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Adler A, Bangera M, Beugelink JW, Bahri S, van Ingen H, Moores CA, Baldus M. A structural and dynamic visualization of the interaction between MAP7 and microtubules. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1948. [PMID: 38431715 PMCID: PMC10908866 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46260-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are key components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton and are essential for intracellular organization, organelle trafficking and mitosis. MT tasks depend on binding and interactions with MT-associated proteins (MAPs). MT-associated protein 7 (MAP7) has the unusual ability of both MT binding and activating kinesin-1-mediated cargo transport along MTs. Additionally, the protein is reported to stabilize MTs with its 112 amino-acid long MT-binding domain (MTBD). Here we investigate the structural basis of the interaction of MAP7 MTBD with the MT lattice. Using a combination of solid and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with electron microscopy, fluorescence anisotropy and isothermal titration calorimetry, we shed light on the binding mode of MAP7 to MTs at an atomic level. Our results show that a combination of interactions between MAP7 and MT lattice extending beyond a single tubulin dimer and including tubulin C-terminal tails contribute to formation of the MAP7-MT complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Adler
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mamata Bangera
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - J Wouter Beugelink
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Salima Bahri
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo van Ingen
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - Marc Baldus
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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2
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Liu T, Cao L, Mladenov M, Jegou A, Way M, Moores CA. Cortactin stabilizes actin branches by bridging activated Arp2/3 to its nucleated actin filament. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-023-01205-2. [PMID: 38267598 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01205-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Regulation of the assembly and turnover of branched actin filament networks nucleated by the Arp2/3 complex is essential during many cellular processes, including cell migration and membrane trafficking. Cortactin is important for actin branch stabilization, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. Given this, we determined the structure of vertebrate cortactin-stabilized Arp2/3 actin branches using cryogenic electron microscopy. We find that cortactin interacts with the new daughter filament nucleated by the Arp2/3 complex at the branch site, rather than the initial mother actin filament. Cortactin preferentially binds activated Arp3. It also stabilizes the F-actin-like interface of activated Arp3 with the first actin subunit of the new filament, and its central repeats extend along successive daughter-filament subunits. The preference of cortactin for activated Arp3 explains its retention at the actin branch and accounts for its synergy with other nucleation-promoting factors in regulating branched actin network dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyang Liu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, UK
| | - Luyan Cao
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Antoine Jegou
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Michael Way
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College, London, UK.
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, UK.
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3
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Liu T, Shilliday F, Cook AD, Zeeshan M, Brady D, Tewari R, Sutherland CJ, Roberts AJ, Moores CA. Author Correction: Mechanochemical tuning of a kinesin motor essential for malaria parasite transmission. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1124. [PMID: 36849605 PMCID: PMC9971236 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36854-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyang Liu
- grid.88379.3d0000 0001 2324 0507Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Fiona Shilliday
- grid.88379.3d0000 0001 2324 0507Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Alexander D. Cook
- grid.88379.3d0000 0001 2324 0507Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX UK ,grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Present Address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK
| | - Declan Brady
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK
| | - Rita Tewari
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK
| | - Colin J. Sutherland
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XDepartment of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Anthony J. Roberts
- grid.88379.3d0000 0001 2324 0507Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Carolyn A. Moores
- grid.88379.3d0000 0001 2324 0507Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX UK
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Liu T, Shilliday F, Cook AD, Zeeshan M, Brady D, Tewari R, Sutherland CJ, Roberts AJ, Moores CA. Mechanochemical tuning of a kinesin motor essential for malaria parasite transmission. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6988. [PMID: 36384964 PMCID: PMC9669022 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34710-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium species cause malaria and kill hundreds of thousands annually. The microtubule-based motor kinesin-8B is required for development of the flagellated Plasmodium male gamete, and its absence completely blocks parasite transmission. To understand the molecular basis of kinesin-8B's essential role, we characterised the in vitro properties of kinesin-8B motor domains from P. berghei and P. falciparum. Both motors drive ATP-dependent microtubule gliding, but also catalyse ATP-dependent microtubule depolymerisation. We determined these motors' microtubule-bound structures using cryo-electron microscopy, which showed very similar modes of microtubule interaction in which Plasmodium-distinct sequences at the microtubule-kinesin interface influence motor function. Intriguingly however, P. berghei kinesin-8B exhibits a non-canonical structural response to ATP analogue binding such that neck linker docking is not induced. Nevertheless, the neck linker region is required for motility and depolymerisation activities of these motors. These data suggest that the mechanochemistry of Plasmodium kinesin-8Bs is functionally tuned to support flagella formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyang Liu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Fiona Shilliday
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Alexander D Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Anthony J Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
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5
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Zeeshan M, Rashpa R, Ferguson DJP, Abel S, Chahine Z, Brady D, Vaughan S, Moores CA, Le Roch KG, Brochet M, Holder AA, Tewari R. Genome-wide functional analysis reveals key roles for kinesins in the mammalian and mosquito stages of the malaria parasite life cycle. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001704. [PMID: 35900985 PMCID: PMC9333250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesins are microtubule (MT)-based motors important in cell division, motility, polarity, and intracellular transport in many eukaryotes. However, they are poorly studied in the divergent eukaryotic pathogens Plasmodium spp., the causative agents of malaria, which manifest atypical aspects of cell division and plasticity of morphology throughout the life cycle in both mammalian and mosquito hosts. Here, we describe a genome-wide screen of Plasmodium kinesins, revealing diverse subcellular locations and functions in spindle assembly, axoneme formation, and cell morphology. Surprisingly, only kinesin-13 is essential for growth in the mammalian host while the other 8 kinesins are required during the proliferative and invasive stages of parasite transmission through the mosquito vector. In-depth analyses of kinesin-13 and kinesin-20 revealed functions in MT dynamics during apical cell polarity formation, spindle assembly, and axoneme biogenesis. These findings help us to understand the importance of MT motors and may be exploited to discover new therapeutic interventions against malaria. A comprehensive study reveals that kinesins in the malaria parasite Plasmodium have diverse cellular roles and locations, including functions in spindle assembly during proliferation, axoneme formation in flagellum biogenesis, and determining the apical morphology of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MZ); (RT)
| | - Ravish Rashpa
- University of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J. P. Ferguson
- Oxford Brookes University, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom
- University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Zeinab Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Declan Brady
- University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Oxford Brookes University, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carolyn A. Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- University of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anthony A. Holder
- The Francis Crick Institute, Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Tewari
- University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MZ); (RT)
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6
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Atherton J, Stouffer M, Francis F, Moores CA. Visualising the cytoskeletal machinery in neuronal growth cones using cryo-electron tomography. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:274968. [PMID: 35383828 PMCID: PMC9016625 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons extend axons to form the complex circuitry of the mature brain. This depends on the coordinated response and continuous remodelling of the microtubule and F-actin networks in the axonal growth cone. Growth cone architecture remains poorly understood at nanoscales. We therefore investigated mouse hippocampal neuron growth cones using cryo-electron tomography to directly visualise their three-dimensional subcellular architecture with molecular detail. Our data showed that the hexagonal arrays of actin bundles that form filopodia penetrate and terminate deep within the growth cone interior. We directly observed the modulation of these and other growth cone actin bundles by alteration of individual F-actin helical structures. Microtubules with blunt, slightly flared or gently curved ends predominated in the growth cone, frequently contained lumenal particles and exhibited lattice defects. Investigation of the effect of absence of doublecortin, a neurodevelopmental cytoskeleton regulator, on growth cone cytoskeleton showed no major anomalies in overall growth cone organisation or in F-actin subpopulations. However, our data suggested that microtubules sustained more structural defects, highlighting the importance of microtubule integrity during growth cone migration. Summary: Cryo-electron tomographic reconstruction of neuronal growth cone subdomains reveals distinctive F-actin and microtubule cytoskeleton architectures and modulation at molecular detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College, London SE1 1YR, UK.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Melissa Stouffer
