Meadows JC, Messin LJ, Kamnev A, Lancaster TC, Balasubramanian MK, Cross RA, Millar JB. Opposing kinesin complexes queue at plus tips to ensure microtubule catastrophe at cell ends.
EMBO Rep 2018;
19:embr.201846196. [PMID:
30206188 PMCID:
PMC6216294 DOI:
10.15252/embr.201846196]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In fission yeast, the lengths of interphase microtubule (iMT) arrays are adapted to cell length to maintain cell polarity and to help centre the nucleus and cell division ring. Here, we show that length regulation of iMTs is dictated by spatially regulated competition between MT‐stabilising Tea2/Tip1/Mal3 (Kinesin‐7) and MT‐destabilising Klp5/Klp6/Mcp1 (Kinesin‐8) complexes at iMT plus ends. During MT growth, the Tea2/Tip1/Mal3 complex remains bound to the plus ends of iMT bundles, thereby restricting access to the plus ends by Klp5/Klp6/Mcp1, which accumulate behind it. At cell ends, Klp5/Klp6/Mcp1 invades the space occupied by the Tea2/Tip1/Tea1 kinesin complex triggering its displacement from iMT plus ends and MT catastrophe. These data show that in vivo, whilst an iMT length‐dependent model for catastrophe factor accumulation has validity, length control of iMTs is an emergent property reflecting spatially regulated competition between distinct kinesin complexes at the MT plus tip.
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