Differences in the effect of Ca2+ on isolated microtubules from cod and cow brain

An Emerging Role for Tubulin Isotypes in Modulating Cancer Biology and Chemotherapy Resistance

Tubulin proteins, as components of the microtubule cytoskeleton perform critical cellular functions throughout all phases of the cell cycle. Altered tubulin isotype composition of microtubules is emerging as a feature of aggressive and treatment refractory cancers. Emerging evidence highlighting a role for tubulin isotypes in differentially influencing microtubule behaviour and broader functional networks within cells is illuminating a complex role for tubulin isotypes regulating cancer biology and chemotherapy resistance. This review focuses on the role of different tubulin isotypes in microtubule dynamics as well as in oncogenic changes that provide a survival or proliferative advantage to cancer cells within the tumour microenvironment and during metastatic processes. Consideration of the role of tubulin isotypes beyond their structural function will be essential to improving the current clinical use of tubulin-targeted chemotherapy agents and informing the development of more effective cancer therapies.

NMDA receptor activation suppresses microtubule growth and spine entry

Dynamic microtubules are important to maintain neuronal morphology and function, but whether neuronal activity affects the organization of dynamic microtubules is unknown. Here, we show that a protocol to induce NMDA-dependent long-term depression (LTD) rapidly attenuates microtubule dynamics in primary rat hippocampal neurons, removing the microtubule-binding protein EB3 from the growing microtubule plus-ends in dendrites. This effect requires the entry of calcium and is mediated by activation of NR2B-containing NMDA-type glutamate receptor. The rapid NMDA effect is followed by a second, more prolonged response, during which EB3 accumulates along MAP2-positive microtubule bundles in the dendritic shaft. MAP2 is both required and sufficient for this activity-dependent redistribution of EB3. Importantly, NMDA receptor activation suppresses microtubule entry in dendritic spines, whereas overexpression of EB3-GFP prevents NMDA-induced spine shrinkage. These results suggest that short-lasting and long-lasting changes in dendritic microtubule dynamics are important determinants for NMDA-induced LTD.

The C terminus of tubulin, a versatile partner for cationic molecules: binding of Tau, polyamines, and calcium

The C-terminal region of tubulin is involved in multiple aspects of the regulation of microtubule assembly. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of this regulation, we study here, using different approaches, the interaction of Tau, spermine, and calcium, three representative partners of the tubulin C-terminal region, with a peptide composed of the last 42 residues of α1a-tubulin. The results show that their binding involves overlapping amino acid stretches in the C-terminal tubulin region: amino acid residues 421-441 for Tau, 430-432 and 444-451 for spermine, and 421-443 for calcium. Isothermal titration calorimetry, NMR, and cosedimentation experiments show that Tau and spermine have similar micromolar binding affinities, whereas their binding stoichiometry differs (C-terminal tubulin peptide/spermine stoichiometry 1:2, and C-terminal tubulin peptide/Tau stoichiometry 8:1). Interestingly, calcium, known as a negative regulator of microtubule assembly, can compete with the binding of Tau and spermine with the C-terminal domain of tubulin and with the positive effect of these two partners on microtubule assembly in vitro. This observation opens up the possibility that calcium may participate in the regulation of microtubule assembly in vivo through direct (still unknown) or indirect mechanism (displacement of microtubule partners). The functional importance of this part of tubulin was also underlined by the observation that an α-tubulin mutant deleted from the last 23 amino acid residues does not incorporate properly into the microtubule network of HeLa cells. Together, these results provide a structural basis for a better understanding of the complex interactions and putative competition of tubulin cationic partners with the C-terminal region of tubulin.

Evidence for a direct conversion between two tubulin polymers--microtubules and helical filaments--in the foraminiferan, Allogromia laticollaris

In Allogromia, tubulin lattices transform between microtubule and helical filament states. Helical filaments are composed of approximately 10-nm-thick tubulin filaments wound into approximately 30-nm diameter coils. The transition pathway between these two lattice states was examined in vitro in detergent-lysed pseudopods. Microtubules represented the majority of the assembled tubulin polymers in the detergent extracted pseudopodia. However, microtubules transformed into helical filaments upon exposure to 10 mM Ca2+ or 50 mM Mg2+. The conversion of microtubules into helical filaments involved fragmentation of the tubulin lattice and reduction in total polymer length. Divalent cations were required for the maintenance of the helical filament state; their removal resulted in the loss of helical filaments and the re-formation of microtubules. The data support a direct transition model in which the tubulin lattice interconverts between the helical filament and microtubule states, independently of tubulin subunit concentration. We propose a structural model for the direct pathway whereby disruption of longitudinal bonds between tandem tubulin dimers in protofilaments causes the microtubule lattice to unwind into helical filaments--continuous ribbons of laterally connected tubulin dimers--from the microtubule end. Helical filaments may rewind into microtubules as longitudinal intersubunit bonds reform.