- INSERM UMR-S 1270, 17 Rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France.,Sorbonne University UMR-S 1270, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut du Fer à Moulin, 17 Rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuberg, Austria
| | - Fiona Francis
- INSERM UMR-S 1270, 17 Rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France.,Sorbonne University UMR-S 1270, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut du Fer à Moulin, 17 Rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
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7
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Gaillard N, Sharma A, Abbaali I, Liu T, Shilliday F, Cook AD, Ehrhard V, Bangera M, Roberts AJ, Moores CA, Morrissette N, Steinmetz MO. Inhibiting parasite proliferation using a rationally designed anti-tubulin agent. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e13818. [PMID: 34661376 PMCID: PMC8573600 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202013818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by apicomplexan parasites remain a global public health threat. The presence of multiple ligand-binding sites in tubulin makes this protein an attractive target for anti-parasite drug discovery. However, despite remarkable successes as anti-cancer agents, the rational development of protozoan parasite-specific tubulin drugs has been hindered by a lack of structural and biochemical information on protozoan tubulins. Here, we present atomic structures for a protozoan tubulin and microtubule and delineate the architectures of apicomplexan tubulin drug-binding sites. Based on this information, we rationally designed the parasite-specific tubulin inhibitor parabulin and show that it inhibits growth of parasites while displaying no effects on human cells. Our work presents for the first time the rational design of a species-specific tubulin drug providing a framework to exploit structural differences between human and protozoa tubulin variants enabling the development of much-needed, novel parasite inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Gaillard
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchDivision of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
| | - Ashwani Sharma
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchDivision of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
| | - Izra Abbaali
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tianyang Liu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Fiona Shilliday
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Alexander D Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Valentin Ehrhard
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchDivision of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
| | - Mamata Bangera
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Anthony J Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Naomi Morrissette
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michel O Steinmetz
- Laboratory of Biomolecular ResearchDivision of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
- Biozentrum University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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8
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Cook AD, Roberts AJ, Atherton J, Tewari R, Topf M, Moores CA. Cryo-EM structure of a microtubule-bound parasite kinesin motor and implications for its mechanism and inhibition. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101063. [PMID: 34375637 PMCID: PMC8526983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites cause malaria and are responsible annually for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Kinesins are a superfamily of microtubule-dependent ATPases that play important roles in the parasite replicative machinery, which is a potential target for antiparasite drugs. Kinesin-5, a molecular motor that cross-links microtubules, is an established antimitotic target in other disease contexts, but its mechanism in Plasmodium falciparum is unclear. Here, we characterized P. falciparum kinesin-5 (PfK5) using cryo-EM to determine the motor's nucleotide-dependent microtubule-bound structure and introduced 3D classification of individual motors into our microtubule image processing pipeline to maximize our structural insights. Despite sequence divergence in PfK5, the motor exhibits classical kinesin mechanochemistry, including ATP-induced subdomain rearrangement and cover neck bundle formation, consistent with its plus-ended directed motility. We also observed that an insertion in loop5 of the PfK5 motor domain creates a different environment in the well-characterized human kinesin-5 drug-binding site. Our data reveal the possibility for selective inhibition of PfK5 and can be used to inform future exploration of Plasmodium kinesins as antiparasite targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony J Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
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9
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Atherton J, Moores CA. Cryo-EM of kinesin-binding protein: challenges and opportunities from protein-surface interactions. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2021; 77:411-423. [PMID: 33825702 PMCID: PMC8025885 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321001935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin-binding protein (KBP) is an important selective inhibitor of specific kinesin family members and its genetic disruption causes Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has recently been used to reveal the structure of KBP alone (72 kDa) and in complex with the motor domain of the mitotic kinesin-12 KIF15 (110 kDa). KBP is an α-solenoid, tetratricopeptide-repeat protein that interacts with the microtubule-binding region of the kinesin motor domain and blocks microtubule attachment. Numerous challenges arose relating to the behavior of KBP and KBP-kinesin complexes during cryo-EM sample preparation. These included the partial denaturation of KBP by air-water interfaces, protein aggregation resulting from carbon interaction and preferential orientation. Sample preparation with a graphene oxide substrate enabled the eventual structure determination. Here, experiences with preparing these samples are detailed, bringing attention to some of the challenges and opportunities that are likely to arise from protein-surface interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolyn A. Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Atherton J, Hummel JJ, Olieric N, Steinmetz MO, Akhmanova A, Hoogenraad C, Moores CA. The Mechanism of Selective Kinesin Inhibition by Kinesin Binding Protein. Biophys J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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11
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Manka SW, Moores CA. Pseudo-repeats in doublecortin make distinct mechanistic contributions to microtubule regulation. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e51534. [PMID: 33051979 PMCID: PMC7726794 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin (DCX) is a neuronal microtubule-associated protein (MAP) indispensable for brain development. Its flexibly linked doublecortin (DC) domains-NDC and CDC-mediate microtubule (MT) nucleation and stabilization, but it is unclear how. Using high-resolution time-resolved cryo-EM, we mapped NDC and CDC interactions with tubulin at different MT polymerization stages and studied their functional effects on MT dynamics using TIRF microscopy. Although coupled, each DC repeat within DCX appears to have a distinct role in MT nucleation and stabilization: CDC is a conformationally plastic module that appears to facilitate MT nucleation and stabilize tubulin-tubulin contacts in the nascent MT lattice, while NDC appears to be favored along the mature lattice, providing MT stabilization. Our structures of MT-bound DC domains also explain in unprecedented detail the DCX mutation-related brain defects observed in the clinic. This modular composition of DCX reflects a common design principle among MAPs where pseudo-repeats of tubulin/MT binding elements chaperone or stabilize distinct conformational transitions to regulate distinct stages of MT dynamic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Biological Sciences, BirkbeckUniversity of LondonLondonUK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Biological Sciences, BirkbeckUniversity of LondonLondonUK
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12
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Atherton J, Hummel JJA, Olieric N, Locke J, Peña A, Rosenfeld SS, Steinmetz MO, Hoogenraad CC, Moores CA. The mechanism of kinesin inhibition by kinesin-binding protein. eLife 2020; 9:e61481. [PMID: 33252036 PMCID: PMC7746232 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Subcellular compartmentalisation is necessary for eukaryotic cell function. Spatial and temporal regulation of kinesin activity is essential for building these local environments via control of intracellular cargo distribution. Kinesin-binding protein (KBP) interacts with a subset of kinesins via their motor domains, inhibits their microtubule (MT) attachment, and blocks their cellular function. However, its mechanisms of inhibition and selectivity have been unclear. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structure of KBP and of a KBP-kinesin motor domain complex. KBP is a tetratricopeptide repeat-containing, right-handed α-solenoid that sequesters the kinesin motor domain's tubulin-binding surface, structurally distorting the motor domain and sterically blocking its MT attachment. KBP uses its α-solenoid concave face and edge loops to bind the kinesin motor domain, and selected structure-guided mutations disrupt KBP inhibition of kinesin transport in cells. The KBP-interacting motor domain surface contains motifs exclusively conserved in KBP-interacting kinesins, suggesting a basis for kinesin selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s CollegeLondonUnited Kingdom
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jessica JA Hummel
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Natacha Olieric
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer InstitutVilligen PSISwitzerland
| | - Julia Locke
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Alejandro Peña
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Michel O Steinmetz
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer InstitutVilligen PSISwitzerland
- University of Basel, BiozentrumBaselSwitzerland
| | - Casper C Hoogenraad
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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13
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Zeeshan M, Brady D, Stanway RR, Moores CA, Holder AA, Tewari R. Plasmodium berghei Kinesin-5 Associates With the Spindle Apparatus During Cell Division and Is Important for Efficient Production of Infectious Sporozoites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:583812. [PMID: 33154955 PMCID: PMC7591757 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.583812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin-5 motors play essential roles in spindle apparatus assembly during cell division, by generating forces to establish and maintain the spindle bipolarity essential for proper chromosome segregation. Kinesin-5 is largely conserved structurally and functionally in model eukaryotes, but its role is unknown in the Plasmodium parasite, an evolutionarily divergent organism with several atypical features of both mitotic and meiotic cell division. We have investigated the function and subcellular location of kinesin-5 during cell division throughout the Plasmodium berghei life cycle. Deletion of kinesin-5 had little visible effect at any proliferative stage except sporozoite production in oocysts, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of motile sporozoites in mosquito salivary glands, which were able to infect a new vertebrate host. Live-cell imaging showed kinesin-5-GFP located on the spindle and at spindle poles during both atypical mitosis and meiosis. Fixed-cell immunofluorescence assays revealed kinesin-5 co-localized with α-tubulin and centrin-2 and a partial overlap with kinetochore marker NDC80 during early blood stage schizogony. Dual-color live-cell imaging showed that kinesin-5 is closely associated with NDC80 during male gametogony, but not with kinesin-8B, a marker of the basal body and axonemes of the forming flagella. Treatment of gametocytes with microtubule-specific inhibitors confirmed kinesin-5 association with nuclear spindles and not cytoplasmic axonemal microtubules. Altogether, our results demonstrate that kinesin-5 is associated with the spindle apparatus, expressed in proliferating parasite stages, and important for efficient production of infectious sporozoites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carolyn A. Moores
