that region interferes coherently in the image point. The presence of a filament in the coherence region leads to a polarization dependent scattering cross section and to a finite retardance measured in the image point. Similar to resolution measurements, the linear dimension of the coherence region for retardance measurements is on the order lambda/(2 NA), where lambda is the wavelength of light and NA is the numerical aperture of the illumination and imaging lenses.

Tracking of plus-ends reveals microtubule functional diversity in different cell types

Science.gov (United States)

Shaebani, M. Reza; Pasula, Aravind; Ott, Albrecht; Santen, Ludger

2016-07-01

Many cellular processes are tightly connected to the dynamics of microtubules (MTs). While in neuronal axons MTs mainly regulate intracellular trafficking, they participate in cytoskeleton reorganization in many other eukaryotic cells, enabling the cell to efficiently adapt to changes in the environment. We show that the functional differences of MTs in different cell types and regions is reflected in the dynamic properties of MT tips. Using plus-end tracking proteins EB1 to monitor growing MT plus-ends, we show that MT dynamics and life cycle in axons of human neurons significantly differ from that of fibroblast cells. The density of plus-ends, as well as the rescue and catastrophe frequencies increase while the growth rate decreases toward the fibroblast cell margin. This results in a rather stable filamentous network structure and maintains the connection between nucleus and membrane. In contrast, plus-ends are uniformly distributed along the axons and exhibit diverse polymerization run times and spatially homogeneous rescue and catastrophe frequencies, leading to MT segments of various lengths. The probability distributions of the excursion length of polymerization and the MT length both follow nearly exponential tails, in agreement with the analytical predictions of a two-state model of MT dynamics.

Aggregation of SND1 in Stress Granules is Associated with the Microtubule Cytoskeleton During Heat Shock Stimulus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Jie; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Bingbing; Zhao, Meng; Zhou, Yunli; He, Jinyan; Ren, Li; Yao, Zhi; Yang, Jie; Su, Chao; Gao, Xingjie

2017-12-01

Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic dense structures in the cytoplasm that form in response to a variety of environmental stress stimuli. Staphylococcal nuclease and Tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) is a type of RNA-binding protein and has been identified as a transcriptional co-activator. Our previous studies have shown that SND1 is a component of the stress granule, which forms under stress conditions. Here, we observed that SND1 granules were often surrounded by ɑ-tubulin-microtubules in 45°C-treated HeLa cells at 15 min or colocalized with microtubules at 30 or 45 min. Furthermore, Nocodazole-mediated microtubule depolymerization could significantly affect the efficient recruitment of SND1 proteins to the SGs during heat shock stress. In addition, the 45°C heat shock mediated the enhancement of eIF2α phosphorylation, which was not affected by treatment with Nocodazole, an agent that disrupts the cytoskeleton. The intact microtubule cytoskeletal tracks are important for the efficient assembly of SND1 granules under heat shock stress and may facilitate SND1 shuttling between cytoplasmic RNA foci. Anat Rec, 300:2192-2199, 2017. © 2017 The Authors The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists. Copyright © 2017 The Authors The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists.

Spatial Rule-Based Modeling: A Method and Its Application to the Human Mitotic Kinetochore

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Huwald

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A common problem in the analysis of biological systems is the combinatorial explosion that emerges from the complexity of multi-protein assemblies. Conventional formalisms, like differential equations, Boolean networks and Bayesian networks, are unsuitable for dealing with the combinatorial explosion, because they are designed for a restricted state space with fixed dimensionality. To overcome this problem, the rule-based modeling language, BioNetGen, and the spatial extension, SRSim, have been developed. Here, we describe how to apply rule-based modeling to integrate experimental data from different sources into a single spatial simulation model and how to analyze the output of that model. The starting point for this approach can be a combination of molecular interaction data, reaction network data, proximities, binding and diffusion kinetics and molecular geometries at different levels of detail. We describe the technique and then use it to construct a model of the human mitotic inner and outer kinetochore, including the spindle assembly checkpoint signaling pathway. This allows us to demonstrate the utility of the procedure, show how a novel perspective for understanding such complex systems becomes accessible and elaborate on challenges that arise in the formulation, simulation and analysis of spatial rule-based models.

CYP Suppression in Human Hepatocytes by Monomethyl Auristatin E, the Payload in Brentuximab Vedotin (Adcetris®), is Associated with Microtubule Disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolenski, Francis S; Xia, Cindy Q; Ma, Bingli; Han, Tae H; Shyu, Wen C; Balani, Suresh K

2018-06-01

Monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), the toxin linked to CD30-specific monoclonal antibody of Adcetris ® (brentuximab vedotin), is a potent anti-microtubule agent. Brentuximab vedotin has been approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) induction assessment of MMAE was conducted in human hepatocytes to assess DDI potentials and its translation to clinic. MMAE was incubated at 1-1000 nM with cultured primary human hepatocytes for 72 h, and CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP3A4 mRNA expression was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and CYP-specific probe substrate by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, along with microtubule disruption by immunofluorescence staining using anti-β-tubulin antibody and imaging. MMAE up to 10 nM had no significant effect on CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP3A4 mRNA expression and activity, whereas at higher concentrations of 100- and 1000-nM MMAE, the CYP mRNA expression and activity were diminished substantially. Further investigation showed that the degree of CYP suppression was paralleled by that of microtubule disruption by MMAE, as measured by increase in the number of β-tubulin-positive aggregates. At the clinical dose, the concentration of MMAE was 7 nM which did not show any significant CYP suppression or microtubule disruption in hepatocytes. MMAE was not a CYP inducer in human hepatocytes. However, it caused a concentration-dependent CYP mRNA suppression and activity. The CYP suppression was associated with microtubule disruption, supporting the reports that intact microtubule architecture is required for CYP regulations. The absence of CYP suppression and microtubule disruption in vitro at the clinical plasma concentrations of MMAE (< 10 nM) explains the lack of pharmacokinetic drug interaction between brentuximab vedotin and midazolam, a sensitive CYP3A substrate, reported in patients.

Vibrations of microtubules: Physics that has not met biology yet

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kučera, Ondřej; Havelka, Daniel; Cifra, Michal

2017-01-01

Roč. 72, 1 July (2017), s. 13-22 ISSN 0165-2125 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-17102S Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) SAV-15-22 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Models * Vibrations * Microtubules Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 1.575, year: 2016

Cellular effects of the microtubule-targeting agent peloruside A in hypoxia-conditioned colorectal carcinoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Řehulka, Jiří; Annadurai, Narendran; Frydrych, Ivo; Znojek, Pawel; Džubák, Petr; Northcote, Peter; Miller, John H; Hajdúch, Marián; Das, Viswanath

2017-07-01

Hypoxia is a prominent feature of solid tumors, dramatically remodeling microtubule structures and cellular pathways and contributing to paclitaxel resistance. Peloruside A (PLA), a microtubule-targeting agent, has shown promising anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies. Although it has a similar mode of action to paclitaxel, it binds to a distinct site on β-tubulin that differs from the classical taxane site. In this study, we examined the unexplored effects of PLA in hypoxia-conditioned colorectal HCT116 cancer cells. Cytotoxicity of PLA was determined by cell proliferation assay. The effects of a pre-exposure to hypoxia on PLA-induced cell cycle alterations and apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry, time-lapse imaging, and western blot analysis of selected markers. The hypoxia effect on stabilization of microtubules by PLA was monitored by an intracellular tubulin polymerization assay. Our findings show that the cytotoxicity of PLA is not altered in hypoxia-conditioned cells compared to paclitaxel and vincristine. Furthermore, hypoxia does not alter PLA-induced microtubule stabilization nor the multinucleation of cells. PLA causes cyclin B1 and G2/M accumulation followed by apoptosis. The cellular and molecular effects of PLA have been determined in normoxic conditions, but there are no reports of PLA effects in hypoxic cells. Our findings reveal that hypoxia preconditioning does not alter the sensitivity of HCT116 to PLA. These data report on the cellular and molecular effects of PLA in hypoxia-conditioned cells for the first time, and will encourage further exploration of PLA as a promising anti-tumor agent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular recognition of epothilones by microtubules and tubulin dimers revealed by biochemical and NMR approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Canales, Angeles; Nieto, Lidia; Rodríguez-Salarichs, Javier; Sánchez-Murcia, Pedro A; Coderch, Claire; Cortés-Cabrera, Alvaro; Paterson, Ian; Carlomagno, Teresa; Gago, Federico; Andreu, José M; Altmann, Karl-Heinz; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Díaz, J Fernando

2014-04-18

The binding of epothilones to dimeric tubulin and to microtubules has been studied by means of biochemical and NMR techniques. We have determined the binding constants of epothilone A (EpoA) and B (EpoB) to dimeric tubulin, which are 4 orders of magnitude lower than those for microtubules, and we have elucidated the conformation and binding epitopes of EpoA and EpoB when bound to tubulin dimers and microtubules in solution. The determined conformation of epothilones when bound to dimeric tubulin is similar to that found by X-ray crystallographic techniques for the binding of EpoA to the Tubulin/RB3/TTL complex; it is markedly different from that reported for EpoA bound to zinc-induced sheets obtained by electron crystallography. Likewise, only the X-ray structure of EpoA bound to the Tubulin/RB3/TTL complex at the luminal site, but not the electron crystallography structure, is compatible with the results obtained by STD on the binding epitope of EpoA bound to dimeric tubulin, thus confirming that the allosteric change (structuring of the M-loop) is the biochemical mechanism of induction of tubulin assembly by epothilones. TR-NOESY signals of EpoA bound to microtubules have been obtained, supporting the interaction with a transient binding site with a fast exchange rate (pore site), consistent with the notion that epothilones access the luminal site through the pore site, as has also been observed for taxanes. Finally, the differences in the tubulin binding affinities of a series of epothilone analogues has been quantitatively explained using the newly determined binding pose and the COMBINE methodology.

Torsion of the central pair microtubules in eukaryotic flagella due to bending-driven lateral buckling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, C.; Ru, C.Q.; Mioduchowski, A.

2006-01-01

Inspired by recent interest in torsion of the central pair microtubules in eukaryotic flagella, a novel thin-walled elastic beam model is suggested to study critical condition under which uniform bending of a flagellum will cause lateral/torsional buckling of the central pair. The model is directed to the central pair itself and the role of all surrounding cross-linkings inside the flagellum is modeled as an equivalent surrounding elastic medium. The model predicts that bending-driven torsion of the central pair does occur when the radius of curvature of the bent flagellum reduces to a moderate critical value typically of tens of microns. In particular, this critical value is almost independent of the flagellum length, and more sensitive to the parameters defining the surrounding elastic medium than the shear modulus of microtubules. The predicted wavelengths of the torsional buckling mode are insensitive to the flagellum length and comparable to some known related experimental data. These results indicate that torsion of the central pair microtubules in flagella is inevitable as a result of bending-driven lateral buckling. This offers an entirely new insight into the ongoing research on the mechanism of the central pair torsion

Calcium-dependent depletion zones in the cortical microtubule array coincide with sites of, but do not regulate, wall ingrowth papillae deposition in epidermal transfer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui-ming; Talbot, Mark J.; McCurdy, David W.; Patrick, John W.; Offler, Christina E.

2015-01-01

Trans-differentiation to a transfer-cell morphology is characterized by the localized deposition of wall ingrowth papillae that protrude into the cytosol. Whether the cortical microtubule array directs wall ingrowth papillae formation was investigated using a Vicia faba cotyledon culture system in which their adaxial epidermal cells were spontaneously induced to trans-differentiate to transfer cells. During deposition of wall ingrowth papillae, the aligned cortical microtubule arrays in precursor epidermal cells were reorganized into a randomized array characterized by circular depletion zones. Concurrence of the temporal appearance, spatial pattern, and size of depletion zones and wall ingrowth papillae was consistent with each papilla occupying a depletion zone. Surprisingly, microtubules appeared not to regulate construction of wall ingrowth papillae, as neither depolymerization nor stabilization of cortical microtubules changed their deposition pattern or morphology. Moreover, the size and spatial pattern of depletion zones was unaltered when the formation of wall ingrowth papillae was blocked by inhibiting cellulose biosynthesis. In contrast, the depletion zones were absent when the cytosolic calcium plumes, responsible for directing wall ingrowth papillae formation, were blocked or dissipated. Thus, we conclude that the depletion zones within the cortical microtubule array result from localized depolymerization of microtubules initiated by elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels at loci where wall ingrowth papillae are deposited. The physiological significance of the depletion zones as a mechanism to accommodate the construction of wall ingrowth papillae without compromising maintenance of the plasma membrane–microtubule inter-relationship is discussed. PMID:26136268

Structural analysis of the role of TPX2 in branching microtubule nucleation

Science.gov (United States)

Thawani, Akanksha

2017-01-01

The mitotic spindle consists of microtubules (MTs), which are nucleated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). How the γ-TuRC gets activated at the right time and location remains elusive. Recently, it was uncovered that MTs nucleate from preexisting MTs within the mitotic spindle, which requires the protein TPX2, but the mechanism basis for TPX2 action is unknown. Here, we investigate the role of TPX2 in branching MT nucleation. We establish the domain organization of Xenopus laevis TPX2 and define the minimal TPX2 version that stimulates branching MT nucleation, which we find is unrelated to TPX2’s ability to nucleate MTs in vitro. Several domains of TPX2 contribute to its MT-binding and bundling activities. However, the property necessary for TPX2 to induce branching MT nucleation is contained within newly identified γ-TuRC nucleation activator motifs. Separation-of-function mutations leave the binding of TPX2 to γ-TuRC intact, whereas branching MT nucleation is abolished, suggesting that TPX2 may activate γ-TuRC to promote branching MT nucleation. PMID:28264915

Kinetics of cadmium accumulation and its effects on microtubule integrity and cell viability in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malea, Paraskevi, E-mail: malea@bio.auth.gr [Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki (Greece); Adamakis, Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. [Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki (Greece); Kevrekidis, Theodoros [Laboratory of Environmental Research and Education, Democritus University of Thrace, Nea Hili, GR-68100 Alexandroupolis (Greece)