Coassembly of bovine and cod microtubule proteins: the ratio of the different tubulins within hybrid microtubules determines the ability to assemble at low temperatures, MAPs dependency and effects of Ca2+

Cod and bovine microtubule proteins (MTP) differ from each other in many respects, e.g., tubulin isoforms and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) but only cod MTP are cold-adapted. We used these differences to determine how tubulin isoform composition affects microtubule properties. Mixtures of cod and bovine MTP coassembled at 30 degrees C as shown by light scattering and immunoelectron microscopy, with no apparent preference for one set of MAPs over the other. Bovine tubulin was, in contrast to cod tubulin, unable to assemble in the absence of MAPs, while 50%/50% mixtures of bovine and cod tubulin, respectively, coassembled readily without exclusion of cod or bovine tubulin isoforms in the hybrids, as shown by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Alteration in MAPs dependency was also confirmed by the use of the MAPs-binding microtubule inhibitor estramustine phosphate. Addition of 10 mM Ca2+ to microtubules induced formation of spirals or rings depending on the ratio of the cod and bovine MTP, respectively. Bovine MTP were unable to assemble at low temperatures, while cod MTP are cold-adapted and assembled efficiently at 14 degrees C in the presence of MAPs. Amounts of cod MTP as low as 33% were enough to induce assembly of bovine/cod MTP hybrids. The critical concentration for assembly of a 50%/50% mixture was similar to that of 100% cod MTP. Taken together, the results show that the divergent cod and bovine MTP can coassemble, and that alterations in tubulin isotype/isoform composition above certain thresholds significantly modulate microtubule properties such as MAPs dependency, effects of Ca2+, and ability to assemble at low temperatures.

Tubulin assembly in the presence of calcium ions and taxol: microtubule bundling and formation of macrotubule-ring complexes

It has been confirmed that taxol is able to prevent Ca(2+)-induced inhibition of microtubule formation from tubulin in the presence of microtubule-associated proteins. However, by means of electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy it could be demonstrated that assembly in the presence of Ca2+ and taxol leads to structural aberrations. The kind of aberration depends on the order of addition of taxol and Ca2+ to tubulin. When taxol was added first, microtubules were formed preferentially. But, these microtubules typically associated with each other by close wall-to-wall alignments or they formed complexes with some C-shaped protofilament ribbons, resulting in microtubule bundles or doublet- and triplet-like microtubule structures, respectively. When Ca2+ was added first, macrotubules, rings, and ring crystals were the dominant assembly products. Mostly, the macrotubules were also bundled or they enclosed rings in their lumen. The findings clearly demonstrate the potency of Ca2+ to induce different polymorphic assemblies with additional protofilament associations, not realized in microtubules.

Cold-stable and cold-adapted microtubules

Most mammalian microtubules disassemble at low temperature, but some are cold stable. This probably has little to do with a need for cold-stable microtubules, but reflects that certain populations of microtubules must be stabilized for specific functions. There are several routes by which to achieve cold stability. Factors that interact with microtubules, such as microtubule-associated proteins, STOPs (stable tubule only polypeptides), histones, and possibly capping factors, are involved. Specific tubulin isotypes and posttranslational modifications might also be of importance. More permanent stable microtubules can be achieved by bundling factors, associations to membranes, as well as by assembly of microtubule doublets and triplets. This is, however, not the explanation for cold adaptation of microtubules from poikilothermic animals, that is, animals that must have all their microtubules adapted to low temperatures. All evidence so far suggests that cold adaptation is intrinsic to the tubulins, but it is unknown whether it depends on different amino acid sequences or posttranslational modifications.

Comparative study of the colchicine binding site and the assembly of fish and mammalian microtubule proteins

Isolated microtubules from cod (Gadus morhua) are apparently more stable to colchicine than bovine microtubules. In order to further characterize this difference, the effect of the colchicine analogue 2-methoxy-5-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)-2,4,6-cyclo heptatrien-1-one (MTC) was studied on assembly, as measured by turbidity and sedimentation analysis, and on polymer morphology. MTC has the advantage to bind fast and reversible to the colchicine binding site of tubulin even at low temperatures. It was found to bind to one site in cod brain tubulin, with affinity (6.5 +/- 1.5) x 10(5)M-1 at both low or high temperature, similarly to bovine brain tubulin. However, the effect of the binding differed. At substoichiometric concentrations of MTC bovine brain microtubule assembly was almost completely inhibited, while less effect was seen on the mass of polymerized cod microtubule proteins. A preformed bovine tubulin-colchicine complex inhibited the assembly of both cod and bovine microtubules at substoichiometric concentrations, but the effect on the assembly of cod microtubules was less. At higher concentrations (5 x 10(-5) to 1 x 10(-3) M), MTC induced a large amount of cold-stable spirals of cod proteins, whereas abnormal polymers without any defined structure were formed from bovine proteins. Spirals of cod microtubule proteins were only formed in the presence of microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), indicating that the morphological effect of MTC can be modulated by MAPs. The effects of colchicine and MTC differed. At 10(-5) M colchicine no spirals were formed, while at 10(-4) M and 10(-3) M, a mixture of spirals and aggregates was found. The morphology of the spirals differed both from vinblastine spirals and from the spirals previously found when cod microtubule proteins polymerize in the presence of high Ca2+ concentrations. The present data show that even if the colchicine binding site is conserved between many different species, the bindings have different effects which seem to depend on intrinsic properties of the different tubulins.