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A. Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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14
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von Loeffelholz O, Purkiss A, Cao L, Kjaer S, Kogata N, Romet-Lemonne G, Way M, Moores CA. Cryo-EM of human Arp2/3 complexes provides structural insights into actin nucleation modulation by ARPC5 isoforms. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio054304. [PMID: 32661131 PMCID: PMC7406314 DOI: 10.1242/bio.054304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arp2/3 complex regulates many cellular processes by stimulating formation of branched actin filament networks. Because three of its seven subunits exist as two different isoforms, mammals produce a family of Arp2/3 complexes with different properties that may be suited to different physiological contexts. To shed light on how isoform diversification affects Arp2/3 function, we determined a 4.2 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the most active human Arp2/3 complex containing ARPC1B and ARPC5L, and compared it with the structure of the least active ARPC1A-ARPC5-containing complex. The architecture of each isoform-specific Arp2/3 complex is the same. Strikingly, however, the N-terminal half of ARPC5L is partially disordered compared to ARPC5, suggesting that this region of ARPC5/ARPC5L is an important determinant of complex activity. Confirming this idea, the nucleation activity of Arp2/3 complexes containing hybrid ARPC5/ARPC5L subunits is higher when the ARPC5L N-terminus is present, thereby providing insight into activity differences between the different Arp2/3 complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottilie von Loeffelholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Andrew Purkiss
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Luyan Cao
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Svend Kjaer
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Naoko Kogata
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Michael Way
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
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15
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Atherton J, Jiang K, Stangier MM, Luo Y, Hua S, Houben K, van Hooff JJE, Joseph AP, Scarabelli G, Grant BJ, Roberts AJ, Topf M, Steinmetz MO, Baldus M, Moores CA, Akhmanova A. Author Correction: A structural model for microtubule minus-end recognition and protection by CAMSAP proteins. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:603. [PMID: 32355336 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0382-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Kai Jiang
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel M Stangier
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Yanzhang Luo
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Shasha Hua
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Klaartje Houben
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jolien J E van Hooff
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Agnel-Praveen Joseph
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Guido Scarabelli
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Barry J Grant
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anthony J Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Michel O Steinmetz
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Biozentrum, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Baldus
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
| | - Anna Akhmanova
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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16
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Peña A, Sweeney A, Cook AD, Locke J, Topf M, Moores CA. Structure of Microtubule-Trapped Human Kinesin-5 and Its Mechanism of Inhibition Revealed Using Cryoelectron Microscopy. Structure 2020; 28:450-457.e5. [PMID: 32084356 PMCID: PMC7139217 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Kinesin-5 motors are vital mitotic spindle components, and disruption of their function perturbs cell division. We investigated the molecular mechanism of the human kinesin-5 inhibitor GSK-1, which allosterically promotes tight microtubule binding. GSK-1 inhibits monomeric human kinesin-5 ATPase and microtubule gliding activities, and promotes the motor's microtubule stabilization activity. Using cryoelectron microscopy, we determined the 3D structure of the microtubule-bound motor-GSK-1 at 3.8 Å overall resolution. The structure reveals that GSK-1 stabilizes the microtubule binding surface of the motor in an ATP-like conformation, while destabilizing regions of the motor around the empty nucleotide binding pocket. Density corresponding to GSK-1 is located between helix-α4 and helix-α6 in the motor domain at its interface with the microtubule. Using a combination of difference mapping and protein-ligand docking, we characterized the kinesin-5-GSK-1 interaction and further validated this binding site using mutagenesis. This work opens up new avenues of investigation of kinesin inhibition and spindle perturbation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Peña
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Aaron Sweeney
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Alexander D Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Julia Locke
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
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17
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Rai A, Liu T, Glauser S, Katrukha EA, Estévez-Gallego J, Rodríguez-García R, Fang WS, Díaz JF, Steinmetz MO, Altmann KH, Kapitein LC, Moores CA, Akhmanova A. Taxanes convert regions of perturbed microtubule growth into rescue sites. Nat Mater 2020; 19:355-365. [PMID: 31819210 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0546-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microtubules are polymers of tubulin dimers, and conformational transitions in the microtubule lattice drive microtubule dynamic instability and affect various aspects of microtubule function. The exact nature of these transitions and their modulation by anticancer drugs such as Taxol and epothilone, which can stabilize microtubules but also perturb their growth, are poorly understood. Here, we directly visualize the action of fluorescent Taxol and epothilone derivatives and show that microtubules can transition to a state that triggers cooperative drug binding to form regions with altered lattice conformation. Such regions emerge at growing microtubule ends that are in a pre-catastrophe state, and inhibit microtubule growth and shortening. Electron microscopy and in vitro dynamics data indicate that taxane accumulation zones represent incomplete tubes that can persist, incorporate tubulin dimers and repeatedly induce microtubule rescues. Thus, taxanes modulate the material properties of microtubules by converting destabilized growing microtubule ends into regions resistant to depolymerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Rai
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tianyang Liu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Simon Glauser
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eugene A Katrukha
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Juan Estévez-Gallego
- Chemical and Physical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruddi Rodríguez-García
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wei-Shuo Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Beijing, China
| | - J Fernando Díaz
- Chemical and Physical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michel O Steinmetz
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Biozentrum, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Heinz Altmann
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas C Kapitein
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Anna Akhmanova
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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18
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Atherton J, Luo Y, Xiang S, Yang C, Rai A, Jiang K, Stangier M, Vemu A, Cook AD, Wang S, Roll-Mecak A, Steinmetz MO, Akhmanova A, Baldus M, Moores CA. Structural determinants of microtubule minus end preference in CAMSAP CKK domains. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5236. [PMID: 31748546 PMCID: PMC6868217 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13247-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CAMSAP/Patronins regulate microtubule minus-end dynamics. Their end specificity is mediated by their CKK domains, which we proposed recognise specific tubulin conformations found at minus ends. To critically test this idea, we compared the human CAMSAP1 CKK domain (HsCKK) with a CKK domain from Naegleria gruberi (NgCKK), which lacks minus-end specificity. Here we report near-atomic cryo-electron microscopy structures of HsCKK- and NgCKK-microtubule complexes, which show that these CKK domains share the same protein fold, bind at the intradimer interprotofilament tubulin junction, but exhibit different footprints on microtubules. NMR experiments show that both HsCKK and NgCKK are remarkably rigid. However, whereas NgCKK binding does not alter the microtubule architecture, HsCKK remodels its microtubule interaction site and changes the underlying polymer structure because the tubulin lattice conformation is not optimal for its binding. Thus, in contrast to many MAPs, the HsCKK domain can differentiate subtly specific tubulin conformations to enable microtubule minus-end recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, UK.
| | - Yanzhang Luo
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Shengqi Xiang
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- MOE Key Lab for biomolecular Condensates & Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ankit Rai
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kai Jiang
- Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, 430071, Wuhan, China
| | - Marcel Stangier
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, PSI, Switzerland
| | - Annapurna Vemu
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alexander D Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, UK
| | - Su Wang
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, UK
| | - Antonina Roll-Mecak
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Michel O Steinmetz
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, PSI, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Biozentrum, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Akhmanova
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Baldus
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, UK.