2013-11-15

Highlights: •Cd effect on microtubules and viability of seagrass leaf cells was assessed. •The Michaelis–Menten equation satisfactorily dercribed the kinetics of Cd uptake. •Cd depolymerized MTs after 3–9 d of exposure, cell death occurred at later time. •Toxicity appeared to depend on Cd uptake rate rather than on tissue Cd content. •MTs can be used as biomarker of Cd stress and uptake rate for predicting effects. -- Abstract: The kinetics of cadmium accumulation and its effects on microtubule cytoskeleton and cell viability in leaf blades of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa were investigated under laboratory conditions in exposure concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 40 mg L{sup −1}. An initial rapid accumulation of cadmium was followed by a steady state. The Michaelis–Menten model adequately described metal accumulation; equilibrium concentration and uptake velocity tended to increase, whereas bioconcentration factor at equilibrium to decrease, as the exposure concentration increased. Cadmium depolymerized microtubules after 3–9 d of exposure, depending on trace metal concentration, indicating that microtubules could be used as an early biomarker of cadmium stress; cell death, occurring at later time than microtubule disturbance, was also observed. Microtubule depolymerization expressed as percentage of reduction of fluorescence intensity and cell mortality expressed as percentage of live cells increased with time. The lowest experimental tissue concentration associated with the onset of microtubule depolymerization and cell death (98.5–128.9 μg g{sup −1} dry wt, 0.5 mg L{sup −1} treatment, 7th and 9th d) was within the wide range of reported cadmium concentrations in leaves of seagrass species from various geographical areas. This lowest tissue concentration was exceeded up to the 3rd d at higher exposure concentrations, but toxic effects were generally detected at later time. The time periods required for the onset of depolymerization and

Genetic analysis of a Drosophila microtubule-associated protein

OpenAIRE

1992-01-01

The 205-kD microtubule-associated protein (205K MAP) is one of the principal MAPs in Drosophila. 205K MAP is similar to the HeLa 210K/MAP4 family of MAPs since it shares the following biochemical properties: it is present in several isoforms, has a molecular mass of approximately 200 kD, and is thermostable. Furthermore, immuno-crossreactivity has been observed between mouse MAP4, HeLa 210K, and Drosophila 205K MAP. Currently, there is little information concerning the biological function of ...

The current of a particle along a microtubule in microscopic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wei; Chen Junfang; Wang Teng; Lai Xiuqiong

2008-01-01

Transport of a particle along the axis of a microtubule in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system is investigated. The current, respectively, as a function of the temperature, the magnetic field and the external force is obtained. The value and direction of the current may be controlled by changing the above parameters

Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, Midori [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Yamamoto, Ayumu [Department of Chemistry, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Sizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Aiba, Hirofumi [Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, School of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Murakami, Hiroshi, E-mail: hmura@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan)

2009-10-23

The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2{sup +}. The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Midori; Yamamoto, Ayumu; Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi; Aiba, Hirofumi; Murakami, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2 + . The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

Calcium-dependent depletion zones in the cortical microtubule array coincide with sites of, but do not regulate, wall ingrowth papillae deposition in epidermal transfer cells.

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Zhang, Hui-ming; Talbot, Mark J; McCurdy, David W; Patrick, John W; Offler, Christina E

2015-09-01

Trans-differentiation to a transfer-cell morphology is characterized by the localized deposition of wall ingrowth papillae that protrude into the cytosol. Whether the cortical microtubule array directs wall ingrowth papillae formation was investigated using a Vicia faba cotyledon culture system in which their adaxial epidermal cells were spontaneously induced to trans-differentiate to transfer cells. During deposition of wall ingrowth papillae, the aligned cortical microtubule arrays in precursor epidermal cells were reorganized into a randomized array characterized by circular depletion zones. Concurrence of the temporal appearance, spatial pattern, and size of depletion zones and wall ingrowth papillae was consistent with each papilla occupying a depletion zone. Surprisingly, microtubules appeared not to regulate construction of wall ingrowth papillae, as neither depolymerization nor stabilization of cortical microtubules changed their deposition pattern or morphology. Moreover, the size and spatial pattern of depletion zones was unaltered when the formation of wall ingrowth papillae was blocked by inhibiting cellulose biosynthesis. In contrast, the depletion zones were absent when the cytosolic calcium plumes, responsible for directing wall ingrowth papillae formation, were blocked or dissipated. Thus, we conclude that the depletion zones within the cortical microtubule array result from localized depolymerization of microtubules initiated by elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) levels at loci where wall ingrowth papillae are deposited. The physiological significance of the depletion zones as a mechanism to accommodate the construction of wall ingrowth papillae without compromising maintenance of the plasma membrane-microtubule inter-relationship is discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Nerve growth factor stimulates axon outgrowth through negative regulation of growth cone actomyosin restraint of microtubule advance.

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Turney, Stephen G; Ahmed, Mostafa; Chandrasekar, Indra; Wysolmerski, Robert B; Goeckeler, Zoe M; Rioux, Robert M; Whitesides, George M; Bridgman, Paul C

2016-02-01

Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes growth, differentiation, and survival of sensory neurons in the mammalian nervous system. Little is known about how NGF elicits faster axon outgrowth or how growth cones integrate and transform signal input to motor output. Using cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, we found that myosin II (MII) is required for NGF to stimulate faster axon outgrowth. From experiments inducing loss or gain of function of MII, specific MII isoforms, and vinculin-dependent adhesion-cytoskeletal coupling, we determined that NGF causes decreased vinculin-dependent actomyosin restraint of microtubule advance. Inhibition of MII blocked NGF stimulation, indicating the central role of restraint in directed outgrowth. The restraint consists of myosin IIB- and IIA-dependent processes: retrograde actin network flow and transverse actin bundling, respectively. The processes differentially contribute on laminin-1 and fibronectin due to selective actin tethering to adhesions. On laminin-1, NGF induced greater vinculin-dependent adhesion-cytoskeletal coupling, which slowed retrograde actin network flow (i.e., it regulated the molecular clutch). On fibronectin, NGF caused inactivation of myosin IIA, which negatively regulated actin bundling. On both substrates, the result was the same: NGF-induced weakening of MII-dependent restraint led to dynamic microtubules entering the actin-rich periphery more frequently, giving rise to faster elongation. © 2016 Turney et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Centrosomal protein 55 activates NF-?B signalling and promotes pancreatic cancer cells aggressiveness

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Peng, Tao; Zhou, Wei; Guo, Feng; Wu, He-shui; Wang, Chun-you; Wang, Li; Yang, Zhi-yong

2017-01-01

Centrosomal protein 55 (CEP55) is a microtubule-bundling protein that participants in cell mitosis. It is overexpressed in several solid tumours and promotes the growth and invasion of cancer cells. However, the role of CEP55 in pancreatic cancer (PANC) remains unclear. Herein, upregulated expression of CEP55 (associated with poor prognosis) was detected in PANC using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration, colony formation...

Physical Limits on the Precision of Mitotic Spindle Positioning by Microtubule Pushing forces: Mechanics of mitotic spindle positioning.

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Howard, Jonathon; Garzon-Coral, Carlos

2017-11-01

Tissues are shaped and patterned by mechanical and chemical processes. A key mechanical process is the positioning of the mitotic spindle, which determines the size and location of the daughter cells within the tissue. Recent force and position-fluctuation measurements indicate that pushing forces, mediated by the polymerization of astral microtubules against- the cell cortex, maintain the mitotic spindle at the cell center in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. The magnitude of the centering forces suggests that the physical limit on the accuracy and precision of this centering mechanism is determined by the number of pushing microtubules rather than by thermally driven fluctuations. In cells that divide asymmetrically, anti-centering, pulling forces generated by cortically located dyneins, in conjunction with microtubule depolymerization, oppose the pushing forces to drive spindle displacements away from the center. Thus, a balance of centering pushing forces and anti-centering pulling forces localize the mitotic spindles within dividing C. elegans cells. © 2017 The Authors. BioEssays published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microtubule depolymerization normalizes in vivo myocardial contractile function in dogs with pressure-overload left ventricular hypertrophy

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Koide, M.; Hamawaki, M.; Narishige, T.; Sato, H.; Nemoto, S.; DeFreyte, G.; Zile, M. R.; Cooper G, I. V.; Carabello, B. A.

2000-01-01

BACKGROUND: Because initially compensatory myocardial hypertrophy in response to pressure overloading may eventually decompensate to myocardial failure, mechanisms responsible for this transition have long been sought. One such mechanism established in vitro is densification of the cellular microtubule network, which imposes a viscous load that inhibits cardiocyte contraction. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, we extended this in vitro finding to the in vivo level and tested the hypothesis that this cytoskeletal abnormality is important in the in vivo contractile dysfunction that occurs in experimental aortic stenosis in the adult dog. In 8 dogs in which gradual stenosis of the ascending aorta had caused severe left ventricular (LV) pressure overloading (gradient, 152+/-16 mm Hg) with contractile dysfunction, LV function was measured at baseline and 1 hour after the intravenous administration of colchicine. Cardiocytes obtained by biopsy before and after in vivo colchicine administration were examined in tandem. Microtubule depolymerization restored LV contractile function both in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These and additional corroborative data show that increased cardiocyte microtubule network density is an important mechanism for the ventricular contractile dysfunction that develops in large mammals with adult-onset pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Sensitivity of docetaxel-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells to microtubule-destabilizing agents including vinca alkaloids and colchicine-site binding agents.

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Richard C Wang

Full Text Available One of the main reasons for disease recurrence in the curative breast cancer treatment setting is the development of drug resistance. Microtubule targeted agents (MTAs are among the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of breaset cancer and therefore overcoming taxane resistance is of primary clinical importance. Our group has previously demonstrated that the microtubule dynamics of docetaxel-resistant MCF-7TXT cells are insensitivity to docetaxel due to the distinct expression profiles of β-tubulin isotypes in addition to the high expression of p-glycoprotein (ABCB1. In the present investigation we examined whether taxane-resistant breast cancer cells are more sensitive to microtubule destabilizing agents including vinca alkaloids and colchicine-site binding agents (CSBAs than the non-resistant cells.Two isogenic MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were selected for resistance to docetaxel (MCF-7TXT and the wild type parental cell line (MCF-7CC to examine if taxane-resistant breast cancer cells are sensitive to microtubule-destabilizing agents including vinca alkaloids and CSBAs. Cytotoxicity assays, immunoblotting, indirect immunofluorescence and live imaging were used to study drug resistance, apoptosis, mitotic arrest, microtubule formation, and microtubule dynamics.MCF-7TXT cells were demonstrated to be cross resistant to vinca alkaloids, but were more sensitive to treatment with colchicine compared to parental non-resistant MCF-7CC cells. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the IC50 of MCF-7TXT cell to vinorelbine and vinblastine was more than 6 and 3 times higher, respectively, than that of MCF-7CC cells. By contrast, the IC50 of MCF-7TXT cell for colchincine was 4 times lower than that of MCF-7CC cells. Indirect immunofluorescence showed that all MTAs induced the disorganization of microtubules and the chromatin morphology and interestingly each with a unique pattern. In terms of microtubule and chromain morphology, MCF-7TXT cells were

Daple Coordinates Planar Polarized Microtubule Dynamics in Ependymal Cells and Contributes to Hydrocephalus

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Maki Takagishi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Motile cilia in ependymal cells, which line the cerebral ventricles, exhibit a coordinated beating motion that drives directional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF flow and guides neuroblast migration. At the apical cortex of these multi-ciliated cells, asymmetric localization of planar cell polarity (PCP proteins is required for the planar polarization of microtubule dynamics, which coordinates cilia orientation. Daple is a disheveled-associating protein that controls the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway and cell motility. Here, we show that Daple-deficient mice present hydrocephalus and their ependymal cilia lack coordinated orientation. Daple regulates microtubule dynamics at the anterior side of ependymal cells, which in turn orients the cilial basal bodies required for the directional cerebrospinal fluid flow. These results demonstrate an important role for Daple in planar polarity in motile cilia and provide a framework for understanding the mechanisms and functions of planar polarization in the ependymal cells.

GSK3 controls axon growth via CLASP-mediated regulation of growth cone microtubules

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Hur, Eun-Mi; Saijilafu; Lee, Byoung Dae; Kim, Seong-Jin; Xu, Wen-Lin; Zhou, Feng-Quan

2011-01-01

Suppression of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) activity in neurons yields pleiotropic outcomes, causing both axon growth promotion and inhibition. Previous studies have suggested that specific GSK3 substrates, such as adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2), support axon growth by regulating the stability of axonal microtubules (MTs), but the substrate(s) and mechanisms conveying axon growth inhibition remain elusive. Here we show that CLIP (cytoplasmic linker protein)-associated protein (CLASP), originally identified as a MT plus end-binding protein, displays both plus end-binding and lattice-binding activities in nerve growth cones, and reveal that the two MT-binding activities regulate axon growth in an opposing manner: The lattice-binding activity mediates axon growth inhibition induced by suppression of GSK3 activity via preventing MT protrusion into the growth cone periphery, whereas the plus end-binding property supports axon extension via stabilizing the growing ends of axonal MTs. We propose a model in which CLASP transduces GSK3 activity levels to differentially control axon growth by coordinating the stability and configuration of growth cone MTs. PMID:21937714

S. pombe CLASP needs dynein, not EB1 or CLIP170, to induce microtubule instability and slows polymerization rates at cell tips in a dynein-dependent manner

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Grallert, Agnes; Beuter, Christoph; Craven, Rachel A.; Bagley, Steve; Wilks, Deepti; Fleig, Ursula; Hagan, Iain M.

