scholarly journals β-Tubulin C354 Mutations that Severely Decrease Microtubule Dynamics Do Not Prevent Nuclear Migration in Yeast

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2919-2932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan L. Gupta ◽  
Claudia J. Bode ◽  
Douglas A. Thrower ◽  
Chad G. Pearson ◽  
Kathy A. Suprenant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Gene ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubule ◽  
Bud Emergence ◽  
Spindle Elongation ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Β Tubulin

Microtubule dynamics are influenced by interactions of microtubules with cellular factors and by changes in the primary sequence of the tubulin molecule. Mutations of yeast β-tubulin C354, which is located near the binding site of some antimitotic compounds, reduce microtubule dynamicity greater than 90% in vivo and in vitro. The resulting intrinsically stable microtubules allowed us to determine which, if any, cellular processes are dependent on dynamic microtubules. The average number of cytoplasmic microtubules decreased from 3 in wild-type to 1 in mutant cells. The single microtubule effectively located the bud site before bud emergence. Although spindles were positioned near the bud neck at the onset of anaphase, the mutant cells were deficient in preanaphase spindle alignment along the mother-bud axis. Spindle microtubule dynamics and spindle elongation rates were also severely depressed in the mutants. The pattern and extent of cytoplasmic microtubule dynamics modulation through the cell cycle may reveal the minimum dynamic properties required to support growth. The ability to alter intrinsic microtubule dynamics and determine the in vivo phenotype of cells expressing the mutant tubulin provides a critical advance in assessing the dynamic requirements of an essential gene function.

Function of Tubulin Binding Proteins in Vivo

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A Fleming ◽  
Leticia R Vega ◽  
Frank Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Salvage Pathway ◽  
Tubulin Binding ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Β Tubulin

Abstract Overexpression of the β-tubulin binding protein Rbl2p/cofactor A is lethal in yeast cells expressing a mutant α-tubulin, tub1-724, that produces unstable heterodimer. Here we use RBL2 overexpression to identify mutations in other genes that affect formation or stability of heterodimer. This approach identifies four genes—CIN1, CIN2, CIN4, and PAC2—as affecting heterodimer formation in vivo. The vertebrate homologues of two of these gene products—Cin1p/cofactor D and Pac2p/cofactor E—can catalyze exchange of tubulin polypeptides into preexisting heterodimer in vitro. Previous work suggests that both Cin2p or Cin4p act in concert with Cin1p in yeast, but no role for vertebrate homologues of either has been reported in the in vitro reaction. Results presented here demonstrate that these proteins can promote heterodimer formation in vivo. RBL2 overexpression in cin1 and pac2 mutant cells causes microtubule disassembly and enhanced formation of Rbl2p-β-tubulin complex, as it does in the α-tubulin mutant that produces weakened heterodimer. Significantly, excess Cin1p/cofactor D suppresses the conditional phenotypes of that mutant α-tubulin. Although none of the four genes is essential for viability under normal conditions, they become essential under conditions where the levels of dissociated tubulin polypeptides increase. Therefore, these proteins may provide a salvage pathway for dissociated tubulin heterodimers and so rescue cells from the deleterious effects of free β-tubulin.

scholarly journals Tubulin cofactors and Arl2 are cage-like chaperones that regulate the soluble αβ-tubulin pool for microtubule dynamics

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Nithianantham ◽  
Sinh Le ◽  
Elbert Seto ◽  
Weitao Jia ◽  
Julie Leary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ternary Complex ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Gtp Hydrolysis ◽  
Tubulin Dimer ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
Biochemical Assays ◽  
Sequential Binding ◽  
Β Tubulin