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19
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Zeeshan M, Shilliday F, Liu T, Abel S, Mourier T, Ferguson DJP, Rea E, Stanway RR, Roques M, Williams D, Daniel E, Brady D, Roberts AJ, Holder AA, Pain A, Le Roch KG, Moores CA, Tewari R. Plasmodium kinesin-8X associates with mitotic spindles and is essential for oocyst development during parasite proliferation and transmission. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008048. [PMID: 31600347 PMCID: PMC6786531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin-8 proteins are microtubule motors that are often involved in regulation of mitotic spindle length and chromosome alignment. They move towards the plus ends of spindle microtubules and regulate the dynamics of these ends due, at least in some species, to their microtubule depolymerization activity. Plasmodium spp. exhibit an atypical endomitotic cell division in which chromosome condensation and spindle dynamics in the different proliferative stages are not well understood. Genome-wide shared orthology analysis of Plasmodium spp. revealed the presence of two kinesin-8 motor proteins, kinesin-8X and kinesin-8B. Here we studied the biochemical properties of kinesin-8X and its role in parasite proliferation. In vitro, kinesin-8X has motility and depolymerization activities like other kinesin-8 motors. To understand the role of Plasmodium kinesin-8X in cell division, we used fluorescence-tagging and live cell imaging to define its location, and gene targeting to analyse its function, during all proliferative stages of the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei life cycle. The results revealed a spatio-temporal involvement of kinesin-8X in spindle dynamics and an association with both mitotic and meiotic spindles and the putative microtubule organising centre (MTOC). Deletion of the kinesin-8X gene revealed a defect in oocyst development, confirmed by ultrastructural studies, suggesting that this protein is required for oocyst development and sporogony. Transcriptome analysis of Δkinesin-8X gametocytes revealed modulated expression of genes involved mainly in microtubule-based processes, chromosome organisation and the regulation of gene expression, supporting a role for kinesin-8X in cell division. Kinesin-8X is thus required for parasite proliferation within the mosquito and for transmission to the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Shilliday
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tianyang Liu
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Biological Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - David J. P. Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Magali Roques
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Desiree Williams
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Emilie Daniel
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony J. Roberts
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A. Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arnab Pain
- Biological Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Carolyn A. Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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20
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Adib R, Montgomery JM, Atherton J, O'Regan L, Richards MW, Straatman KR, Roth D, Straube A, Bayliss R, Moores CA, Fry AM. Mitotic phosphorylation by NEK6 and NEK7 reduces the microtubule affinity of EML4 to promote chromosome congression. Sci Signal 2019; 12:eaaw2939. [PMID: 31409757 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaw2939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
EML4 is a microtubule-associated protein that promotes microtubule stability. We investigated its regulation across the cell cycle and found that EML4 was distributed as punctate foci along the microtubule lattice in interphase but exhibited reduced association with spindle microtubules in mitosis. Microtubule sedimentation and cryo-electron microscopy with 3D reconstruction revealed that the basic N-terminal domain of EML4 mediated its binding to the acidic C-terminal tails of α- and β-tubulin on the microtubule surface. The mitotic kinases NEK6 and NEK7 phosphorylated the EML4 N-terminal domain at Ser144 and Ser146 in vitro, and depletion of these kinases in cells led to increased EML4 binding to microtubules in mitosis. An S144A-S146A double mutant not only bound inappropriately to mitotic microtubules but also increased their stability and interfered with chromosome congression. In addition, constitutive activation of NEK6 or NEK7 reduced the association of EML4 with interphase microtubules. Together, these data support a model in which NEK6- and NEK7-dependent phosphorylation promotes the dissociation of EML4 from microtubules in mitosis in a manner that is required for efficient chromosome congression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozita Adib
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Jessica M Montgomery
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Laura O'Regan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Mark W Richards
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Kees R Straatman
- Centre for Core Biotechnology Services, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Daniel Roth
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology and Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Anne Straube
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology and Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Richard Bayliss
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Andrew M Fry
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK.
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21
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Zeeshan M, Ferguson DJ, Abel S, Burrrell A, Rea E, Brady D, Daniel E, Delves M, Vaughan S, Holder AA, Le Roch KG, Moores CA, Tewari R. Kinesin-8B controls basal body function and flagellum formation and is key to malaria transmission. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:e201900488. [PMID: 31409625 PMCID: PMC6696982 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic flagella are conserved microtubule-based organelles that drive cell motility. Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has a single flagellate stage: the male gamete in the mosquito. Three rounds of endomitotic division in male gametocyte together with an unusual mode of flagellum assembly rapidly produce eight motile gametes. These processes are tightly coordinated, but their regulation is poorly understood. To understand this important developmental stage, we studied the function and location of the microtubule-based motor kinesin-8B, using gene-targeting, electron microscopy, and live cell imaging. Deletion of the kinesin-8B gene showed no effect on mitosis but disrupted 9+2 axoneme assembly and flagellum formation during male gamete development and also completely ablated parasite transmission. Live cell imaging showed that kinesin-8B-GFP did not co-localise with kinetochores in the nucleus but instead revealed a dynamic, cytoplasmic localisation with the basal bodies and the assembling axoneme during flagellum formation. We, thus, uncovered an unexpected role for kinesin-8B in parasite flagellum formation that is vital for the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - David Jp Ferguson
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Alana Burrrell
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Emilie Daniel
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Delves
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel, London, UK
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, UK
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Atherton J, Luo Y, Xiang S, Yang C, Vemu A, Stangier M, Cook A, Wang S, Jiang K, Steinmetz M, Roll-Mecak A, Akhmanova A, Baldus M, Moores CA. Structural Model for Preferential Microtubule Minus End Binding by CAMSAP CKK Domains. Biophys J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.1369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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23
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Cook AD, Roberts AJ, Topf M, Moores CA. The Cryo-EM Structure and Activity of Kinesin-5 from Plasmodium falciparum: Mechanistic Lessons from a Parasite Kinesin. Biophys J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.1671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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24
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Manka SW, Moores CA. Microtubule Nucleation and Stabilization by Doublecortin. Biophys J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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25
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Abstract
The development of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) allowed microtubules to be captured in their solution-like state, enabling decades of insight into their dynamic mechanisms and interactions with binding partners. Cryo-EM micrographs provide 2D visualization of microtubules, and these 2D images can also be used to reconstruct the 3D structure of the polymer and any associated binding partners. In this way, the binding sites for numerous components of the microtubule cytoskeleton-including motor domains from many kinesin motors, and the microtubule-binding domains of dynein motors and an expanding collection of microtubule associated proteins-have been determined. The effects of various microtubule-binding drugs have also been studied. High-resolution cryo-EM structures have also been used to probe the molecular basis of microtubule dynamic instability, driven by the GTPase activity of β-tubulin. These studies have shown the conformational changes in lattice-confined tubulin dimers in response to steps in the tubulin GTPase cycle, most notably lattice compaction at the longitudinal inter-dimer interface. Although work is ongoing to define a complete structural model of dynamic instability, attention has focused on the role of gradual destabilization of lateral contacts between tubulin protofilaments, particularly at the microtubule seam. Furthermore, lower resolution cryo-electron tomography 3D structures are shedding light on the heterogeneity of microtubule ends and how their 3D organization contributes to dynamic instability. The snapshots of these polymers captured using cryo-EM will continue to provide critical insights into their dynamics, interactions with cellular components, and the way microtubules contribute to cellular functions in diverse physiological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, U.K.