2006-01-01

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe CLIP170-associated protein (CLASP) Peg1 was identified in a screen for mutants with spindle formation defects and a screen for molecules that antagonized EB1 function. The conditional peg1.1 mutant enabled us to identify key features of Peg1 function. First, Peg1 was required to form a spindle and astral microtubules, yet destabilized interphase microtubules. Second, Peg1 was required to slow the polymerization rate of interphase microtubules that establish end-on contact with the cortex at cell tips. Third, Peg1 antagonized the action of S. pombe CLIP170 (Tip1) and EB1 (Mal3). Fourth, although Peg1 resembled higher eukaryotic CLASPs by physically associating with both Mal3 and Tip1, neither Tip1 nor Mal3 was required for Peg1 to destabilize interphase microtubules or for it to associate with microtubules. Conversely, neither Mal3 nor Tip1 required Peg1 to associate with microtubules or cell tips. Consistently, while mal3.Δ and tip1.Δ disrupted linear growth, corrupting peg1 + did not. Fifth, peg1.1 phenotypes resembled those arising from deletion of the single heavy or both light chains of fission yeast dynein. Furthermore, all interphase phenotypes arising from peg1 + manipulation relied on dynein function. Thus, the impact of S. pombe CLASP on interphase microtubule behavior is more closely aligned to dynein than EB1 or CLIP170. PMID:16951255

Structural insights into microtubule doublet interactions inaxonemes

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Downing, Kenneth H.; Sui, Haixin

2007-06-06

Coordinated sliding of microtubule doublets, driven by dynein motors, produces periodic beating of the axoneme. Recent structural studies of the axoneme have used cryo-electron tomography to reveal new details of the interactions among some of the multitude of proteins that form the axoneme and regulate its movement. Connections among the several sets of dyneins, in particular, suggest ways in which their actions may be coordinated. Study of the molecular architecture of isolated doublets has provided a structural basis for understanding the doublet's mechanical properties that are related to the bending of the axoneme, and has also offered insight into its potential role in the mechanism of dynein activity regulation.

Noscapine alters microtubule dynamics in living cells and inhibits the progression of melanoma.

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Landen, Jaren W; Lang, Roland; McMahon, Steve J; Rusan, Nasser M; Yvon, Anne-Marie; Adams, Ashley W; Sorcinelli, Mia D; Campbell, Ross; Bonaccorsi, Paola; Ansel, John C; Archer, David R; Wadsworth, Patricia; Armstrong, Cheryl A; Joshi, Harish C

2002-07-15

Cellular microtubules, polymers of tubulin, alternate relentlessly between phases of growth and shortening. We now show that noscapine, a tubulin-binding agent, increases the time that cellular microtubules spend idle in a paused state. As a result, most mammalian cell types observed arrest in mitosis in the presence of noscapine. We demonstrate that noscapine-treated murine melanoma B16LS9 cells do not arrest in mitosis but rather become polyploid followed by cell death, whereas primary melanocytes reversibly arrest in mitosis and resume a normal cell cycle after noscapine removal. Furthermore, in a syngeneic murine model of established s.c. melanoma, noscapine treatment resulted in an 85% inhibition of tumor volume on day 17 when delivered by gavage compared with untreated animals (P microtubule dynamics, with no detected toxicity to the host. Consequently, noscapine could be a valuable chemotherapeutic agent, alone or in combination, for the treatment of advanced melanoma.

RNA Pol II promotes transcription of centromeric satellite DNA in beetles.

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Zeljka Pezer

Full Text Available Transcripts of centromeric satellite DNAs are known to play a role in heterochromatin formation as well as in establishment of the kinetochore. However, little is known about basic mechanisms of satellite DNA expression within constitutive heterochromatin and its regulation. Here we present comprehensive analysis of transcription of abundant centromeric satellite DNA, PRAT from beetle Palorus ratzeburgii (Coleoptera. This satellite is characterized by preservation and extreme sequence conservation among evolutionarily distant insect species. PRAT is expressed in all three developmental stages: larvae, pupae and adults at similar level. Transcripts are abundant comprising 0.033% of total RNA and are heterogeneous in size ranging from 0.5 kb up to more than 5 kb. Transcription proceeds from both strands but with 10 fold different expression intensity and transcripts are not processed into siRNAs. Most of the transcripts (80% are not polyadenylated and remain in the nucleus while a small portion is exported to the cytoplasm. Multiple, irregularly distributed transcription initiation sites as well as termination sites have been mapped within the PRAT sequence using primer extension and RLM-RACE. The presence of cap structure as well as poly(A tails in a portion of the transcripts indicate RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription and a putative polymerase II promoter site overlaps the most conserved part of the PRAT sequence. The treatment of larvae with alpha-amanitin decreases the level of PRAT transcripts at concentrations that selectively inhibit pol II activity. In conclusion, stable, RNA polymerase II dependant transcripts of abundant centromeric satellite DNA, not regulated by RNAi, have been identified and characterized. This study offers a basic understanding of expression of highly abundant heterochromatic DNA which in beetle species constitutes up to 50% of the genome.

Clustering of Nuclei in Multinucleated Hyphae Is Prevented by Dynein-Driven Bidirectional Nuclear Movements and Microtubule Growth Control in Ashbya gossypii ▿ †

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Grava, Sandrine; Keller, Miyako; Voegeli, Sylvia; Seger, Shanon; Lang, Claudia; Philippsen, Peter

2011-01-01

During filamentous fungus development, multinucleated hyphae employ a system for long-range nuclear migration to maintain an equal nuclear density. A decade ago the microtubule motor dynein was shown to play a central role in this process. Previous studies with Ashbya gossypii revealed extensive bidirectional movements and bypassings of nuclei, an autonomous cytoplasmic microtubule (cMT) cytoskeleton emanating from each nucleus, and pulling of nuclei by sliding of cMTs along the cortex. Here, we show that dynein is the sole motor for bidirectional movements and bypassing because these movements are concomitantly decreased in mutants carrying truncations of the dynein heavy-chain DYN1 promoter. The dynactin component Jnm1, the accessory proteins Dyn2 and Ndl1, and the potential dynein cortical anchor Num1 are also involved in the dynamic distribution of nuclei. In their absence, nuclei aggregate to different degrees, whereby the mutants with dense nuclear clusters grow extremely long cMTs. As in budding yeast, we found that dynein is delivered to cMT plus ends, and its activity or processivity is probably controlled by dynactin and Num1. Together with its role in powering nuclear movements, we propose that dynein also plays (directly or indirectly) a role in the control of cMT length. Those combined dynein actions prevent nuclear clustering in A. gossypii and thus reveal a novel cellular role for dynein. PMID:21642510

MicroRNA-9 promotes the neuronal differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by activating autophagy

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Guang-yu Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNA-9 (miR-9 has been shown to promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal cells, but the precise mechanism is unclear. Our previous study confirmed that increased autophagic activity improved the efficiency of neuronal differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Accumulating evidence reveals that miRNAs adjust the autophagic pathways. This study used miR-9-1 lentiviral vector and miR-9-1 inhibitor to modulate the expression level of miR-9. Autophagic activity and neuronal differentiation were measured by the number of light chain-3 (LC3-positive dots, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3, and the expression levels of the neuronal markers enolase and microtubule-associated protein 2. Results showed that LC3-positive dots, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3, and expression of neuron specific enolase and microtubule-associated protein 2 increased in the miR-9 + group. The above results suggest that autophagic activity increased and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were prone to differentiate into neuronal cells when miR-9 was overexpressed, demonstrating that miR-9 can promote neuronal differentiation by increasing autophagic activity.

Ionic wave propagation and collision in an excitable circuit model of microtubules

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Guemkam Ghomsi, P.; Tameh Berinyoh, J. T.; Moukam Kakmeni, F. M.

2018-02-01

In this paper, we report the propensity to excitability of the internal structure of cellular microtubules, modelled as a relatively large one-dimensional spatial array of electrical units with nonlinear resistive features. We propose a model mimicking the dynamics of a large set of such intracellular dynamical entities as an excitable medium. We show that the behavior of such lattices can be described by a complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, which admits several wave solutions, including the plane waves paradigm. A stability analysis of the plane waves solutions of our dynamical system is conducted both analytically and numerically. It is observed that perturbed plane waves will always evolve toward promoting the generation of localized periodic waves trains. These modes include both stationary and travelling spatial excitations. They encompass, on one hand, localized structures such as solitary waves embracing bright solitons, dark solitons, and bisolitonic impulses with head-on collisions phenomena, and on the other hand, the appearance of both spatially homogeneous and spatially inhomogeneous stationary patterns. This ability exhibited by our array of proteinic elements to display several states of excitability exposes their stunning biological and physical complexity and is of high relevance in the description of the developmental and informative processes occurring on the subcellular scale.

Vitamin K3 disrupts the microtubule networks by binding to tubulin: a novel mechanism of its antiproliferative activity.

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Acharya, Bipul R; Choudhury, Diptiman; Das, Amlan; Chakrabarti, Gopal

2009-07-28

Vitamin K3 (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), also known as menadione, is the synthetic precursor of all the naturally occurring vitamin K in the body. Vitamin K is necessary for the production of prothrombin and five other blood-clotting factors in humans. We have examined the effects of menadione on cellular microtubules ex vivo as well as its binding with purified tubulin and microtubules in vitro. Cell viability experiments using human cervical epithelial cancer cells (HeLa) and human oral epithelial cancer cells (KB) indicated that the IC(50) values for menadione are 25.6 +/- 0.6 and 64.3 +/- 0.36 microM, respectively, in those cells. Mendione arrests HeLa cells in mitosis. Immunofluorescence studies using an anti-alpha-tubulin antibody showed a significant irreversible depolymeriztion of the interphase microtubule network and spindle microtubule in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro polymerization of purified tubulin into microtubules is inhibited by menadione with an IC(50) value of 47 +/- 0.65 microM. The binding of menadione with tubulin was studied using menadione fluorescence and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of tubulin. Binding of menadione to tubulin is slow, taking 35 min for equilibration at 25 degrees C. The association reaction kinetics is biphasic in nature, and the association rate constants for fast and slow phases are 189.12 +/- 17 and 32.44 +/- 21 M(-1) s(-1) at 25 degrees C, respectively. The stoichiometry of menadione binding to tubulin is 1:1 (molar ratio) with a dissociation constant from 2.44 +/- 0.34 to 3.65 +/- 0.25 microM at 25 degrees C. Menadione competes for the colchicine binding site with a K(i) of 2.5 muM as determined from a modified Dixon plot. The obtained data suggested that menadione binds at the colchicine binding site to tubulin. Thus, we can conclude one novel mechanism of inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by menadione is through tubulin binding.

Cell wall matrix polysaccharide distribution and cortical microtubule organization: two factors controlling mesophyll cell morphogenesis in land plants.

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Sotiriou, P; Giannoutsou, E; Panteris, E; Apostolakos, P; Galatis, B

2016-03-01

This work investigates the involvement of local differentiation of cell wall matrix polysaccharides and the role of microtubules in the morphogenesis of mesophyll cells (MCs) of three types (lobed, branched and palisade) in the dicotyledon Vigna sinensis and the fern Asplenium nidus. Homogalacturonan (HGA) epitopes recognized by the 2F4, JIM5 and JIM7 antibodies and callose were immunolocalized in hand-made leaf sections. Callose was also stained with aniline blue. We studied microtubule organization by tubulin immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. In both plants, the matrix cell wall polysaccharide distribution underwent definite changes during MC differentiation. Callose constantly defined the sites of MC contacts. The 2F4 HGA epitope in V. sinensis first appeared in MC contacts but gradually moved towards the cell wall regions facing the intercellular spaces, while in A. nidus it was initially localized at the cell walls delimiting the intercellular spaces, but finally shifted to MC contacts. In V. sinensis, the JIM5 and JIM7 HGA epitopes initially marked the cell walls delimiting the intercellular spaces and gradually shifted in MC contacts, while in A. nidus they constantly enriched MC contacts. In all MC types examined, the cortical microtubules played a crucial role in their morphogenesis. In particular, in palisade MCs, cortical microtubule helices, by controlling cellulose microfibril orientation, forced these MCs to acquire a truncated cone-like shape. Unexpectedly in V. sinensis, the differentiation of colchicine-affected MCs deviated completely, since they developed a cell wall ingrowth labyrinth, becoming transfer-like cells. The results of this work and previous studies on Zea mays (Giannoutsou et al., Annals of Botany 2013; 112: : 1067-1081) revealed highly controlled local cell wall matrix differentiation in MCs of species belonging to different plant groups. This, in coordination with microtubule-dependent cellulose microfibril

LIM kinase activity is required for microtubule organising centre positioning in mouse oocyte meiosis.

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Li, Xin; Zhu, Yubo; Cao, Yan; Wang, Qian; Du, Juan; Tian, Jianhui; Liang, Yuanjing; Ma, Wei

2017-04-01

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) activity is essential for cell migration and cell cycle progression. Little is known about LIMK1 expression and function in mammalian oocytes. In the present study we assessed LIMK1 protein expression, subcellular distribution and function during mouse oocyte meiosis. Western blot analysis revealed high and stable expression of LIMK1 from the germinal vesicle (GV) to MII stage. In contrast, activated LIMK1 (i.e. LIMK1 phosphorylated at threonine 508 (pLIMK1 Thr508 )) was only detected after GV breakdown, with levels increasing gradually to peak at MI and MII. Immunofluorescence showed pLIMK1 Thr508 was colocalised with the microtubule organising centre (MTOC) components pericentrin and γ-tubulin at the spindle poles. A direct interaction between γ-tubulin and pLIMK1 Thr508 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. LIMK inhibition with 1μM BMS3 damaged MTOC protein localisation to spindle poles, undermined the formation and positioning of functional MTOC and thus disrupted spindle formation and chromosome alignment. These effects were phenocopied by microinjection of LIMK1 antibody into mouse oocytes. In summary, the data demonstrate that LIMK activity is essential for MTOC organisation and distribution and so bipolar spindle formation and maintenance in mouse oocytes.

Experimental protocols for and studies of the effects of surface passivation and water isotopes on the gliding speed of microtubules propelled by kinesin-1

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Maloney, Roger Andrew

This dissertation explores how the kinesin-1 and microtubule system is affected by surface passivation and water isotopes. Surface passivation was found to affect the gliding speed that microtubules exhibit in the gliding motility assay and the lengths of microtubules supported by the passivation. It was also found that gliding speeds of microtubules are very sensitive to temperature changes. Studies changing the water isotope were a first attempt to investigate if changing the solvent changed the osmotic pressure of the solution kinesin and microtubules were in. No osmotic pressure changes were observed, however, the experiments using different isotopes of water did illuminate the possibility that kinesin may be sensitive to viscosity changes in the solvent. This experiment also suggests further experiments that can be specifically designed to probe osmotic pressure changes. This thesis was also the first thesis ever, to the best of the author's knowledge, to be done in a completely open format. All information and notebook entries that are related to it, as well as the thesis itself, can be found on the website OpenWetWare. The thesis can also be found there including all the different versions that went into its editing. The philosophy and process of making data open and accessible to every one is also discussed.