Microtubule dynamics and polarity stem from the polymerization of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Five conserved tubulin cofactors/chaperones and the Arl2 GTPase regulate α- and β-tubulin assembly into heterodimers and maintain the soluble tubulin pool in the cytoplasm, but their physical mechanisms are unknown. Here, we reconstitute a core tubulin chaperone consisting of tubulin cofactors TBCD, TBCE, and Arl2, and reveal a cage-like structure for regulating αβ-tubulin. Biochemical assays and electron microscopy structures of multiple intermediates show the sequential binding of αβ-tubulin dimer followed by tubulin cofactor TBCC onto this chaperone, forming a ternary complex in which Arl2 GTP hydrolysis is activated to alter αβ-tubulin conformation. A GTP-state locked Arl2 mutant inhibits ternary complex dissociation in vitro and causes severe defects in microtubule dynamics in vivo. Our studies suggest a revised paradigm for tubulin cofactors and Arl2 functions as a catalytic chaperone that regulates soluble αβ-tubulin assembly and maintenance to support microtubule dynamics.

scholarly journals Yeast Bim1p Promotes the G1-specific Dynamics of Microtubules

1999 ◽  
Vol 145 (5) ◽  
pp. 993-1007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Tirnauer ◽  
Eileen O'Toole ◽  
Lisbeth Berrueta ◽  
Barbara E. Bierer ◽  
David Pellman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dynamic Instability ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Yeast Protein ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubule ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubules

Microtubule dynamics vary during the cell cycle, and microtubules appear to be more dynamic in vivo than in vitro. Proteins that promote dynamic instability are therefore central to microtubule behavior in living cells. Here, we report that a yeast protein of the highly conserved EB1 family, Bim1p, promotes cytoplasmic microtubule dynamics specifically during G1. During G1, microtubules in cells lacking BIM1 showed reduced dynamicity due to a slower shrinkage rate, fewer rescues and catastrophes, and more time spent in an attenuated/paused state. Human EB1 was identified as an interacting partner for the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor protein. Like human EB1, Bim1p localizes to dots at the distal ends of cytoplasmic microtubules. This localization, together with data from electron microscopy and a synthetic interaction with the gene encoding the kinesin Kar3p, suggests that Bim1p acts at the microtubule plus end. Our in vivo data provide evidence of a cell cycle–specific microtubule-binding protein that promotes microtubule dynamicity.

scholarly journals SUMOylation of α-tubulin is a novel modification regulating microtubule dynamics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfeng Feng ◽  
Rong Liu ◽  
Xuan Xie ◽  
Lei Diao ◽  
Nannan Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Neurite Extension ◽  
Microtubule Polymerization ◽  
Β Tubulin

Abstract Microtubules are regulated by a number of known post-translational modifications on α/β-tubulin to fulfill diverse cellular functions. Here, we showed that SUMOylation is a novel post-translational modification on α-tubulin in vivo and in vitro. The SUMOylation on α-tubulin mainly occurred at Lys 96 (K96), K166, and K304 of soluble α-tubulin and could be removed by SUMO-specific peptidase 1. In vitro experiments showed that tubulin SUMOylation could reduce inter-protofilament interaction, promote microtubule catastrophe, and impede microtubule polymerization. In cells, mutation of the SUMOylation sites on α-tubulin reduced catastrophe frequency and increased the proportion of polymerized α-tubulin, while upregulation of SUMOylation with fusion of SUMO1 reduced α-tubulin assembly into microtubules. Additionally, overexpression of SUMOylation-deficient α-tubulin attenuated the neurite extension in Neuro-2a cells. Thus, SUMOylation on α-tubulin represents a new player in the regulation of microtubule properties.

scholarly journals Microtubule Regulation in Mitosis: Tubulin Phosphorylation by the Cyclin-dependent Kinase Cdk1

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 1041-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Fourest-Lieuvin ◽  
Leticia Peris ◽  
Vincent Gache ◽  
Isabel Garcia-Saez ◽  
Céline Juillan-Binard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinase ◽  
Gtp Binding ◽  
Tubulin Binding ◽  
A Site ◽  
Β Tubulin ◽  
In Cells