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, U.K
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Atherton J, Stouffer M, Francis F, Moores CA. Microtubule architecture in vitro and in cells revealed by cryo-electron tomography. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2018; 74:572-584. [PMID: 29872007 PMCID: PMC6096491 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798318001948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Electron microscopy is a key methodology for studying microtubule structure and organization. Here, the results of cryo-electron tomography experiments on in vitro-polymerized microtubules and comparisons with microtubule ultrastructure in cells are described. The microtubule cytoskeleton is involved in many vital cellular processes. Microtubules act as tracks for molecular motors, and their polymerization and depolymerization can be harnessed to generate force. The structures of microtubules provide key information about the mechanisms by which their cellular roles are accomplished and the physiological context in which these roles are performed. Cryo-electron microscopy allows the visualization of in vitro-polymerized microtubules and has provided important insights into their overall morphology and the influence of a range of factors on their structure and dynamics. Cryo-electron tomography can be used to determine the unique three-dimensional structure of individual microtubules and their ends. Here, a previous cryo-electron tomography study of in vitro-polymerized GMPCPP-stabilized microtubules is revisited, the findings are compared with new tomograms of dynamic in vitro and cellular microtubules, and the information that can be extracted from such data is highlighted. The analysis shows the surprising structural heterogeneity of in vitro-polymerized microtubules. Lattice defects can be observed both in vitro and in cells. The shared ultrastructural properties in these different populations emphasize the relevance of three-dimensional structures of in vitro microtubules for understanding microtubule cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, England
| | | | - Fiona Francis
- INSERM UMR-S 839, 17 Rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, England
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27
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von Loeffelholz O, Venables NA, Drummond DR, Katsuki M, Cross R, Moores CA. Nucleotide- and Mal3-dependent changes in fission yeast microtubules suggest a structural plasticity view of dynamics. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2110. [PMID: 29235477 PMCID: PMC5727398 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02241-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using cryo-electron microscopy, we characterize the architecture of microtubules assembled from Schizosaccharomyces pombe tubulin, in the presence and absence of their regulatory partner Mal3. Cryo-electron tomography reveals that microtubules assembled from S. pombe tubulin have predominantly B-lattice interprotofilament contacts, with protofilaments skewed around the microtubule axis. Copolymerization with Mal3 favors 13 protofilament microtubules with reduced protofilament skew, indicating that Mal3 adjusts interprotofilament interfaces. A 4.6-Å resolution structure of microtubule-bound Mal3 shows that Mal3 makes a distinctive footprint on the S. pombe microtubule lattice and that unlike mammalian microtubules, S. pombe microtubules do not show the longitudinal lattice compaction associated with EB protein binding and GTP hydrolysis. Our results firmly support a structural plasticity view of microtubule dynamics in which microtubule lattice conformation is sensitive to a variety of effectors and differently so for different tubulins. Microtubules are vital and highly conserved components of the cytoskeleton. Here the authors carry out a structural analysis of fission yeast microtubules in the presence and absence of the microtubule end-binding protein Mal3 that demonstrates structural plasticity amongst microtubule polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottilie von Loeffelholz
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.,Centre for Integrative Biology, Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch, France
| | - Neil A Venables
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK.,CRUK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Douglas Robert Drummond
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Promotion of International Education and Research, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan
| | - Miho Katsuki
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK.,Department of Earth System Science, Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Robert Cross
- Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
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Vemu A, Atherton J, Spector JO, Moores CA, Roll-Mecak A. Tubulin isoform composition tunes microtubule dynamics. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:3564-3572. [PMID: 29021343 PMCID: PMC5706985 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-02-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the cryo-EM structure and dynamic parameters for unmodified α1B/βI+βIVb microtubules. These microtubules display markedly different dynamics compared to heterogeneous brain microtubules, and their dynamic parameters can be proportionally tuned by the addition of a recombinant neuronal tubulin isoform with different dynamic properties. Microtubules polymerize and depolymerize stochastically, a behavior essential for cell division, motility, and differentiation. While many studies advanced our understanding of how microtubule-associated proteins tune microtubule dynamics in trans, we have yet to understand how tubulin genetic diversity regulates microtubule functions. The majority of in vitro dynamics studies are performed with tubulin purified from brain tissue. This preparation is not representative of tubulin found in many cell types. Here we report the 4.2-Å cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure and in vitro dynamics parameters of α1B/βI+βIVb microtubules assembled from tubulin purified from a human embryonic kidney cell line with isoform composition characteristic of fibroblasts and many immortalized cell lines. We find that these microtubules grow faster and transition to depolymerization less frequently compared with brain microtubules. Cryo-EM reveals that the dynamic ends of α1B/βI+βIVb microtubules are less tapered and that these tubulin heterodimers display lower curvatures. Interestingly, analysis of EB1 distributions at dynamic ends suggests no differences in GTP cap sizes. Last, we show that the addition of recombinant α1A/βIII tubulin, a neuronal isotype overexpressed in many tumors, proportionally tunes the dynamics of α1B/βI+βIVb microtubules. Our study is an important step toward understanding how tubulin isoform composition tunes microtubule dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapurna Vemu
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey O Spector
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
| | - Antonina Roll-Mecak
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892 .,Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
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29
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Atherton J, Yu IM, Cook A, Muretta JM, Joseph A, Major J, Sourigues Y, Clause J, Topf M, Rosenfeld SS, Houdusse A, Moores CA. The divergent mitotic kinesin MKLP2 exhibits atypical structure and mechanochemistry. eLife 2017; 6:27793. [PMID: 28826477 PMCID: PMC5602324 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
MKLP2, a kinesin-6, has critical roles during the metaphase-anaphase transition and cytokinesis. Its motor domain contains conserved nucleotide binding motifs, but is divergent in sequence (~35% identity) and size (~40% larger) compared to other kinesins. Using cryo-electron microscopy and biophysical assays, we have undertaken a mechanochemical dissection of the microtubule-bound MKLP2 motor domain during its ATPase cycle, and show that many facets of its mechanism are distinct from other kinesins. While the MKLP2 neck-linker is directed towards the microtubule plus-end in an ATP-like state, it does not fully dock along the motor domain. Furthermore, the footprint of the MKLP2 motor domain on the MT surface is altered compared to motile kinesins, and enhanced by kinesin-6-specific sequences. The conformation of the highly extended loop6 insertion characteristic of kinesin-6s is nucleotide-independent and does not contact the MT surface. Our results emphasize the role of family-specific insertions in modulating kinesin motor function. Cells constantly replicate to provide new cells for growing tissues, and to replace ageing or defective cells around the body. Each new cell needs a copy of the genetic material, and a cellular structure called the mitotic spindle makes sure that this material is shared correctly when a cell divides in two. The spindle is built from protein filaments called microtubules, and the protein filaments grow and shrink as the mitotic spindle carries out its role. Many of these changes in the spindle are driven by proteins called molecular motors, which break down energy-rich molecules of ATP to power them as they walk along the filaments. Kinesins, for example, are molecular motors that can move along microtubules and there are over 40 different kinesins encoded in the human genome. More than half of the human kinesins are involved in cell division including one called MKLP2. Little is known about MKLP2 but some earlier findings had suggested that it would behave very differently compared to other kinesins. Understanding how a kinesin motor works requires studying it in complex with its microtubule tracks. Atherton, Yu et al. have now used a technique called cryo-electron microscopy – which is uniquely suited to looking at large and complicated samples in three dimensions – to observe how the motor in MKLP2 changes shape as it works. This revealed that, while MKLP2 works in a fundamentally similar way to other kinesins, many aspects of its molecular mechanism are highly unusual. These include how it binds to the microtubule, how it interacts with ATP and how it generates force. These findings show that there is much greater diversity in the molecular mechanisms of the kinesins involved in cell division than was previously thought. Several anticancer drugs target kinesins to stop cells dividing and so this diversity may make it easier to target only certain kinesins with drugs, which in turn would have fewer side effects. First, though, it will be important to find out how the unusual mechanism of MKLP2 coordinates and influences other components of the spindle to reveal a fuller picture of what happens when cells replicate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - I-Mei Yu
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Alexander Cook
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph M Muretta
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United Sates
| | - Agnel Joseph
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Major
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, United States
| | - Yannick Sourigues
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Jeffrey Clause
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven S Rosenfeld
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, United States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
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Scarabelli G, Soppina V, Yao XQ, Atherton J, Moores CA, Verhey KJ, Grant BJ. Mapping the Processivity Determinants of the Kinesin-3 Motor Domain. Biophys J 2016; 109:1537-40. [PMID: 26488644 PMCID: PMC4624112 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin superfamily members play important roles in many diverse cellular processes, including cell motility, cell division, intracellular transport, and regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. How the properties of the family-defining motor domain of distinct kinesins are tailored to their different cellular roles remains largely unknown. Here, we employed molecular-dynamics simulations coupled with energetic calculations to infer the family-specific interactions of kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motor domains with microtubules in different nucleotide states. We then used experimental mutagenesis and single-molecule motility assays to further assess the predicted residue-wise determinants of distinct kinesin-microtubule binding properties. Collectively, our results identify residues in the L8, L11, and α6 regions that contribute to family-specific microtubule interactions and whose mutation affects motor-microtubule complex stability and processive motility (the ability of an individual motor to take multiple steps along its microtubule filament). In particular, substitutions of prominent kinesin-3 residues with those found in kinesin-1, namely, R167S/H171D, K266D, and R346M, were found to decrease kinesin-3 processivity 10-fold and thus approach kinesin-1 levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Scarabelli