A 31-residue peptide induces aggregation of tau's microtubule-binding region in cells

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Stöhr, Jan; Wu, Haifan; Nick, Mimi; Wu, Yibing; Bhate, Manasi; Condello, Carlo; Johnson, Noah; Rodgers, Jeffrey; Lemmin, Thomas; Acharya, Srabasti; Becker, Julia; Robinson, Kathleen; Kelly, Mark J. S.; Gai, Feng; Stubbs, Gerald; Prusiner, Stanley B.; Degrado, William F.

2017-09-01

The self-propagation of misfolded conformations of tau underlies neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. There is considerable interest in discovering the minimal sequence and active conformational nucleus that defines this self-propagating event. The microtubule-binding region, spanning residues 244-372, reproduces much of the aggregation behaviour of tau in cells and animal models. Further dissection of the amyloid-forming region to a hexapeptide from the third microtubule-binding repeat resulted in a peptide that rapidly forms fibrils in vitro. We show that this peptide lacks the ability to seed aggregation of tau244-372 in cells. However, as the hexapeptide is gradually extended to 31 residues, the peptides aggregate more slowly and gain potent activity to induce aggregation of tau244-372 in cells. X-ray fibre diffraction, hydrogen-deuterium exchange and solid-state NMR studies map the beta-forming region to a 25-residue sequence. Thus, the nucleus for self-propagating aggregation of tau244-372 in cells is packaged in a remarkably small peptide.

A novel spiroindoline targets cell cycle and migration via modulation of microtubule cytoskeleton.

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Kumar, Naveen; Hati, Santanu; Munshi, Parthapratim; Sen, Subhabrata; Sehrawat, Seema; Singh, Shailja

2017-05-01

Natural product-inspired libraries of molecules with diverse architectures have evolved as one of the most useful tools for discovering lead molecules for drug discovery. In comparison to conventional combinatorial libraries, these molecules have been inferred to perform better in phenotypic screening against complicated targets. Diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) is a forward directional strategy to access such multifaceted library of molecules. From a successful DOS campaign of a natural product-inspired library, recently a small molecule with spiroindoline motif was identified as a potent anti-breast cancer compound. Herein we report the subcellular studies performed for this molecule on breast cancer cells. Our investigation revealed that it repositions microtubule cytoskeleton and displaces AKAP9 located at the microtubule organization centre. DNA ladder assay and cell cycle experiments further established the molecule as an apoptotic agent. This work further substantiated the amalgamation of DOS-phenotypic screening-sub-cellular studies as a consolidated blueprint for the discovery of potential pharmaceutical drug candidates.

Heterotrimeric Kinesin II Is the Microtubule Motor Protein Responsible for Pigment Dispersion in Xenopus Melanophores

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Tuma, M. Carolina; Zill, Andrew; Le Bot, Nathalie; Vernos, Isabelle; Gelfand, Vladimir

1998-01-01

Melanophores move pigment organelles (melanosomes) from the cell center to the periphery and vice-versa. These bidirectional movements require cytoplasmic microtubules and microfilaments and depend on the function of microtubule motors and a myosin. Earlier we found that melanosomes purified from Xenopus melanophores contain the plus end microtubule motor kinesin II, indicating that it may be involved in dispersion (Rogers, S.L., I.S. Tint, P.C. Fanapour, and V.I. Gelfand. 1997. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 94: 3720–3725). Here, we generated a dominant-negative construct encoding green fluorescent protein fused to the stalk-tail region of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 3 (Xklp3), the 95-kD motor subunit of Xenopus kinesin II, and introduced it into melanophores. Overexpression of the fusion protein inhibited pigment dispersion but had no effect on aggregation. To control for the specificity of this effect, we studied the kinesin-dependent movement of lysosomes. Neither dispersion of lysosomes in acidic conditions nor their clustering under alkaline conditions was affected by the mutant Xklp3. Furthermore, microinjection of melanophores with SUK4, a function-blocking kinesin antibody, inhibited dispersion of lysosomes but had no effect on melanosome transport. We conclude that melanosome dispersion is powered by kinesin II and not by conventional kinesin. This paper demonstrates that kinesin II moves membrane-bound organelles. PMID:9852150

Interaction of microtubules with active principles of Xanthium strumarium.

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Menon, G S; Kuchroo, K; Dasgupta, D

2001-01-01

Indigenous variety of Xanthium strumarium (X. strumarium) was screened for its antimitotic activity using the microtubule-tubulin system isolated from mammalian tissue. A preliminary phytochemical screening of the whole extracts of the plant was carried out followed by partial purification of the whole extract of X.strumarium. The separated fractions obtained were identified and used for in vitro polymerization studies. The whole as well as partially separated chemical constituents of X. strumarium showed effective inhibition of tubulin polymerization. The results thus suggest that X. strumarium may possess antimitotic components.

PMA synergistically enhances apicularen A-induced cytotoxicity by disrupting microtubule networks in HeLa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Kang-Sik; Hwang, Byung-Doo; Kim, Jong-Seok; Park, Ji-Hoon; Song, Kyoung-Sub; Yun, Eun-Jin; Park, Jong-Il; Kweon, Gi Ryang; Yoon, Wan-Hee; Lim, Kyu

2014-01-01

Combination therapy is key to improving cancer treatment efficacy. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a well-known PKC activator, increases the cytotoxicity of several anticancer drugs. Apicularen A induces cytotoxicity in tumor cells through disrupting microtubule networks by tubulin down-regulation. In this study, we examined whether PMA increases apicularen A-induced cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. Cell viability was examined by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium (MTT) assays. To investigate apoptotic potential of apicularen A, DNA fragmentation assays were performed followed by extracting genomic DNA, and caspase-3 activity assays were performed by fluorescence assays using fluorogenic substrate. The cell cycle distribution induced by combination with PMA and apicularen A was examined by flow cytometry after staining with propidium iodide (PI). The expression levels of target proteins were measured by Western blotting analysis using specific antibodies, and α-tubulin mRNA levels were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To examine the effect of combination of PMA and apicularen A on the microtubule architecture, α-tubulin protein and nuclei were visualized by immunofluorescence staining using an anti-α-tubulin antibody and PI, respectively. We found that apicularen A induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in HeLa cells. PMA synergistically increased cytotoxicity and apoptotic sub-G 1 population induced by apicularen A. These effects were completely blocked by the PKC inhibitors Ro31-8220 and Go6983, while caspase inhibition by Z-VAD-fmk did not prevent cytotoxicity. RNA interference using siRNA against PKCα, but not PKCβ and PKCγ, inhibited cytotoxicity induced by combination PMA and apicularen A. PMA increased the apicularen A-induced disruption of microtubule networks by further decreasing α- and β-tubulin protein levels in a PKC-dependent manner. These results suggest that the synergy between PMA and apicularen A is involved by

Arabidopsis GCP3-interacting protein 1/MOZART 1 is an integral component of the γ-tubulin-containing microtubule nucleating complex.

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Nakamura, Masayoshi; Yagi, Noriyoshi; Kato, Takehide; Fujita, Satoshi; Kawashima, Noriyuki; Ehrhardt, David W; Hashimoto, Takashi

2012-07-01

Microtubules in eukaryotic cells are nucleated from ring-shaped complexes that contain γ-tubulin and a family of homologous γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs), but the subunit composition of the complexes can vary among fungi, animals and plants. Arabidopsis GCP3-interacting protein 1 (GIP1), a small protein with no homology to the GCP family, interacts with GCP3 in vitro, and is a plant homolog of vertebrate mitotic-spindle organizing protein associated with a ring of γ-tubulin 1 (MOZART1), a recently identified component of the γ-tubulin complex in human cell lines. In this study, we characterized two closely related Arabidopsis GIP1s: GIP1a and GIP1b. Single mutants of gip1a and gip1b were indistinguishable from wild-type plants, but their double mutant was embryonic lethal, and showed impaired development of male gametophytes. Functional fusions of GIP1a with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were used to purify GIP1a-containing complexes from Arabidopsis plants, which contained all the subunits (except NEDD1) previously identified in the Arabidopsis γ-tubulin complexes. GIP1a and GIP1b interacted specifically with Arabidopsis GCP3 in yeast. GFP-GIP1a labeled mitotic microtubule arrays in a pattern largely consistent with, but partly distinct from, the localization of the γ-tubulin complex containing GCP2 or GCP3 in planta. In interphase cortical arrays, the labeled complexes were preferentially recruited to existing microtubules, from which new microtubules were efficiently nucleated. However, in contrast to complexes labeled with tagged GCP2 or GCP3, their recruitment to cortical areas with no microtubules was rarely observed. These results indicate that GIP1/MOZART1 is an integral component of a subset of the Arabidopsis γ-tubulin complexes. © 2012 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The C. elegans anaphase promoting complex and MBK-2/DYRK kinase act redundantly with CUL-3/MEL-26 ubiquitin ligase to degrade MEI-1 microtubule-severing activity after meiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chenggang; Mains, Paul E

2007-02-15

The C. elegans embryo supports both meiotic and mitotic spindles, requiring careful regulation of components specific to each spindle type. The MEI-1/katanin microtubule-severing complex is required for meiosis but must be inactivated prior to mitosis. Downregulation of MEI-1 depends on MEL-26, which binds MEI-1, targeting it for degradation by the CUL-3 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Here we report that other protein degradation pathways, involving the anaphase promoting complex (APC) and the MBK-2/DYRK kinase, act in parallel to MEL-26 to inactivate MEI-1. At 25 degrees all mel-26(null) embryos die due to persistence of MEI-1 into mitosis, but at 15 degrees a significant portion of embryos hatch due to lower levels of ectopic MEI-1, suggesting that a redundant pathway also regulates MEI-1 degradation at 15 degrees. Previously the MBK-2/DYRK kinase was suggested to trigger MEL-26 mediated MEI-1 degradation. However, mbk-2 enhances the incomplete lethality of mel-26(null) at 15 degrees, arguing that MEL-26 acts in parallel to MBK-2. APC mutants behave similarly. In mel-26 embryos, ectopic MEI-1 remains until the onset of gastrulation, but in mbk-2; apc embryos, MEI-1 only persists through the first mitosis. We propose that mbk-2 and apc couple the initial phase of MEI-1 degradation to meiotic exit, after which MEL-26 completes MEI-1 degradation.

Hepatocyte cotransport of taurocholate and bilirubin glucuronides: Role of microtubules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, J.M.; Gollan, J.L.

1988-01-01

Modulation of bile pigment excretion by bile salts has been attributed to modification of canalicular membrane transport or a physical interaction in bile. Based on the observation that a microtubule-dependent pathway is involved in the hepatocellular transport of bile salts, the authors investigated the possibility that bilirubin glucuronides are associated with bile salts during intracellular transport. Experiments were conducted in intact rats (basal) or after overnight biliary diversion and intravenous reinfusion of taurocholate (depleted/reinfused). All rats were pretreated with intravenous low-dose colchicine or its inactive isomer lumicolchicine. Biliary excretion of radiolabeled bilirubin glucuronides derived from tracer [ 14 C]bilirubin-[ 3 H]bilirubin monoglucuronide (coinjected iv) was unchanged in basal rats but was consistently delayed in depleted/reinfused rats. This was accompanied by a significant shift toward bilirubin diglucuronide formation from both substrates. In basal Gunn rats, with deficient bilirubin glucuronidation, biliary excretion of intravenous [ 14 C]bilirubin monoglucuronide-[ 3 H]bilirubin diglucuronide was unaffected by colchicine but was retarded in depleted/reinfused Gunn rats. Colchicine had no effect on the rate of bilirubin glucuronidation in vitro in rat liver microsomes. They conclude that a portion of the bilirubin glucuronides generated endogenously in hepatocytes or taken up directly from plasma may be cotransported with bile salts to the bile canalicular membrane via a microtubule-dependent mechanism

CLASP2 interacts with p120-catenin and governs microtubule dynamics at adherens junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shahbazi, Marta N; Megias, Diego; Epifano, Carolina

2013-01-01

Classical cadherins and their connections with microtubules (MTs) are emerging as important determinants of cell adhesion. However, the functional relevance of such interactions and the molecular players that contribute to tissue architecture are still emerging. In this paper, we report that the ...

Characterization of mitosis-specific phosphorylation of tumor-associated microtubule-associated protein

OpenAIRE

Hong, Kyung Uk; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Bae, Chang-Dae; Park, Joobae

2009-01-01

Tumor-associated microtubule-associated protein (TMAP), also known as cytoskeleton associated protein 2 (CKAP2), has been recently shown to be involved in the assembly and maintenance of mitotic spindle and also plays an essential role in maintaining the fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis. We have previously reported that TMAP is phosphorylated at multiple residues specifically during mitosis, and characterized the mechanism and functional importance of phosphorylation at one o...

Deformation pattern in vibrating microtubule: Structural mechanics study based on an atomistic approach

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Havelka, Daniel; Deriu, M.A.; Cifra, Michal; Kučera, Ondřej

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 1 (2017), č. článku 4227. ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-17102S Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Continuum model * Protein microtubules * Molecular-dymamics Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) protein controls microtubule dynamics in a novel signaling pathway that regulates cell migration.

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Schofield, Alice V; Steel, Rohan; Bernard, Ora

2012-12-21

The two members of the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK1 and 2) family are established regulators of actin dynamics that are involved in the regulation of the cell cycle as well as cell motility and invasion. Here, we discovered a novel signaling pathway whereby ROCK regulates microtubule (MT) acetylation via phosphorylation of the tubulin polymerization promoting protein 1 (TPPP1/p25). We show that ROCK phosphorylation of TPPP1 inhibits the interaction between TPPP1 and histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), which in turn results in increased HDAC6 activity followed by a decrease in MT acetylation. As a consequence, we show that TPPP1 phosphorylation by ROCK increases cell migration and invasion via modulation of cellular acetyl MT levels. We establish here that the ROCK-TPPP1-HDAC6 signaling pathway is important for the regulation of cell migration and invasion.