The activation of the cyclin-depdndent kinase Cdk1 at the transition from interphase to mitosis induces important changes in microtubule dynamics. Cdk1 phosphorylates a number of microtubule- or tubulin-binding proteins but, hitherto, tubulin itself has not been detected as a Cdk1 substrate. Here we show that Cdk1 phosphorylates β-tubulin both in vitro and in vivo. Phosphorylation occurs on Ser172 of β-tubulin, a site that is well conserved in evolution. Using a phosphopeptide antibody, we find that a fraction of the cell tubulin is phosphorylated during mitosis, and this tubulin phosphorylation is inhibited by the Cdk1 inhibitor roscovitine. In mitotic cells, phosphorylated tubulin is excluded from microtubules, being present in the soluble tubulin fraction. Consistent with this distribution in cells, the incorporation of Cdk1-phosphorylated tubulin into growing microtubules is impaired in vitro. Additionally, EGFP-β3-tubulinS172D/E mutants that mimic phosphorylated tubulin are unable to incorporate into microtubules when expressed in cells. Modeling shows that the presence of a phosphoserine at position 172 may impair both GTP binding to β-tubulin and interactions between tubulin dimers. These data indicate that phosphorylation of tubulin by Cdk1 could be involved in the regulation of microtubule dynamics during mitosis.

scholarly journals Stu2p binds tubulin and undergoes an open-to-closed conformational change

2006 ◽  
Vol 172 (7) ◽  
pp. 1009-1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawdat Al-Bassam ◽  
Mark van Breugel ◽  
Stephen C. Harrison ◽  
Anthony Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Change ◽  
Conformational Transition ◽  
Budding Yeast ◽  
Microtubule Dynamics ◽  
Open Structure ◽  
Microtubule Associated Proteins ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
The Common

Stu2p from budding yeast belongs to the conserved Dis1/XMAP215 family of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). The common feature of proteins in this family is the presence of HEAT repeat–containing TOG domains near the NH2 terminus. We have investigated the functions of the two TOG domains of Stu2p in vivo and in vitro. Our data suggest that Stu2p regulates microtubule dynamics through two separate activities. First, Stu2p binds to a single free tubulin heterodimer through its first TOG domain. A large conformational transition in homodimeric Stu2p from an open structure to a closed one accompanies the capture of a single free tubulin heterodimer. Second, Stu2p has the capacity to associate directly with microtubule ends, at least in part, through its second TOG domain. These two properties lead to the stabilization of microtubules in vivo, perhaps by the loading of tubulin dimers at microtubule ends. We suggest that this mechanism of microtubule regulation is a conserved feature of the Dis1/XMAP215 family of MAPs.

scholarly journals Engineering nucleosomes for generating diverse chromatin assemblies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zenita Adhireksan ◽  
Deepti Sharma ◽  
Phoi Leng Lee ◽  
Qiuye Bao ◽  
Sivaraman Padavattan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Dna Nanostructures ◽  
Macromolecular Assemblies ◽  
Maximum Resolution ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Chromatin Structural ◽  
Dna Fragment

Abstract Structural characterization of chromatin is challenging due to conformational and compositional heterogeneity in vivo and dynamic properties that limit achievable resolution in vitro. Although the maximum resolution for solving structures of large macromolecular assemblies by electron microscopy has recently undergone profound increases, X-ray crystallographic approaches may still offer advantages for certain systems. One such system is compact chromatin, wherein the crystalline state recapitulates the crowded molecular environment within the nucleus. Here we show that nucleosomal constructs with cohesive-ended DNA can be designed that assemble into different types of circular configurations or continuous fibers extending throughout crystals. We demonstrate the utility of the method for characterizing nucleosome compaction and linker histone binding at near-atomic resolution but also advance its application for tackling further problems in chromatin structural biology and for generating novel types of DNA nanostructures. We provide a library of cohesive-ended DNA fragment expression constructs and a strategy for engineering DNA-based nanomaterials with a seemingly vast potential variety of architectures and histone chemistries.