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Virupakshi Soppina
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Xin-Qiu Yao
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kristen J Verhey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Barry J Grant
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Vemu A, Atherton J, Spector JO, Szyk A, Moores CA, Roll-Mecak A. Structure and Dynamics of Single-isoform Recombinant Neuronal Human Tubulin. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:12907-15. [PMID: 27129203 PMCID: PMC4933209 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.c116.731133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are polymers that cycle stochastically between polymerization and depolymerization, i.e. they exhibit "dynamic instability." This behavior is crucial for cell division, motility, and differentiation. Although studies in the last decade have made fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of how cellular effectors modulate microtubule dynamics, analysis of the relationship between tubulin sequence, structure, and dynamics has been held back by a lack of dynamics measurements with and structural characterization of homogeneous isotypically pure engineered tubulin. Here, we report for the first time the cryo-EM structure and in vitro dynamics parameters of recombinant isotypically pure human tubulin. α1A/βIII is a purely neuronal tubulin isoform. The 4.2-Å structure of post-translationally unmodified human α1A/βIII microtubules shows overall similarity to that of heterogeneous brain microtubules, but it is distinguished by subtle differences at polymerization interfaces, which are hot spots for sequence divergence between tubulin isoforms. In vitro dynamics assays show that, like mosaic brain microtubules, recombinant homogeneous microtubules undergo dynamic instability, but they polymerize slower and have fewer catastrophes. Interestingly, we find that epitaxial growth of α1A/βIII microtubules from heterogeneous brain seeds is inefficient but can be fully rescued by incorporating as little as 5% of brain tubulin into the homogeneous α1A/βIII lattice. Our study establishes a system to examine the structure and dynamics of mammalian microtubules with well defined tubulin species and is a first and necessary step toward uncovering how tubulin genetic and chemical diversity is exploited to modulate intrinsic microtubule dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Atherton
- the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Carolyn A Moores
- the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E, United Kingdom
| | - Antonina Roll-Mecak
- From the Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, NINDS, and Biophysics Center, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and
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33
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Atherton J, Farabella I, Yu IM, Rosenfeld SS, Houdusse A, Topf M, Moores CA. Conserved mechanisms of microtubule-stimulated ADP release, ATP binding, and force generation in transport kinesins. eLife 2014; 3:e03680. [PMID: 25209998 PMCID: PMC4358365 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinesins are a superfamily of microtubule-based ATP-powered motors, important for multiple, essential cellular functions. How microtubule binding stimulates their ATPase and controls force generation is not understood. To address this fundamental question, we visualized microtubule-bound kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motor domains at multiple steps in their ATPase cycles—including their nucleotide-free states—at ∼7 Å resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. In both motors, microtubule binding promotes ordered conformations of conserved loops that stimulate ADP release, enhance microtubule affinity and prime the catalytic site for ATP binding. ATP binding causes only small shifts of these nucleotide-coordinating loops but induces large conformational changes elsewhere that allow force generation and neck linker docking towards the microtubule plus end. Family-specific differences across the kinesin–microtubule interface account for the distinctive properties of each motor. Our data thus provide evidence for a conserved ATP-driven mechanism for kinesins and reveal the critical mechanistic contribution of the microtubule interface. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03680.001 The interior of a cell is a hive of activity, filled with proteins and other items moving from one location to another. A network of filaments called microtubules forms tracks along which so-called motor proteins carry these items. Kinesins are one group of motor proteins, and a typical kinesin protein has one end (called the ‘motor domain’) that can attach itself to the microtubules. The other end links to the cargo being carried, and a ‘neck’ connects the two. When two of these proteins work together, flexible regions of the neck allow the two motor domains to move past one another, which enable the kinesin to essentially walk along a microtubule in a stepwise manner. To take these steps along microtubules, each kinesin motor domain in the pair must undergo alternating cycles of tight association and release from their tracks. This cycle is coordinated by binding and breaking down a molecule called ATP, which also provides the energy needed to take the next step. How the cycle of loose and tight microtubule attachment is coordinated with the release of the breakdown products of ATP, and how the energy from the ATP molecule is converted into the force that moves the motor along the microtubule, has been unclear. Atherton et al. use a technique called cryo-electron microscopy to study—in more detail than previously seen—the structure of the motor domains of two types of kinesin called kinesin-1 and kinesin-3. Images were taken at different stages of the cycle used by the motor domains to extract the energy from ATP molecules. Although the two kinesins have been thought to move along the microtubule tracks in different ways, Atherton et al. find that the core mechanism used by their motor domains is the same. When a motor domain binds to the microtubule, its shape changes, first stimulating release of the breakdown products of ATP from the previous cycle. This release makes room for a new ATP molecule to bind. The structural changes caused by ATP binding are relatively small but produce larger changes in the flexible neck region that enable individual motor domains within a kinesin pair to co-ordinate their movement and move in a consistent direction. This mechanism involves tight coupling between track binding and fuel usage and makes kinesins highly efficient motors. The structures uncovered by Atherton et al. reveal a mechanism that links microtubule binding, the energy supplied to the motor domain and the force that moves the kinesin along a microtubule. Future work will clarify whether the key features observed in the motor domains of kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 are also found in other types of kinesin motors. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03680.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Atherton
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Farabella
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - I-Mei Yu
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Steven S Rosenfeld
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, United States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Muretta JM, Behnke-Parks WM, Major J, Petersen KJ, Goulet A, Moores CA, Thomas DD, Rosenfeld SS. Loop L5 assumes three distinct orientations during the ATPase cycle of the mitotic kinesin Eg5: a transient and time-resolved fluorescence study. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:34839-49. [PMID: 24145034 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.518845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the kinesin superfamily of molecular motors differ in several key structural domains, which probably allows these molecular motors to serve the different physiologies required of them. One of the most variable of these is a stem-loop motif referred to as L5. This loop is longest in the mitotic kinesin Eg5, and previous structural studies have shown that it can assume different conformations in different nucleotide states. However, enzymatic domains often consist of a mixture of conformations whose distribution shifts in response to substrate binding or product release, and this information is not available from the "static" images that structural studies provide. We have addressed this issue in the case of Eg5 by attaching a fluorescent probe to L5 and examining its fluorescence, using both steady state and time-resolved methods. This reveals that L5 assumes an equilibrium mixture of three orientations that differ in their local environment and segmental mobility. Combining these studies with transient state kinetics demonstrates that there is a major shift in this distribution during transitions that interconvert weak and strong microtubule binding states. Finally, in conjunction with previous cryo-EM reconstructions of Eg5·microtubule complexes, these fluorescence studies suggest a model in which L5 regulates both nucleotide and microtubule binding through a set of reversible interactions with helix α3. We propose that these features facilitate the production of sustained opposing force by Eg5, which underlies its role in supporting formation of a bipolar spindle in mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Muretta
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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Bahi-Buisson N, Souville I, Fourniol FJ, Toussaint A, Moores CA, Houdusse A, Lemaitre JY, Poirier K, Khalaf-Nazzal R, Hully M, Leger PL, Elie C, Boddaert N, Beldjord C, Chelly J, Francis F. New insights into genotype-phenotype correlations for the doublecortin-related lissencephaly spectrum. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 136:223-44. [PMID: 23365099 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
X-linked isolated lissencephaly sequence and subcortical band heterotopia are allelic human disorders associated with mutations of doublecortin (DCX), giving both familial and sporadic forms. DCX encodes a microtubule-associated protein involved in neuronal migration during brain development. Structural data show that mutations can fall either in surface residues, likely to impair partner interactions, or in buried residues, likely to impair protein stability. Despite the progress in understanding the molecular basis of these disorders, the prognosis value of the location and impact of individual DCX mutations has largely remained unclear. To clarify this point, we investigated a cohort of 180 patients who were referred with the agyria-pachygyria subcortical band heterotopia spectrum. DCX mutations were identified in 136 individuals. Analysis of the parents' DNA revealed the de novo occurrence of DCX mutations in 76 cases [62 of 70 females screened (88.5%) and 14 of 60 males screened (23%)], whereas in the remaining cases, mutations were inherited from asymptomatic (n = 14) or symptomatic mothers (n = 11). This represents 100% of families screened. Female patients with DCX mutation demonstrated three degrees of clinical-radiological severity: a severe form with a thick band (n = 54), a milder form (n = 24) with either an anterior thin or an intermediate thickness band and asymptomatic carrier females (n = 14) with normal magnetic resonance imaging results. A higher proportion of nonsense and frameshift mutations were identified in patients with de novo mutations. An analysis of predicted effects of missense mutations showed that those destabilizing the structure of the protein were often associated with more severe phenotypes. We identified several severe- and mild-effect mutations affecting surface residues and observed that the substituted amino acid is also critical in determining severity. Recurrent mutations representing 34.5% of all DCX mutations often lead to similar phenotypes, for example, either severe in sporadic subcortical band heterotopia owing to Arg186 mutations or milder in familial cases owing to Arg196 mutations. Taken as a whole, these observations demonstrate that DCX-related disorders are clinically heterogeneous, with severe sporadic and milder familial subcortical band heterotopia, each associated with specific DCX mutations. There is a clear influence of the individual mutated residue and the substituted amino acid in determining phenotype severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bahi-Buisson
- Pediatric Neurology Hopital Necker Enfants Malades, Université Paris Descartes, APHP, 149 rue de Sevres 75015 Paris, France.