The imidazopyridine derivative JK184 reveals dual roles for microtubules in Hedgehog signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cupido, Tommaso; Rack, Paul G; Firestone, Ari J; Hyman, Joel M; Han, Kyuho; Sinha, Surajit; Ocasio, Cory A; Chen, James K

2009-01-01

Eradicating hedgehogs: The title molecule has been previously identified as a potent inhibitor of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, which gives embryonic cells information needed to develop properly. This molecule is shown to modulate Hedgehog target gene expression by depolymerizing microtubules, thus revealing dual roles of the cytoskeleton in pathway regulation (see figure).

Microtubule affinity-regulating kinases are potential druggable targets for Alzheimer's disease.

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Annadurai, Narendran; Agrawal, Khushboo; Džubák, Petr; Hajdúch, Marián; Das, Viswanath

2017-11-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects normal functions of the brain. Currently, AD is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries and the only one of the top ten diseases without a means to prevent, cure, or significantly slow down its progression. Therefore, newer therapeutic concepts are urgently needed to improve survival and the quality of life of AD patients. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARKs) regulate tau-microtubule binding and play a crucial role in neurons. However, their role in hyperphosphorylation of tau makes them potential druggable target for AD therapy. Despite the relevance of MARKs in AD pathogenesis, only a few small molecules are known to have anti-MARK activity and not much has been done to progress these compounds into therapeutic candidates. But given the diverse role of MARKs, the specificity of novel inhibitors is imperative for their successful translation from bench to bedside. In this regard, a recent co-crystal structure of MARK4 in association with a pyrazolopyrimidine-based inhibitor offers a potential scaffold for the development of more specific MARK inhibitors. In this manuscript, we review the biological role of MARKs in health and disease, and draw attention to the largely unexplored area of MARK inhibitors for AD.

TCTEX1D4, a novel protein phosphatase 1 interactor: connecting the phosphatase to the microtubule network

Science.gov (United States)

Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Vieira, Sandra I.; Esteves, Sara L. C.; Silva, Joana V.; Freitas, Maria João; Brauns, Ann-Kristin; Luers, Georg; Abrantes, Joana; Esteves, Pedro J.; da Cruz e Silva, Odete A. B.; Fardilha, Margarida; da Cruz e Silva, Edgar F.

2013-01-01

Summary Reversible phosphorylation plays an important role as a mechanism of intracellular control in eukaryotes. PPP1, a major eukaryotic Ser/Thr-protein phosphatase, acquires its specificity by interacting with different protein regulators, also known as PPP1 interacting proteins (PIPs). In the present work we characterized a physiologically relevant PIP in testis. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen with a human testis cDNA library, we identified a novel PIP of PPP1CC2 isoform, the T-complex testis expressed protein 1 domain containing 4 (TCTEX1D4) that has recently been described as a Tctex1 dynein light chain family member. The overlay assays confirm that TCTEX1D4 interacts with the different spliced isoforms of PPP1CC. Also, the binding domain occurs in the N-terminus, where a consensus PPP1 binding motif (PPP1BM) RVSF is present. The distribution of TCTEX1D4 in testis suggests its involvement in distinct functions, such as TGFβ signaling at the blood–testis barrier and acrosome cap formation. Immunofluorescence in human ejaculated sperm shows that TCTEX1D4 is present in the flagellum and in the acrosome region of the head. Moreover, TCTEX1D4 and PPP1 co-localize in the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) and microtubules in cell cultures. Importantly, the TCTEX1D4 PPP1BM seems to be relevant for complex formation, for PPP1 retention in the MTOC and movement along microtubules. These novel results open new avenues to possible roles of this dynein, together with PPP1. In essence TCTEX1D4/PPP1C complex appears to be involved in microtubule dynamics, sperm motility, acrosome reaction and in the regulation of the blood–testis barrier. PMID:23789093

Nonrandom γ-TuNA-dependent spatial pattern of microtubule nucleation at the Golgi.

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Sanders, Anna A W M; Chang, Kevin; Zhu, Xiaodong; Thoppil, Roslin J; Holmes, William R; Kaverina, Irina

2017-11-07

Noncentrosomal microtubule (MT) nucleation at the Golgi generates MT network asymmetry in motile vertebrate cells. Investigating the Golgi-derived MT (GDMT) distribution, we find that MT asymmetry arises from nonrandom nucleation sites at the Golgi (hotspots). Using computational simulations, we propose two plausible mechanistic models of GDMT nucleation leading to this phenotype. In the "cooperativity" model, formation of a single GDMT promotes further nucleation at the same site. In the "heterogeneous Golgi" model, MT nucleation is dramatically up-regulated at discrete and sparse locations within the Golgi. While MT clustering in hotspots is equally well described by both models, simulating MT length distributions within the cooperativity model fits the data better. Investigating the molecular mechanism underlying hotspot formation, we have found that hotspots are significantly smaller than a Golgi subdomain positive for scaffolding protein AKAP450, which is thought to recruit GDMT nucleation factors. We have further probed potential roles of known GDMT-promoting molecules, including γ-TuRC-mediated nucleation activator (γ-TuNA) domain-containing proteins and MT stabilizer CLASPs. While both γ-TuNA inhibition and lack of CLASPs resulted in drastically decreased GDMT nucleation, computational modeling revealed that only γ-TuNA inhibition suppressed hotspot formation. We conclude that hotspots require γ-TuNA activity, which facilitates clustered GDMT nucleation at distinct Golgi sites. © 2017 Sanders et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

XMAP215 is a microtubule nucleation factor that functions synergistically with the γ-tubulin ring complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Thawani, Akanksha; Kadzik, Rachel S; Petry, Sabine

2018-05-01

How microtubules (MTs) are generated in the cell is a major question in understanding how the cytoskeleton is assembled. For several decades, γ-tubulin has been accepted as the universal MT nucleator of the cell. Although there is evidence that γ-tubulin complexes are not the sole MT nucleators, identification of other nucleation factors has proven difficult. Here, we report that the well-characterized MT polymerase XMAP215 (chTOG/Msps/Stu2p/Alp14/Dis1 homologue) is essential for MT nucleation in Xenopus egg extracts. The concentration of XMAP215 determines the extent of MT nucleation. Even though XMAP215 and the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) possess minimal nucleation activity individually, together, these factors synergistically stimulate MT nucleation in vitro. The amino-terminal TOG domains 1-5 of XMAP215 bind to αβ-tubulin and promote MT polymerization, whereas the conserved carboxy terminus is required for efficient MT nucleation and directly binds to γ-tubulin. In summary, XMAP215 and γ-TuRC together function as the principal nucleation module that generates MTs in cells.

Axon initial segment cytoskeleton comprises a multiprotein submembranous coat containing sparse actin filaments

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Steven L.; Korobova, Farida

2014-01-01

The axon initial segment (AIS) of differentiated neurons regulates action potential initiation and axon–dendritic polarity. The latter function depends on actin dynamics, but actin structure and functions at the AIS remain unclear. Using platinum replica electron microscopy (PREM), we have characterized the architecture of the AIS cytoskeleton in mature and developing hippocampal neurons. The AIS cytoskeleton assembly begins with bundling of microtubules and culminates in formation of a dense, fibrillar–globular coat over microtubule bundles. Immunogold PREM revealed that the coat contains a network of known AIS proteins, including ankyrin G, spectrin βIV, neurofascin, neuronal cell adhesion molecule, voltage-gated sodium channels, and actin filaments. Contrary to existing models, we find neither polarized actin arrays, nor dense actin meshworks in the AIS. Instead, the AIS contains two populations of sparse actin filaments: short, stable filaments and slightly longer dynamic filaments. We propose that stable actin filaments play a structural role for formation of the AIS diffusion barrier, whereas dynamic actin may promote AIS coat remodeling. PMID:24711503

Gravity resistance, another graviresponse in plants - role of microtubule-membrane-cell wall continuum

Science.gov (United States)

Hoson, T.; Saito, Y.; Usui, S.; Soga, K.; Wakabayashi, K.

Resistance to the gravitational force has been a serious problem for plants to survive on land, after they first went ashore more than 400 million years ago. Thus, gravity resistance is the principal graviresponse in plants comparable to gravitropism. Nevertheless, only limited information has been obtained for this second gravity response. We have examined the mechanism of gravity resistance using hypergravity conditions produced by centrifugation. The results led a hypothesis on the mechanism of plant resistance to the gravitational force that the plant constructs a tough body by increasing the cell wall rigidity, which are brought about by modification of the cell wall metabolism and cell wall environment, especially pH. The hypothesis was further supported by space experiments during the Space Shuttle STS-95 mission. On the other hand, we have shown that gravity signal may be perceived by mechanoreceptors (mechanosensitive ion channels) on the plasma membrane and amyloplast sedimentation in statocytes is not involved in gravity resistance. Moreover, hypergravity treatment increased the expression levels of genes encoding alpha-tubulin, a component of microtubules and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), which catalyzes a reaction producing mevalonic acid, a key precursor of terpenoids such as membrane sterols. The expression of HMGR and alpha- and beta-tubulin genes increased within several hours after hypergravity treatment, depending on the magnitude of gravity. The determination of levels of gene products as well as the analysis with knockout mutants of these genes by T-DNA insertions in Arabidopsis supports the involvement of both membrane sterols and microtubules in gravity resistance. These results suggest that structural or physiological continuum of microtubule-cell membrane-cell wall is responsible for plant resistance to the gravitational force.

The insecticide buprofezin induces morphological transformation and kinetochore-positive micronuclei in cultured Syrian hamster embryo cells in the absence of detectable DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, L A; Ostrosky-Wegman, P; Schiffmann, D; Chen, Q Y; Ziegler-Skylakakis, K; Andrae, U

1993-11-01

The insecticide buprofezin was examined for its genotoxicity in cultured Syrian hamster embryo cells in order to better understand the mechanisms underlying the genotoxicity of the compound in mammalian cells. Exposure to buprofezin concentrations of 12.5-100 microM did not significantly affect the colony-forming ability of the cells, but did result in increased frequencies of morphologically transformed colonies. Treatment with buprofezin did not cause a detectable induction of DNA repair synthesis, an indicator of DNA damage, but significantly increased the frequency of micronuclei. Immunostaining of the cells with antikinetochore antibody (CREST antibody) showed that essentially all of the buprofezin-induced micronuclei were kinetochore-positive. The results suggest that morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells by buprofezin results from an interaction of the compound or a metabolite of it with the mitotic apparatus rather than from DNA damage.

Characterization of the CLASP2 Protein Interaction Network Identifies SOGA1 as a Microtubule-Associated Protein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Rikke Kruse; Krantz, James; Barker, Natalie

2017-01-01

. The GTPase-activating proteins AGAP1 and AGAP3 were also enriched in the CLASP2 interactome, although subsequent AGAP3 and CLIP2 interactome analysis suggests a preference of AGAP3 for CLIP2. Follow-up MARK2 interactome analysis confirmed reciprocal co-IP of CLASP2 and also revealed MARK2 can co-IP SOGA1......, glycogen synthase, and glycogenin. Investigating the SOGA1 interactome confirmed SOGA1 can reciprocal co-IP both CLASP2 and MARK2 as well as glycogen synthase and glycogenin. SOGA1 was confirmed to colocalize with CLASP2 and also with tubulin, which identifies SOGA1 as a new microtubule-associated protein....... These results introduce the metabolic function of these proposed novel protein networks and their relationship with microtubules as new fields of cytoskeleton-associated protein biology....

Microtubule Abnormalities Underlying Gulf War Illness in Neurons from Human-Induced Pluripotent Cells

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), originating from GW...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0433 TITLE: Microtubule Abnormalities Underlying Gulf War Illness in Neurons from Human- Induced Pluripotent Cells ...A simple blood sample is taken from the soldier, and then transduced, using reliable established methods , to make the cells pluripotent .

Hsp90α forms a stable complex at the cilium neck for the interaction of signalling molecules in IGF-1 receptor signalling.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongzhong; Zou, Xinle; Wei, Zhuang; Wu, Yuan; Li, Rongxia; Zeng, Rong; Chen, Zhengjun; Liao, Kan

2015-01-01

The primary cilium is composed of an axoneme that protrudes from the cell surface, a basal body beneath the membrane and a transition neck in between. It is a sensory organelle on the plasma membrane, involved in mediating extracellular signals. In the transition neck region of the cilium, the microtubules change from triplet to doublet microtubules. This region also contains the transition fibres that crosslink the axoneme with the membrane and the necklace proteins that regulate molecules being transported into and out of the cilium. In this protein-enriched, complex area it is important to maintain the correct assembly of all of these proteins. Here, through immunofluorescent staining and protein isolation, we identify the molecular chaperone Hsp90α clustered at the periciliary base. At the transition neck region, phosphorylated Hsp90α forms a stable ring around the axoneme. Heat shock treatment causes Hsp90α to dissipate and induces resorption of cilia. We further identify that Hsp90α at the transition neck region represents a signalling platform on which IRS-1 interacts with intracellular downstream signalling molecules involved in IGF-1 receptor signalling. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Mutation of Rice BC12/GDD1, Which Encodes a Kinesin-Like Protein That Binds to a GA Biosynthesis Gene Promoter, Leads to Dwarfism with Impaired Cell Elongation[W][OA

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Juan; Jiang, Jiafu; Qian, Qian; Xu, Yunyuan; Zhang, Cui; Xiao, Jun; Du, Cheng; Luo, Wei; Zou, Guoxing; Chen, Mingluan; Huang, Yunqing; Feng, Yuqi; Cheng, Zhukuan; Yuan, Ming; Chong, Kang

2011-01-01

The kinesins are a family of microtubule-based motor proteins that move directionally along microtubules and are involved in many crucial cellular processes, including cell elongation in plants. Less is known about kinesins directly regulating gene transcription to affect cellular physiological processes. Here, we describe a rice (Oryza sativa) mutant, gibberellin-deficient dwarf1 (gdd1), that has a phenotype of greatly reduced length of root, stems, spikes, and seeds. This reduced length is due to decreased cell elongation and can be rescued by exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) treatment. GDD1 was cloned by a map-based approach, was expressed constitutively, and was found to encode the kinesin-like protein BRITTLE CULM12 (BC12). Microtubule cosedimentation assays revealed that BC12/GDD1 bound to microtubules in an ATP-dependent manner. Whole-genome microarray analysis revealed the expression of ent-kaurene oxidase (KO2), which encodes an enzyme involved in GA biosynthesis, was downregulated in gdd1. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that GDD1 bound to the element ACCAACTTGAA in the KO2 promoter. In addition, GDD1 was shown to have transactivation activity. The level of endogenous GAs was reduced in gdd1, and the reorganization of cortical microtubules was altered. Therefore, BC12/GDD1, a kinesin-like protein with transcription regulation activity, mediates cell elongation by regulating the GA biosynthesis pathway in rice. PMID:21325138

T1R3 homomeric sweet taste receptor regulates adipogenesis through Gαs-mediated microtubules disassembly and Rho activation in 3T3-L1 cells.