scholarly journals Targeting IDH1/2 mutant cancers with combinations of ATR and PARP inhibitors

NAR Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrita Sule ◽  
Jinny Van Doorn ◽  
Ranjini K Sundaram ◽  
Sachita Ganesa ◽  
Juan C Vasquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Parp Inhibitor ◽  
Parp Inhibitors ◽  
Protein Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 ◽  
Normal Product ◽  
Synthetic Lethal Interactions ◽  
Mutant Cells

Abstract Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 and -2 (IDH1/2) genes were first identified in glioma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and subsequently found in multiple other tumor types. These neomorphic mutations convert the normal product of enzyme, α-ketoglutarate (αKG), to the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG). Our group recently demonstrated that 2HG suppresses the high-fidelity homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway, resulting in a state referred to as ‘BRCAness’, which confers exquisite sensitivity to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In this study, we sought to elucidate sensitivity of IDH1/2-mutant cells to DNA damage response (DDR) inhibitors and, whether combination therapies could enhance described synthetic lethal interactions. Here, we report that ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein kinase) inhibitors are active against IDH1/2-mutant cells, and that this activity is further potentiated in combination with PARP inhibitors. We demonstrate this interaction across multiple cell line models with engineered and endogenous IDH1/2 mutations, with robust anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found ATR and PARP inhibitor treatment induces premature mitotic entry, which is significantly elevated in the setting of IDH1/2-mutations. These data highlight the potential efficacy of targeting HR defects in IDH1/2-mutant cancers and support the development of this combination in future clinical trials.

scholarly journals Filopodyan: An open-source pipeline for the analysis of filopodia

2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (10) ◽  
pp. 3405-3422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasja Urbančič ◽  
Richard Butler ◽  
Benjamin Richier ◽  
Manuel Peter ◽  
Julia Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Molecular Heterogeneity ◽  
Interactive Editing ◽  
Motile Cells ◽  
Different Cell Types ◽  
Neuronal Growth Cones

Filopodia have important sensory and mechanical roles in motile cells. The recruitment of actin regulators, such as ENA/VASP proteins, to sites of protrusion underlies diverse molecular mechanisms of filopodia formation and extension. We developed Filopodyan (filopodia dynamics analysis) in Fiji and R to measure fluorescence in filopodia and at their tips and bases concurrently with their morphological and dynamic properties. Filopodyan supports high-throughput phenotype characterization as well as detailed interactive editing of filopodia reconstructions through an intuitive graphical user interface. Our highly customizable pipeline is widely applicable, capable of detecting filopodia in four different cell types in vitro and in vivo. We use Filopodyan to quantify the recruitment of ENA and VASP preceding filopodia formation in neuronal growth cones, and uncover a molecular heterogeneity whereby different filopodia display markedly different responses to changes in the accumulation of ENA and VASP fluorescence in their tips over time.

scholarly journals DNA methylation specifies chromosomal localization of MeCP2.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
X Nan ◽  
P Tate ◽  
E Li ◽  
A Bird
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Centromeric Heterochromatin ◽  
Intact Protein ◽  
Chromosomal Protein ◽  
Mouse Cells ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Mutant Cells

MeCP2 is a chromosomal protein that is concentrated in the centromeric heterochromatin of mouse cells. In vitro, the protein binds preferentially to DNA containing a single symmetrically methylated CpG. To find out whether the heterochromatic localization of MeCP2 depended on DNA methylation, we transiently expressed MeCP2-LacZ fusion proteins in cultured cells. Intact protein was targeted to heterochromatin in wild-type cells but was inefficiently localized in mutant cells with low levels of genomic DNA methylation. Deletions within MeCP2 showed that localization to heterochromatin required the 85-amino-acid methyl-CpG binding domain but not the remainder of the protein. Thus MeCP2 is a methyl-CpG-binding protein in vivo and is likely to be a major mediator of downstream consequences of DNA methylation.

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