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36
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Abstract
In this issue of Structure, Roberts et al. discuss how cryo-electron microscopy single particle reconstructions of the microtubule-based motor dynein reveal dramatic nucleotide-dependent conformational changes. They provide insight into dynein force generation and hint at shared mechanisms with other AAA+ unfoldases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
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Goulet A, Behnke-Parks WM, Sindelar CV, Major J, Rosenfeld SS, Moores CA. The Structural Basis of Force Generation by the Mitotic Motor Kinesin-5. Biophys J 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.11.2129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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38
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Goulet A, Behnke-Parks WM, Sindelar CV, Major J, Rosenfeld SS, Moores CA. The structural basis of force generation by the mitotic motor kinesin-5. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:44654-66. [PMID: 23135273 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.404228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin-5 is required for forming the bipolar spindle during mitosis. Its motor domain, which contains nucleotide and microtubule binding sites and mechanical elements to generate force, has evolved distinct properties for its spindle-based functions. In this study, we report subnanometer resolution cryoelectron microscopy reconstructions of microtubule-bound human kinesin-5 before and after nucleotide binding and combine this information with studies of the kinetics of nucleotide-induced neck linker and cover strand movement. These studies reveal coupled, nucleotide-dependent conformational changes that explain many of this motor's properties. We find that ATP binding induces a ratchet-like docking of the neck linker and simultaneous, parallel docking of the N-terminal cover strand. Loop L5, the binding site for allosteric inhibitors of kinesin-5, also undergoes a dramatic reorientation when ATP binds, suggesting that it is directly involved in controlling nucleotide binding. Our structures indicate that allosteric inhibitors of human kinesin-5, which are being developed as anti-cancer therapeutics, bind to a motor conformation that occurs in the course of normal function. However, due to evolutionarily defined sequence variations in L5, this conformation is not adopted by invertebrate kinesin-5s, explaining their resistance to drug inhibition. Together, our data reveal the precision with which the molecular mechanism of kinesin-5 motors has evolved for force generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Goulet
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
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39
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Maurer SP, Fourniol FJ, Bohner G, Moores CA, Surrey T. Systems Biochemistry and Structural Biology of Microtubule End Tracking. Biophys J 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.11.1221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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40
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Fourniol F, Sindelar CV, Amigues B, Clare DK, Thomas G, Perderiset M, Francis F, Houdusse A, Moores CA. Template-Free 13-Protofilament Microtubule-Map Assembly Visualised at 8Å Resolution. Biophys J 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.12.2644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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41
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Abstract
Kinesin motors couple ATP hydrolysis to movement along microtubules, which act both as tracks and as activators of kinesin ATPase activity. Cryo-electron microscopy and image processing enables generation of three-dimensional snapshots of kinesin motors on their tracks at different stages of their ATPase cycle, and can reveal their motor mechanisms at secondary structure resolution. Here, we describe in detail the methods and conditions employed in our lab to prepare high-quality frozen-hydrated samples, which yield structural insights into kinesin motor mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck J Fourniol
- Institute of Structural Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, UK
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42
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Fourniol FJ, Sindelar CV, Amigues B, Clare DK, Thomas G, Perderiset M, Francis F, Houdusse A, Moores CA. Template-free 13-protofilament microtubule-MAP assembly visualized at 8 A resolution. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 191:463-70. [PMID: 20974813 PMCID: PMC3003314 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201007081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are essential for regulating and organizing cellular microtubules (MTs). However, our mechanistic understanding of MAP function is limited by a lack of detailed structural information. Using cryo-electron microscopy and single particle algorithms, we solved the 8 Å structure of doublecortin (DCX)-stabilized MTs. Because of DCX's unusual ability to specifically nucleate and stabilize 13-protofilament MTs, our reconstruction provides unprecedented insight into the structure of MTs with an in vivo architecture, and in the absence of a stabilizing drug. DCX specifically recognizes the corner of four tubulin dimers, a binding mode ideally suited to stabilizing both lateral and longitudinal lattice contacts. A striking consequence of this is that DCX does not bind the MT seam. DCX binding on the MT surface indirectly stabilizes conserved tubulin-tubulin lateral contacts in the MT lumen, operating independently of the nucleotide bound to tubulin. DCX's exquisite binding selectivity uncovers important insights into regulation of cellular MTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck J Fourniol
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London, England, UK
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43
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Mulder AM, Glavis-Bloom A, Moores CA, Wagenbach M, Carragher B, Wordeman L, Milligan RA. A new model for binding of kinesin 13 to curved microtubule protofilaments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 185:51-7. [PMID: 19332892 PMCID: PMC2700504 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200812052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Kinesin motor proteins use adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis to do work on microtubules (MTs). Most kinesins walk along the MT, but class 13 kinesins instead uniquely recognize MT ends and depolymerize MT protofilaments. We have used electron microscopy (EM) to understand the molecular interactions by which kinesin 13 performs these tasks. Although a construct of only the motor domain of kinesin 13 binds to every heterodimer of a tubulin ring, a construct containing the neck and the motor domain occupies alternate binding sites. Likewise, EM maps of the dimeric full-length (FL) protein exhibit alternate site binding but reveal density for only one of two motor heads. These results indicate that the second head of dimeric kinesin 13 does not have access to adjacent binding sites on the curved protofilament and suggest that the neck alone is sufficient to obstruct access. Additionally, the FL construct promotes increased stacking of rings compared with other constructs. Together, these data suggest a model for kinesin 13 depolymerization in which increased efficiency is achieved by binding of one kinesin 13 molecule to adjacent protofilaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke M Mulder
- Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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44
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Ciferri C, Pasqualato S, Screpanti E, Varetti G, Santaguida S, Reis GD, Maiolica A, Polka J, De Luca JG, De Wulf P, Salek M, Rappsilber J, Moores CA, Salmon ED, Musacchio A. Implications for kinetochore-microtubule attachment from the structure of an engineered Ndc80 complex. Cell 2008; 133:427-39. [PMID: 18455984 PMCID: PMC4754795 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2008.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2007] [Revised: 02/06/2008] [Accepted: 03/20/2008] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Kinetochores are proteinaceous assemblies that mediate the interaction of chromosomes with the mitotic spindle. The 180 kDa Ndc80 complex is a direct point of contact between kinetochores and microtubules. Its four subunits contain coiled coils and form an elongated rod structure with functional globular domains at either end. We crystallized an engineered "bonsai" Ndc80 complex containing a shortened rod domain but retaining the globular domains required for kinetochore localization and microtubule binding. The structure reveals a microtubule-binding interface containing a pair of tightly interacting calponin-homology (CH) domains with a previously unknown arrangement. The interaction with microtubules is cooperative and predominantly electrostatic. It involves positive charges in the CH domains and in the N-terminal tail of the Ndc80 subunit and negative charges in tubulin C-terminal tails and is regulated by the Aurora B kinase. We discuss our results with reference to current models of kinetochore-microtubule attachment and centromere organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Ciferri
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Pasqualato
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Screpanti
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Varetti
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Santaguida
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriel Dos Reis