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Yosuke Masubuchi

Full Text Available We previously reported that 3T3-L1 cells express a functional sweet taste receptor possibly as a T1R3 homomer that is coupled to Gs and negatively regulates adipogenesis by a Gαs-mediated but cAMP-independent mechanism. Here, we show that stimulation of this receptor with sucralose or saccharin induced disassembly of the microtubules in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which was attenuated by overexpression of the dominant-negative mutant of Gαs (Gαs-G226A. In contrast, overexpression of the constitutively active mutant of Gαs (Gαs-Q227L as well as treatment with cholera toxin or isoproterenol but not with forskolin caused disassembly of the microtubules. Sweetener-induced microtubule disassembly was accompanied by activation of RhoA and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK. This was attenuated with by knockdown of GEF-H1, a microtubule-localized guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho GTPase. Furthermore, overexpression of the dominant-negative mutant of RhoA (RhoA-T19N blocked sweetener-induced dephosphorylation of Akt and repression of PPARγ and C/EBPα in the early phase of adipogenic differentiation. These results suggest that the T1R3 homomeric sweet taste receptor negatively regulates adipogenesis through Gαs-mediated microtubule disassembly and consequent activation of the Rho/ROCK pathway.

Reversible control of kinesin activity and microtubule gliding speeds by switching the doping states of a conducting polymer support

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Brett D [US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Velea, Luminita M [US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Soto, Carissa M [US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Whitaker, Craig M [US Naval Academy, Department of Chemistry, Annapolis, MD 21402 (United States); Gaber, Bruce P [US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Ratna, Banahalli [US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6930, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2007-02-07

We describe a method for reversibly controlling the ATPase activity of streptavidin-linked kinesin by changing the doping states of a conducting polymer support. When the polymer (poly(CH{sub 2}OH-EDOT)) was electrochemically switched from its dedoped (semiconducting) state to its doped (conducting) state, the ATPase activity of the adsorbed kinesin complex decreased by 35% with a concomitant decrease in the gliding speeds of kinesin-driven microtubules. When the polymer was switched back to its original dedoped state, nearly identical increases were observed in the kinesin ATPase activity and microtubule speeds. Use of a fluorescent ATP substrate analogue showed that the total amount of kinesin adsorbed on the poly(CH{sub 2}OH-EDOT) surface remained constant as the doping state of the polymer was switched. The microtubules exhibited nearly identical speed differences on the doped and dedoped surfaces for both chemical and electrochemical doping methods. Michaelis-Menten modelling suggests that the doped surface acts as an 'uncompetitive inhibitor' of kinesin. This work represents an investigation into the phenomenon of an electrically switchable surface exerting a moderating effect on the activity of an adsorbed protein that does not contain a bound, electroactive metal ion.

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 reduces extension of the axonal leading process by destabilizing microtubules in cerebellar granule neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Inami, Yoshihiro; Omura, Mitsuru; Kubota, Kenta; Konishi, Yoshiyuki

2018-07-01

Recent studies have uncovered various molecules that play key roles in neuronal morphogenesis. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the neuron-type-dependent regulation of morphogenesis remain unknown. We have previously reported that inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) markedly reduced axonal length of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) in a neuron-type-dependent manner. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms by which the growth of CGN axons was severely suppressed upon GSK3 inhibition. Using time-lapse imaging of cultured CGNs at early morphogenesis, we found that extension of the leading process was severely inhibited by the pharmacological inhibition of GSK3. The rate of somal migration was also reduced with a GSK3 inhibitor in dissociated culture as well as in microexplant culture. In addition, CGNs ectopically expressed with a catalytically inactive mutant of GSK3 exhibited a migration defect in vivo. In axonal leading processes of CGNs, detyrosination and acetylation of α-tubulin, which are known to correlate with microtubule stability, were decreased by GSK3 inhibition. A photoconversion analysis found that inhibition of GSK3 increases the turnover of microtubules. Furthermore, in the presence of paclitaxel, a microtubule-stabilizing reagent, inhibition of GSK3 recovered the axonal leading process extension that was reduced by paclitaxel. Our results suggest that GSK3 supports the extension of axonal processes by stabilizing microtubules, contrary to its function in other neuron-types, lending mechanical insight into neuron-type-dependent morphological regulation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The neurosteroid pregnenolone reverts microtubule derangement induced by the loss of a functional CDKL5-IQGAP1 complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbiero, Isabella; Peroni, Diana; Tramarin, Marco; Chandola, Chetan; Rusconi, Laura; Landsberger, Nicoletta; Kilstrup-Nielsen, Charlotte

2017-09-15

CDKL5 is a protein kinase that plays a key role for neuronal functions as testified by the onset of complex neuronal dysfunctions in patients with genetic lesions in CDKL5. Here we identify a novel interactor of CDKL5, IQGAP1, a fundamental regulator of cell migration and polarity. In accordance with a functional role of this interaction, depletion of CDKL5 impairs cell migration and impedes the localization of IQGAP1 at the leading edge. Moreover, we demonstrate that CDKL5 is required for IQGAP1 to form a functional complex with its effectors, Rac1 and the microtubule plus end tracking protein CLIP170. These defects eventually impact on the microtubule association of CLIP170, thus deranging their dynamics. CLIP170 is a cellular target of the neurosteroid pregnenolone; by blocking CLIP170 in its active conformation, pregnenolone is capable of restoring the microtubule association of CLIP170 in CDKL5 deficient cells and rescuing morphological defects in neurons devoid of CDKL5. These findings provide novel insights into CDKL5 functions and pave the way for target-specific therapeutic strategies for individuals affected with CDKL5-disorder. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Disruption of Microtubules Post-Virus Entry Enhances Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Transduction

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Ping-Jie; Mitchell, Angela M.; Huang, Lu; Li, Chengwen; Samulski, R. Jude

2016-01-01

Perinuclear retention of viral particles is a poorly understood phenomenon observed during many virus infections. In this study, we investigated whether perinuclear accumulation acts as a barrier to limit recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) transduction. After nocodazole treatment to disrupt microtubules at microtubule-organization center (MT-MTOC) after virus entry, we observed higher rAAV transduction. To elucidate the role of MT-MTOC in rAAV infection and study its underlying mechanisms, we demonstrated that rAAV's perinuclear localization was retained by MT-MTOC with fluorescent analysis, and enhanced rAAV transduction from MT-MTOC disruption was dependent on the rAAV capsid's nuclear import signals. Interestingly, after knocking down RhoA or inhibiting its downstream effectors (ROCK and Actin), MT-MTOC disruption failed to increase rAAV transduction or nuclear entry. These data suggest that enhancement of rAAV transduction is the result of increased trafficking to the nucleus via the RhoA-ROCK-Actin pathway. Ten-fold higher rAAV transduction was also observed by disrupting MT-MTOC in brain, liver, and tumor in vivo. In summary, this study indicates that virus perinuclear accumulation at MT-MTOC is a barrier-limiting parameter for effective rAAV transduction and defines a novel defense mechanism by which host cells restrain viral invasion. PMID:26942476

Synthesis and biological evaluation of indolyl-pyridinyl-propenones having either methuosis or microtubule disruption activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Trabbic, Christopher J; Overmeyer, Jean H; Alexander, Evan M; Crissman, Emily J; Kvale, Heather M; Smith, Marcie A; Erhardt, Paul W; Maltese, William A

2015-03-12

Methuosis is a form of nonapoptotic cell death characterized by an accumulation of macropinosome-derived vacuoles with eventual loss of membrane integrity. Small molecules inducing methuosis could offer significant advantages compared to more traditional anticancer drug therapies that typically rely on apoptosis. Herein we further define the effects of chemical substitutions at the 2- and 5-indolyl positions on our lead compound 3-(5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propene-1-one (MOMIPP). We have identified a number of compounds that induce methuosis at similar potencies, including an interesting analogue having a hydroxypropyl substituent at the 2-position. In addition, we have discovered that certain substitutions on the 2-indolyl position redirect the mode of cytotoxicity from methuosis to microtubule disruption. This switch in activity is associated with an increase in potency as large as 2 orders of magnitude. These compounds appear to represent a new class of potent microtubule-active anticancer agents.

STIM1-Directed Reorganization of Microtubules in Activated Mast Cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájková, Zuzana; Bugajev, Viktor; Dráberová, Eduarda; Vinopal, Stanislav; Dráberová, Lubica; Janáček, Jiří; Dráber, Petr; Dráber, Pavel

2011-01-01

Roč. 186, č. 2 (2011), s. 913-923 ISSN 0022-1767 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GD204/09/H084; GA ČR GA204/09/1777; GA ČR GA301/09/1826; GA ČR GAP302/10/1759; GA MŠk LC545; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06063; GA AV ČR KAN200520701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514; CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : STIM1 * bone marrow-derived mast cells * microtubules Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.788, year: 2011

Sequence Classification: 890748 [

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available in, involved in maintaining sister chromatid cohesion during meiosis I as well as promoting proper attachmen...t of kinetochores to the spindle during meiosis I and meiosis II; Spo13p || http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/6321802 ...

Conformation-specific anti-Mad2 monoclonal antibodies for the dissection of checkpoint signaling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sedgwick, Garry G; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Lischetti, Tiziana

2016-01-01

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis by delaying the activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in response to unattached kinetochores. The Mad2 protein is essential for a functional checkpoint because it binds directly t...

Coin Tossing Explains the Activity of Opposing Microtubule Motors on Phagosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanghavi, Paulomi; D'Souza, Ashwin; Rai, Ashim; Rai, Arpan; Padinhatheeri, Ranjith; Mallik, Roop

2018-05-07

How the opposing activity of kinesin and dynein motors generates polarized distribution of organelles inside cells is poorly understood and hotly debated [1, 2]. Possible explanations include stochastic mechanical competition [3, 4], coordinated regulation by motor-associated proteins [5-7], mechanical activation of motors [8], and lipid-induced organization [9]. Here, we address this question by using phagocytosed latex beads to generate early phagosomes (EPs) that move bidirectionally along microtubules (MTs) in an in vitro assay [9]. Dynein/kinesin activity on individual EPs is recorded as real-time force generation of the motors against an optical trap. Activity of one class of motors frequently coincides with, or is rapidly followed by opposite motors. This leads to frequent and rapid reversals of EPs in the trap. Remarkably, the choice between dynein and kinesin can be explained by the tossing of a coin. Opposing motors therefore appear to function stochastically and independently of each other, as also confirmed by observing no effect on kinesin function when dynein is inhibited on the EPs. A simple binomial probability calculation based on the geometry of EP-microtubule contact explains the observed activity of dynein and kinesin on phagosomes. This understanding of intracellular transport in terms of a hypothetical coin, if it holds true for other cargoes, provides a conceptual framework to explain the polarized localization of organelles inside cells. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Development of other microtubule-stabilizer families: the epothilones and their derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Brogdon, Cynthia F; Lee, Francis Y; Canetta, Renzo M

2014-05-01

Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for numerous cancer types, but resistance to chemotherapy remains a major clinical issue and is one of the driving influences underlying the development of new anticancer medications. One of the most important classes of chemotherapy agents is the taxanes, which target the cytoskeleton and spindle apparatus of tumor cells by binding to the microtubules, thereby disrupting key cellular mechanisms, including mitosis. Taxane resistance, however, limits treatment options and creates a major challenge for clinicians. Ongoing research has identified several newer classes of microtubule-targeting chemotherapies that may retain activity despite clinical resistance to taxanes. Among these classes, the epothilones have been studied most extensively in the clinical setting. Like taxanes, epothilones stabilize microtubulin turnover, and they have properties favoring their development as anticancer agents. The most clinically advanced epothilone analog is ixabepilone, which is currently the only approved epothilone derivative. Ixabepilone is indicated for the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer in combination with capecitabine after failure of an anthracycline and a taxane, or as monotherapy after failure of an anthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine. In phase II and III trials, ixabepilone showed efficacy in several patient subgroups and in various stages of breast cancer. Common adverse reactions include peripheral sensory neuropathy and asthenia. This paper will discuss the preclinical and clinical development of epothilones and their derivatives across a variety of cancer types.

Optimization of microtubule affinity regulating kinase (MARK) inhibitors with improved physical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sloman, David L.; Noucti, Njamkou; Altman, Michael D.; Chen, Dapeng; Mislak, Andrea C.; Szewczak, Alexander; Hayashi, Mansuo; Warren, Lee; Dellovade, Tammy; Wu, Zhenhua; Marcus, Jacob; Walker, Deborah; Su, Hua-Poo; Edavettal, Suzanne C.; Munshi, Sanjeev; Hutton, Michael; Nuthall, Hugh; Stanton, Matthew G. (Merck)

2016-09-01

Inhibition of microtubule affinity regulating kinase (MARK) represents a potentially attractive means of arresting neurofibrillary tangle pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. This manuscript outlines efforts to optimize a pyrazolopyrimidine series of MARK inhibitors by focusing on improvements in potency, physical properties and attributes amenable to CNS penetration. A unique cylcyclohexyldiamine scaffold was identified that led to remarkable improvements in potency, opening up opportunities to reduce MW, Pgp efflux and improve pharmacokinetic properties while also conferring improved solubility.