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Maiolica
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Jessica Polka
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Jennifer G. De Luca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870, USA
| | - Peter De Wulf
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Juri Rappsilber
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK
| | - Carolyn A. Moores
- School of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Edward D. Salmon
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Andrea Musacchio
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, I 20139 Milan, Italy,Research Unit of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) Foundation at the IFOM-IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, I-20139 Milan, Italy,Correspondence:
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45
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Moores CA, Milligan RA. Visualisation of a kinesin-13 motor on microtubule end mimics. J Mol Biol 2008; 377:647-54. [PMID: 18294653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2008.01.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2007] [Revised: 01/17/2008] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
An expanding collection of proteins localises to microtubule ends to regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and architecture by unknown molecular mechanisms. Electron microscopy is invaluable for studying microtubule structure, but because microtubule ends are heterogeneous, their structures are difficult to determine. We therefore investigated whether tubulin oligomers induced by the drug dolastatin could mimic microtubule ends. The microtubule end-dependent ATPase of kinesin-13 motors is coupled to microtubule depolymerisation. Significantly, kinesin-13 motor ATPase activity is stimulated by dolastatin-tubulin oligomers, suggesting, first, that these oligomers share properties with microtubule ends and, second, that the physical presence of an end is less important than terminal tubulin flexibility for microtubule end recognition by the kinesin-13 motor. Using electron microscopy, we visualised the kinesin-13 motor-dolastatin-tubulin oligomer interaction in nucleotide states mimicking steps in the ATPase cycle. This enabled us to detect conformational changes that the motor undergoes during depolymerisation. Our data suggest that such tubulin oligomers can be used to examine other microtubule end-binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- School of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
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46
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Abstract
The kinesin-13 class of motors catalyses microtubule depolymerisation by bending tubulins at microtubule ends. Depolymerisation activity is intrinsic to the kinesin-13 motor core but the activity of the core alone is very low compared with that of constructs that also contain a conserved neck sequence. The full-length dimeric motor is an efficient depolymeriser and also diffuses along the microtubule lattice, which helps it to find microtubule ends. Current evidence supports the idea of a generic mechanism for kinesin-13-catalysed depolymerisation. However, the activity of kinesin-13 motors is precisely localised and regulated in vivo to enable a wide range of cellular roles. The proteins are involved in global control of microtubule dynamics. They also localise to mitotic and meiotic spindles, where they contribute to formation and maintenance of spindle bipolarity, chromosomal congression, attachment correction and chromatid separation. In interphase cells, intricate and subtle mechanisms appear to allow kinesin-13 motors to act on specific populations of microtubules. Such carefully controlled localisation and regulation makes these kinesins efficient, multi-tasking molecular motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- School of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
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47
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Moores CA, Perderiset M, Kappeler C, Kain S, Drummond D, Perkins SJ, Chelly J, Cross R, Houdusse A, Francis F. Distinct roles of doublecortin modulating the microtubule cytoskeleton. EMBO J 2006; 25:4448-57. [PMID: 16957770 PMCID: PMC1590004 DOI: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7601335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2005] [Accepted: 08/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin is a neuronal microtubule-stabilising protein, mutations of which cause mental retardation and epilepsy in humans. How doublecortin influences microtubule dynamics, and thereby brain development, is unclear. We show here by video microscopy that purified doublecortin has no effect on the growth rate of microtubules. However, it is a potent anti-catastrophe factor that stabilises microtubules by linking adjacent protofilaments and counteracting their outward bending in depolymerising microtubules. We show that doublecortin-stabilised microtubules are substrates for kinesin translocase motors and for depolymerase kinesins. In addition, doublecortin does not itself oligomerise and does not bind to tubulin heterodimers but does nucleate microtubules. In cells, doublecortin is enriched at the distal ends of neuronal processes and our data raise the possibility that the function of doublecortin in neurons is to drive assembly and stabilisation of non-centrosomal microtubules in these doublecortin-enriched distal zones. These distinct properties combine to give doublecortin a unique function in microtubule regulation, a role that cannot be compensated for by other microtubule-stabilising proteins and nucleating factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- School of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.
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48
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Abstract
To ensure genetic integrity, replicated chromosomes must be accurately distributed to daughter cells-a process that is accomplished on the microtubule spindle. Kinesin-13 motors play an essential role in this process by performing regulated microtubule depolymerization. We set out to dissect the depolymerization mechanism of these kinesins, and in particular, the role of their conserved neck sequence. We used a monomeric kinesin-13 MCAK, consisting of the neck and motor core, which has strong depolymerizing activity. In the presence of a non-hydrolysable ATP analogue, this construct induced formation of rings around microtubules. The rings are built from tubulin protofilaments that are bent by the kinesin-13 motor engaged at the ATP-binding step of its ATPase cycle. Our data suggest that the ring-microtubule interaction is mediated by the neck and support the idea of a role for the kinesin-13 neck in depolymerization efficiency, acting by optimizing release of tubulin from microtubule ends.
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Moores CA, Perderiset M, Francis F, Chelly J, Houdusse A, Milligan RA. Mechanism of Microtubule Stabilization by Doublecortin. Mol Cell 2004; 14:833-9. [PMID: 15200960 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2004.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2004] [Revised: 04/26/2004] [Accepted: 04/28/2004] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Neurons undertake an amazing journey from the center of the developing mammalian brain to the outer layers of the cerebral cortex. Doublecortin, a component of the microtubule cytoskeleton, is essential in postmitotic neurons and was identified because its mutation disrupts human brain development. Doublecortin stabilizes microtubules and stimulates their polymerization but has no homology with other MAPs. We used electron microscopy to characterize microtubule binding by doublecortin and visualize its binding site. Doublecortin binds selectively to 13 protofilament microtubules, its in vivo substrate, and also causes preferential assembly of 13 protofilament microtubules. This specificity was explained when we found that doublecortin binds between the protofilaments from which microtubules are built, a previously uncharacterized binding site that is ideal for microtubule stabilization. These data reveal the structural basis for doublecortin's binding selectivity and provide insight into its role in maintaining microtubule architecture in maturing neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- Department of Cell Biology, CB227, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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50
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Abstract
KinI kinesins are important in regulating the complex dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton. They are unusual in that they depolymerize, rather than move along microtubules. To determine the attributes of KinIs that distinguish them from translocating kinesins, we examined the ATPase activity, microtubule affinity, and three-dimensional microtubule-bound structure of a minimal KinI motor domain. Together, the kinetic, affinity, and structural data lead to the conclusion that on binding to the microtubule lattice, KinIs release ADP and enter a stable, low-affinity, regulated state, from which they do not readily progress through the ATPase cycle. This state may favor detachment, or diffusion of the KinI to its site of action, the microtubule ends. Unlike conventional translocating kinesins, which are microtubule lattice–stimulated ATPases, it seems that with KinIs, nucleotide-mediated modulation of tubulin affinity is only possible when it is coupled to protofilament deformation. This provides an elegant mechanistic basis for their unique depolymerizing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Moores
- Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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