Tubulation of class II MHC compartments is microtubule dependent and involves multiple endolysosomal membrane proteins in primary dendritic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Jatin M; Kim, You-Me; Artavanis-Tsakonas, Katerina; Love, J Christopher; Van der Veen, Annemarthe G; Ploegh, Hidde L

2007-06-01

Immature dendritic cells (DCs) capture exogenous Ags in the periphery for eventual processing in endolysosomes. Upon maturation by TLR agonists, DCs deliver peptide-loaded class II MHC molecules from these compartments to the cell surface via long tubular structures (endolysosomal tubules). The nature and rules that govern the movement of these DC compartments are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the tubules contain multiple proteins including the class II MHC molecules and LAMP1, a lysosomal resident protein, as well as CD63 and CD82, members of the tetraspanin family. Endolysosomal tubules can be stained with acidotropic dyes, indicating that they are extensions of lysosomes. However, the proper trafficking of class II MHC molecules themselves is not necessary for endolysosomal tubule formation. DCs lacking MyD88 can also form endolysosomal tubules, demonstrating that MyD88-dependent TLR activation is not necessary for the formation of this compartment. Endolysosomal tubules in DCs exhibit dynamic and saltatory movement, including bidirectional travel. Measured velocities are consistent with motor-based movement along microtubules. Indeed, nocodazole causes the collapse of endolysosomal tubules. In addition to its association with microtubules, endolysosomal tubules follow the plus ends of microtubules as visualized in primary DCs expressing end binding protein 1 (EB1)-enhanced GFP.

The free energy profile of tubulin straight-bent conformational changes, with implications for microtubule assembly and drug discovery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili X Peng

2014-02-01

Full Text Available αβ-tubulin dimers need to convert between a 'bent' conformation observed for free dimers in solution and a 'straight' conformation required for incorporation into the microtubule lattice. Here, we investigate the free energy landscape of αβ-tubulin using molecular dynamics simulations, emphasizing implications for models of assembly, and modulation of the conformational landscape by colchicine, a tubulin-binding drug that inhibits microtubule polymerization. Specifically, we performed molecular dynamics, potential-of-mean force simulations to obtain the free energy profile for unpolymerized GDP-bound tubulin as a function of the ∼12° intradimer rotation differentiating the straight and bent conformers. Our results predict that the unassembled GDP-tubulin heterodimer exists in a continuum of conformations ranging between straight and bent, but, in agreement with existing structural data, suggests that an intermediate bent state has a lower free energy (by ∼1 kcal/mol and thus dominates in solution. In agreement with predictions of the lattice model of microtubule assembly, lateral binding of two αβ-tubulins strongly shifts the conformational equilibrium towards the straight state, which is then ∼1 kcal/mol lower in free energy than the bent state. Finally, calculations of colchicine binding to a single αβ-tubulin dimer strongly shifts the equilibrium toward the bent states, and disfavors the straight state to the extent that it is no longer thermodynamically populated.

The reorientation of cell nucleus promotes the establishment of front-rear polarity in migrating fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Maninová, Miloslava; Klímová, Zuzana; Parsons, J Thomas; Weber, Michael J; Iwanicki, Marcin P; Vomastek, Tomáš

2013-06-12

The establishment of cell polarity is an essential step in the process of cell migration. This process requires precise spatiotemporal coordination of signaling pathways that in most cells create the typical asymmetrical profile of a polarized cell with nucleus located at the cell rear and the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) positioned between the nucleus and the leading edge. During cell polarization, nucleus rearward positioning promotes correct microtubule organizing center localization and thus the establishment of front-rear polarity and directional migration. We found that cell polarization and directional migration require also the reorientation of the nucleus. Nuclear reorientation is manifested as temporally restricted nuclear rotation that aligns the nuclear axis with the axis of cell migration. We also found that nuclear reorientation requires physical connection between the nucleus and cytoskeleton mediated by the LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex. Nuclear reorientation is controlled by coordinated activity of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-mediated activation of GTPase Rho and the activation of integrin, FAK (focal adhesion kinase), Src, and p190RhoGAP signaling pathway. Integrin signaling is spatially induced at the leading edge as FAK and p190RhoGAP are predominantly activated or localized at this location. We suggest that integrin activation within lamellipodia defines cell front, and subsequent FAK, Src, and p190RhoGAP signaling represents the polarity signal that induces reorientation of the nucleus and thus promotes the establishment of front-rear polarity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical mechanics provides novel insights into microtubule stability and mechanism of shrinkage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishutesh Jain

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Microtubules are nano-machines that grow and shrink stochastically, making use of the coupling between chemical kinetics and mechanics of its constituent protofilaments (PFs. We investigate the stability and shrinkage of microtubules taking into account inter-protofilament interactions and bending interactions of intrinsically curved PFs. Computing the free energy as a function of PF tip position, we show that the competition between curvature energy, inter-PF interaction energy and entropy leads to a rich landscape with a series of minima that repeat over a length-scale determined by the intrinsic curvature. Computing Langevin dynamics of the tip through the landscape and accounting for depolymerization, we calculate the average unzippering and shrinkage velocities of GDP protofilaments and compare them with the experimentally known results. Our analysis predicts that the strength of the inter-PF interaction (E(s(m has to be comparable to the strength of the curvature energy (E(b(m such that E(s(m - E(b(m ≈ 1kBT, and questions the prevalent notion that unzippering results from the domination of bending energy of curved GDP PFs. Our work demonstrates how the shape of the free energy landscape is crucial in explaining the mechanism of MT shrinkage where the unzippered PFs will fluctuate in a set of partially peeled off states and subunit dissociation will reduce the length.

Near-atomic model of microtubule-tau interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Elizabeth H; Hejab, Nisreen M A; Poepsel, Simon; Downing, Kenneth H; DiMaio, Frank; Nogales, Eva

2018-06-15

Tau is a developmentally regulated axonal protein that stabilizes and bundles microtubules (MTs). Its hyperphosphorylation is thought to cause detachment from MTs and subsequent aggregation into fibrils implicated in Alzheimer's disease. It is unclear which tau residues are crucial for tau-MT interactions, where tau binds on MTs, and how it stabilizes them. We used cryo-electron microscopy to visualize different tau constructs on MTs and computational approaches to generate atomic models of tau-tubulin interactions. The conserved tubulin-binding repeats within tau adopt similar extended structures along the crest of the protofilament, stabilizing the interface between tubulin dimers. Our structures explain the effect of phosphorylation on MT affinity and lead to a model of tau repeats binding in tandem along protofilaments, tethering together tubulin dimers and stabilizing polymerization interfaces. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Kinesin-3 and dynein cooperate in long-range retrograde endosome motility along a nonuniform microtubule array

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuster, M.; Kilaru, S.; Fink, G.; Collemare, J.A.R.; Roger, Y.; Steinberg, G.

2011-01-01

The polarity of microtubules (MTs) determines the motors for intracellular motility, with kinesins moving to plus ends and dynein to minus ends. In elongated cells of Ustilago maydis, dynein is thought to move early endosomes (EEs) toward the septum (retrograde), whereas kinesin-3 transports them to

Dynamic microtubule organization and mitochondrial transport are regulated by distinct Kinesin-1 pathways

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Melkov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The microtubule (MT plus-end motor kinesin heavy chain (Khc is well known for its role in long distance cargo transport. Recent evidence showed that Khc is also required for the organization of the cellular MT network by mediating MT sliding. We found that mutations in Khc and the gene of its adaptor protein, kinesin light chain (Klc resulted in identical bristle morphology defects, with the upper part of the bristle being thinner and flatter than normal and failing to taper towards the bristle tip. We demonstrate that bristle mitochondria transport requires Khc but not Klc as a competing force to dynein heavy chain (Dhc. Surprisingly, we demonstrate for the first time that Dhc is the primary motor for both anterograde and retrograde fast mitochondria transport. We found that the upper part of Khc and Klc mutant bristles lacked stable MTs. When following dynamic MT polymerization via the use of GFP-tagged end-binding protein 1 (EB1, it was noted that at Khc and Klc mutant bristle tips, dynamic MTs significantly deviated from the bristle parallel growth axis, relative to wild-type bristles. We also observed that GFP-EB1 failed to concentrate as a focus at the tip of Khc and Klc mutant bristles. We propose that the failure of bristle tapering is due to defects in directing dynamic MTs at the growing tip. Thus, we reveal a new function for Khc and Klc in directing dynamic MTs during polarized cell growth. Moreover, we also demonstrate a novel mode of coordination in mitochondrial transport between Khc and Dhc.

Does usnic acid affect microtubules in human cancer cells? O ácido úsnico pode afetar microtúbulos em células cancerosas humanas?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA. O'Neill

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Usnic acid, a lichen metabolite, is known to exert antimitotic and antiproliferative activities against normal and malignant human cells. Many chemotherapy agents exert their activities by blocking cell cycle progression, inducing cell death through apoptosis. Microtubules, protein structure involved in the segregation of chromosomes during mitosis, serve as chemotherapeutical targets due to their key role in cellular division as well as apoptosis. The aim of this work was to investigate whether usnic acid affects the formation and/or stabilisation of microtubules by visualising microtubules and determining mitotic indices after treatment. The breast cancer cell line MCF7 and the lung cancer cell line H1299 were treated with usnic acid 29 µM for 24 hours and two positive controls: vincristine (which prevents the formation of microtubules or taxol (which stabilizes microtubules. Treatment of MCF7 and H1299 cells with usnic acid did not result in any morphological changes in microtubules or increase in the mitotic index. These results suggest that the antineoplastic activity of usnic acid is not related to alterations in the formation and/or stabilisation of microtubules.O ácido úsnico, um metabólito de liquens, é conhecido por sua atividade antimitótica e antiproliferativa em células humanas normais e malignas. Muitos quimioterápicos exercem suas atividades bloqueando a progressão do ciclo celular e induzindo morte celular por apoptose. Os microtúbulos, estruturas protéicas envolvidas na segregação dos cromossomos durante a mitose, servem como alvo quimioterapêutico devido ao seu importante papel tanto na divisão celular quanto nos mecanismos de morte celular por apoptose. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar se o ácido úsnico afeta a formação e/ou estabilização dos microtúbulos, a partir da visualização de microtúbulos e determinação de índices mitóticos após o tratamento. Células de câncer de mama MCF7 e de c

Mechanisms for focusing mitotic spindle poles by minus end-directed motor proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Goshima, Gohta; Nédélec, François; Vale, Ronald D

2005-10-24

During the formation of the metaphase spindle in animal somatic cells, kinetochore microtubule bundles (K fibers) are often disconnected from centrosomes, because they are released from centrosomes or directly generated from chromosomes. To create the tightly focused, diamond-shaped appearance of the bipolar spindle, K fibers need to be interconnected with centrosomal microtubules (C-MTs) by minus end-directed motor proteins. Here, we have characterized the roles of two minus end-directed motors, dynein and Ncd, in such processes in Drosophila S2 cells using RNA interference and high resolution microscopy. Even though these two motors have overlapping functions, we show that Ncd is primarily responsible for focusing K fibers, whereas dynein has a dominant function in transporting K fibers to the centrosomes. We also report a novel localization of Ncd to the growing tips of C-MTs, which we show is mediated by the plus end-tracking protein, EB1. Computer modeling of the K fiber focusing process suggests that the plus end localization of Ncd could facilitate the capture and transport of K fibers along C-MTs. From these results and simulations, we propose a model on how two minus end-directed motors cooperate to ensure spindle pole coalescence during mitosis.

P190B RhoGAP Regulates Chromosome Segregation in Cancer Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Melissa; Peddibhotla, Sirisha; McHenry, Peter; Chang, Peggy; Yochum, Zachary; Park, Ko Un; Sears, James Cooper; Vargo-Gogola, Tracy

2012-01-01

Rho GTPases are overexpressed and hyperactivated in many cancers, including breast cancer. Rho proteins, as well as their regulators and effectors, have been implicated in mitosis, and their altered expression promotes mitotic defects and aneuploidy. Previously, we demonstrated that p190B Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) deficiency inhibits ErbB2-induced mammary tumor formation in mice. Here we describe a novel role for p190B as a regulator of mitosis. We found that p190B localized to centrosomes during interphase and mitosis, and that it is differentially phosphorylated during mitosis. Knockdown of p190B expression in MCF-7 and Hela cells increased the incidence of aberrant microtubule-kinetochore attachments at metaphase, lagging chromosomes at anaphase, and micronucleation, all of which are indicative of aneuploidy. Cell cycle analysis of p190B deficient MCF-7 cells revealed a significant increase in apoptotic cells with a concomitant decrease in cells in G1 and S phase, suggesting that p190B deficient cells die at the G1 to S transition. Chemical inhibition of the Rac GTPase during mitosis reduced the incidence of lagging chromosomes in p190B knockdown cells to levels detected in control cells, suggesting that aberrant Rac activity in the absence of p190B promotes chromosome segregation defects. Taken together, these data suggest that p190B regulates chromosome segregation and apoptosis in cancer cells. We propose that disruption of mitosis may be one mechanism by which p190B deficiency inhibits tumorigenesis

P190B RhoGAP Regulates Chromosome Segregation in Cancer Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Melissa [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1234 Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617 (United States); Peddibhotla, Sirisha [Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, John P. McGovern Campus, NABS-0250, Houston, TX 77030 (United States); McHenry, Peter [Department of Biology, Southwestern Adventist University, 100 W. Hillcrest, Keene, TX 76059 (United States); Chang, Peggy; Yochum, Zachary; Park, Ko Un; Sears, James Cooper; Vargo-Gogola, Tracy, E-mail: vargo-gogola.1@nd.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1234 Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617 (United States)

2012-04-25

Rho GTPases are overexpressed and hyperactivated in many cancers, including breast cancer. Rho proteins, as well as their regulators and effectors, have been implicated in mitosis, and their altered expression promotes mitotic defects and aneuploidy. Previously, we demonstrated that p190B Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) deficiency inhibits ErbB2-induced mammary tumor formation in mice. Here we describe a novel role for p190B as a regulator of mitosis. We found that p190B localized to centrosomes during interphase and mitosis, and that it is differentially phosphorylated during mitosis. Knockdown of p190B expression in MCF-7 and Hela cells increased the incidence of aberrant microtubule-kinetochore attachments at metaphase, lagging chromosomes at anaphase, and micronucleation, all of which are indicative of aneuploidy. Cell cycle analysis of p190B deficient MCF-7 cells revealed a significant increase in apoptotic cells with a concomitant decrease in cells in G1 and S phase, suggesting that p190B deficient cells die at the G1 to S transition. Chemical inhibition of the Rac GTPase during mitosis reduced the incidence of lagging chromosomes in p190B knockdown cells to levels detected in control cells, suggesting that aberrant Rac activity in the absence of p190B promotes chromosome segregation defects. Taken together, these data suggest that p190B regulates chromosome segregation and apoptosis in cancer cells. We propose that disruption of mitosis may be one mechanism by which p190B deficiency inhibits tumorigenesis.

Measurement of in vitro microtubule polymerization by turbidity and fluorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirigian, Matthew; Mukherjee, Kamalika; Bane, Susan L; Sackett, Dan L

2013-01-01

Tubulin polymerization may be conveniently monitored by the increase in turbidity (optical density, or OD) or by the increase in fluorescence intensity of diamidino-phenylindole. The resulting data can be a quantitative measure of microtubule (MT) assembly, but some care is needed in interpretation, especially of OD data. Buffer formulations used for the assembly reaction significantly influence the polymerization, both by altering the critical concentration for polymerization and by altering the exact polymer produced-for example, by increasing the production of sheet polymers in addition to MT. Both the turbidity and the fluorescence methods are useful for demonstrating the effect of MT-stabilizing or -destabilizing additives. 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

The actin-binding protein capulet genetically interacts with the microtubule motor kinesin to maintain neuronal dendrite homeostasis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul M B Medina

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Neurons require precise cytoskeletal regulation within neurites, containing microtubule tracks for cargo transport in axons and dendrites or within synapses containing organized actin. Due to the unique architecture and specialized function of neurons, neurons are particularly susceptible to perturbation of the cytoskeleton. Numerous actin-binding proteins help maintain proper cytoskeletal regulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: From a Drosophila forward genetic screen, we identified a mutation in capulet--encoding a conserved actin-binding protein--that causes abnormal aggregates of actin within dendrites. Through interaction studies, we demonstrate that simultaneous genetic inactivation of capulet and kinesin heavy chain, a microtubule motor protein, produces elongate cofilin-actin rods within dendrites but not axons. These rods resemble actin-rich structures induced in both mammalian neurodegenerative and Drosophila Alzheimer's models, but have not previously been identified by loss of function mutations in vivo. We further demonstrate that mitochondria, which are transported by Kinesin, have impaired distribution along dendrites in a capulet mutant. While Capulet and Cofilin may biochemically cooperate in certain circumstances, in neuronal dendrites they genetically antagonize each other. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study is the first molecularly defined loss of function demonstration of actin-cofilin rods in vivo. This study suggests that simultaneous, seemingly minor perturbations in neuronal dendrites can synergize producing severe abnormalities affecting actin, microtubules and mitochondria/energy availability in dendrites. Additionally, as >90% of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's cases are sporadic this study suggests mechanisms by which multiple mutations together may contribute to neurodegeneration instead of reliance on single mutations to produce disease.

Tubulation of Class II MHC Compartments Is Microtubule Dependent and Involves Multiple Endolysosomal Membrane Proteins in Primary Dendritic Cells1

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Jatin M.; Kim, You-Me; Artavanis-Tsakonas, Katerina; Love, J. Christopher; Van der Veen, Annemarthe G.; Ploegh, Hidde L.

2009-01-01

Immature dendritic cells (DCs) capture exogenous Ags in the periphery for eventual processing in endolysosomes. Upon maturation by TLR agonists, DCs deliver peptide-loaded class II MHC molecules from these compartments to the cell surface via long tubular structures (endolysosomal tubules). The nature and rules that govern the movement of these DC compartments are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the tubules contain multiple proteins including the class II MHC molecules and LAMP1, a lysosomal resident protein, as well as CD63 and CD82, members of the tetraspanin family. Endolysosomal tubules can be stained with acidotropic dyes, indicating that they are extensions of lysosomes. However, the proper trafficking of class II MHC molecules themselves is not necessary for endolysosomal tubule formation. DCs lacking MyD88 can also form endolysosomal tubules, demonstrating that MyD88-dependent TLR activation is not necessary for the formation of this compartment. Endolysosomal tubules in DCs exhibit dynamic and saltatory movement, including bidirectional travel. Measured velocities are consistent with motor-based movement along microtubules. Indeed, nocodazole causes the collapse of endolysosomal tubules. In addition to its association with microtubules, endolysosomal tubules follow the plus ends of microtubules as visualized in primary DCs expressing end binding protein 1 (EB1)-enhanced GFP. PMID:17513769

Aurora-A regulates MCRS1 function during mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meunier, Sylvain; Timón, Krystal; Vernos, Isabelle

2016-07-02

The mitotic spindle is made of microtubules (MTs) nucleated through different pathways involving the centrosomes, the chromosomes or the walls of pre-existing MTs. MCRS1 is a RanGTP target that specifically associates with the chromosome-driven MTs protecting them from MT depolymerases. MCRS1 is also needed for the control of kinetochore fiber (K-fiber) MT minus-ends dynamics in metaphase. Here, we investigated the regulation of MCRS1 activity in M-phase. We show that MCRS1 is phosphorylated by the Aurora-A kinase in mitosis on Ser35/36. Although this phosphorylation has no role on MCRS1 localization to chromosomal MTs and K-fiber minus-ends, we show that it regulates MCRS1 activity in mitosis. We conclude that Aurora-A activity is particularly important in the tuning of K-fiber minus-ends dynamics in mitosis.

Inhibition of clathrin by pitstop 2 activates the spindle assembly checkpoint and induces cell death in dividing HeLa cancer cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Charlotte M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background During metaphase clathrin stabilises the mitotic spindle kinetochore(K-fibres. Many anti-mitotic compounds target microtubule dynamics. Pitstop 2™ is the first small molecule inhibitor of clathrin terminal domain and inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We investigated its effects on a second function for clathrin in mitosis. Results Pitstop 2 did not impair clathrin recruitment to the spindle but disrupted its function once stationed there. Pitstop 2 trapped HeLa cells in metaphase through loss of mitotic spindle integrity and activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint, phenocopying clathrin depletion and aurora A kinase inhibition. Conclusions Pitstop 2 is therefore a new tool for investigating clathrin spindle dynamics. Pitstop 2 reduced viability in dividing HeLa cells, without affecting dividing non-cancerous NIH3T3 cells, suggesting that clathrin is a possible novel anti-mitotic drug target.

The microtubule associated protein END BINDING 1 represses root responses to mechanical cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Laura; Squires, Shannon; Bisgrove, Sherryl R

2012-05-01

The ability of roots to navigate around rocks and other debris as they grow through the soil requires a mechanism for detecting and responding to input from both touch and gravity sensing systems. The microtubule associated protein END BINDING 1b (EB1b) is involved in this process as mutants have defects responding to combinations of touch and gravity cues. This study investigates the role of EB1b in root responses to mechanical cues. We find that eb1b-1 mutant roots exhibit an increase over wild type in their response to touch and that the expression of EB1b genes in transgenic mutants restores the response to wild type levels, indicating that EB1b is an inhibitor of the response. Mutant roots are also hypersensitive to increased levels of mechanical stimulation, revealing the presence of another process that activates the response. These findings are supported by analyses of double mutants between eb1b-1 and seedlings carrying mutations in PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE (PGM), ALTERED RESPONSE TO GRAVITY1 (ARG1), or TOUCH3 (TCH3), genes that encode proteins involved in gravity sensing, signaling, or touch responses, respectively. A model is proposed in which root responses to mechanical cues are modulated by at least two competing regulatory processes, one that promotes touch-mediated growth and another, regulated by EB1b, which dampens root responses to touch and enhances gravitropism. © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plus- and minus-end directed microtubule motors bind simultaneously to herpes simplex virus capsids using different inner tegument structures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerstin Radtke

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Many viruses depend on host microtubule motors to reach their destined intracellular location. Viral particles of neurotropic alphaherpesviruses such as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1 show bidirectional transport towards the cell center as well as the periphery, indicating that they utilize microtubule motors of opposing directionality. To understand the mechanisms of specific motor recruitment, it is necessary to characterize the molecular composition of such motile viral structures. We have generated HSV1 capsids with different surface features without impairing their overall architecture, and show that in a mammalian cell-free system the microtubule motors dynein and kinesin-1 and the dynein cofactor dynactin could interact directly with capsids independent of other host factors. The capsid composition and surface was analyzed with respect to 23 structural proteins that are potentially exposed to the cytosol during virus assembly or cell entry. Many of these proteins belong to the tegument, the hallmark of all herpesviruses located between the capsid and the viral envelope. Using immunoblots, quantitative mass spectrometry and quantitative immunoelectron microscopy, we show that capsids exposing inner tegument proteins such as pUS3, pUL36, pUL37, ICP0, pUL14, pUL16, and pUL21 recruited dynein, dynactin, kinesin-1 and kinesin-2. In contrast, neither untegumented capsids exposing VP5, VP26, pUL17 and pUL25 nor capsids covered by outer tegument proteins such as vhs, pUL11, ICP4, ICP34.5, VP11/12, VP13/14, VP16, VP22 or pUS11 bound microtubule motors. Our data suggest that HSV1 uses different structural features of the inner tegument to recruit dynein or kinesin-1. Individual capsids simultaneously accommodated motors of opposing directionality as well as several copies of the same motor. Thus, these associated motors either engage in a tug-of-war or their activities are coordinately regulated to achieve net transport either to the nucleus during

GIT1/beta PIX signaling proteins and PAK1 kinase regulate microtubule nucleation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Černohorská, Markéta; Sulimenko, Vadym; Hájková, Zuzana; Sulimenko, Tetyana; Sládková, Vladimíra; Vinopal, Stanislav; Dráberová, Eduarda; Dráber, Pavel

2016-01-01

Roč. 1863, č. 6 (2016), s. 1282-1297 ISSN 0167-4889 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP302/12/1673; GA ČR GA15-22194S; GA MŠk LH12050; GA MZd NT14467; GA ČR GA16-23702S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Centrosome * Microtubule nucleation * gamma-tubulin * GIT1/beta PIX signaling proteins * PAK1 kinase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.521, year: 2016

Temporal and SUMO-specific SUMOylation contribute to the dynamics of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and spindle integrity during mouse oocyte meiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Feitosa, Weber Beringui; Hwang, KeumSil; Morris, Patricia L

2018-02-15

During mammalian meiosis, Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is essential during cell cycle progression. In oocyte maturation, PLK1 expression is well characterized but timing of posttranslational modifications regulating its activity and subcellular localization are less clear. Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) posttranslational modifier proteins have been detected in mammalian gametes but their precise function during gametogenesis is largely unknown. In the present paper we report for mouse oocytes that both PLK1 and phosphorylated PLK1 undergo SUMOylation in meiosis II (MII) oocytes using immunocytochemistry, immunoprecipitation and in vitro SUMOylation assays. At MII, PLK1 is phosphorylated at threonine-210 and serine-137. MII oocyte PLK1 and phosphorylated PLK1 undergo SUMOylation by SUMO-1, -2 and -3 as shown by individual in vitro assays. Using these assays, forms of phosphorylated PLK1 normalized to PLK1 increased significantly and correlated with SUMOylated PLK1 levels. During meiotic progression and maturation, SUMO-1-SUMOylation of PLK1 is involved in spindle formation whereas SUMO-2/3-SUMOylation may regulate PLK1 activity at kinetochore-spindle attachment sites. Microtubule integrity is required for PLK1 localization with SUMO-1 but not with SUMO-2/3. Inhibition of SUMOylation disrupts proper meiotic bipolar spindle organization and spindle-kinetochore attachment. The data show that both temporal and SUMO-specific-SUMOylation play important roles in orchestrating functional dynamics of PLK1 during mouse oocyte meiosis, including subcellular compartmentalization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of the Aneugenic and Polyploidy-inducing Effects of Fisetin and Two Model Aurora Kinase Inhibitors

Science.gov (United States)

Gollapudi, P.; Hasegawa, L.S.; Eastmond, D.A.

2014-01-01

Fisetin, a plant flavonol commonly found in fruits, nuts and vegetables, is frequently added to nutritional supplements due to its reported cardioprotective, anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant properties. Earlier reports from our laboratory and others have indicated that fisetin has both aneugenic and clastogenic properties in cultured cells. More recently, fisetin has also been reported to target Aurora B kinase, a Ser/Thr kinase involved in ensuring proper microtubule attachment at the spindle assembly checkpoint, and an enzyme that is overexpressed in several types of cancer. Here we have further characterized the chromosome damage caused by fisetin and compared it with that induced by two known Aurora kinase inhibitors, VX-680 and ZM-447439, in cultured TK6 cells using the micronucleus assay with CREST staining as well as a flow cytometry-based assay that measures multiple types of numerical chromosomal aberrations. The three compounds were highly effective in inducing aneuploidy and polyploidy as evidenced by increases in kinetochore-positive micronuclei, hyperdiploidy, and polyploidy. With fisetin, however, the latter two effects were most significantly observed only after cells were allowed to overcome a cell cycle delay, and occurred at higher concentrations than those induced by the other Aurora kinase inhibitors. Modest increases in kinetochore-negative micronuclei were also seen with the model Aurora kinase inhibitors. These results indicate that fisetin induces multiple types of chromosome abnormalities in human cells, and indicate a need for a thorough investigation of fisetin-augmented dietary supplements. PMID:24680981

A minimal number of MELT repeats supports all functions of KNL1 in chromosome segregation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Gang; Lischetti, Tiziana; Nilsson, Jakob

2013-01-01

The Bub1-Bub3 and BubR1-Bub3 checkpoint complexes, or the Bubs, contribute to the accurate segregation of chromosomes during mitosis by promoting chromosome bi-orientation and halting exit from mitosis if this fails. The complexes associate with kinetochores during mitosis, which is required...