1
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Andrews SS, Wiley HS, Sauro HM. Design patterns of biological cells. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300188. [PMID: 38247191 PMCID: PMC10922931 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Design patterns are generalized solutions to frequently recurring problems. They were initially developed by architects and computer scientists to create a higher level of abstraction for their designs. Here, we extend these concepts to cell biology to lend a new perspective on the evolved designs of cells' underlying reaction networks. We present a catalog of 21 design patterns divided into three categories: creational patterns describe processes that build the cell, structural patterns describe the layouts of reaction networks, and behavioral patterns describe reaction network function. Applying this pattern language to the E. coli central metabolic reaction network, the yeast pheromone response signaling network, and other examples lends new insights into these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven S. Andrews
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - H. Steven Wiley
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Herbert M. Sauro
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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2
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Bakota L, Brandt R. Why kiss-and-hop explains that tau does not stabilize microtubules and does not interfere with axonal transport (at physiological conditions). Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:47-52. [PMID: 37694806 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that is enriched in the axonal process of neurons. Post-translational modifications of tau have been implicated in the development of tauopathies characterized by defects in axonal transport, neuronal atrophy, and microtubule disassembly. Although tau is almost quantitatively bound to microtubules under physiological conditions, it does not significantly affect axonal transport. Furthermore, acute or chronic tau deficiency does not result in significant destabilization of neuronal microtubules, challenging the classical view that disease-related tau modifications directly cause axonal microtubule collapse. Here, we discuss how the rapid interaction kinetics of the tau-microtubule interaction, which we previously termed the kiss-and-hop interaction, explains why tau does not affect microtubule-dependent axonal transport but still allows tau to modulate microtubule polymerization. In contrast, tau modifications that slow down the kinetics of the tau-microtubule interaction and increase the residence time of tau at a microtubule interaction site can disrupt axonal transport and cause dendritic atrophy. We discuss the consequences of such a gain-of-toxicity mechanism in terms of the development of disease-modulating drugs that target the tau protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Bakota
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roland Brandt
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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3
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Chen J, Wang H, Long F, Bai S, Wang Y. Dynamic supramolecular hydrogels mediated by chemical reactions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:14236-14248. [PMID: 37964743 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04353c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular self-assembly in a biological system is usually dominated by sophisticated metabolic processes (chemical reactions) such as catalysis of enzymes and consumption of high energy chemicals, leading to groups of biomolecules with unique dynamics and functions in an aqueous environment. In recent years, increasing efforts have been made to couple chemical reactions to molecular self-assembly, with the aim of creating supramolecular materials with lifelike properties and functions. In this feature article, after summarising the work of chemical reaction mediated supramolecular hydrogels, we first focus on a typical example where dynamic self-assembly of molecular hydrogels is activated by in situ formation of a hydrazone bond in water. We discuss how the formation of the hydrazone-based supramolecular hydrogels can be controlled in time and space. After that, we describe transient assembly of supramolecular hydrogels powered by out-of-equilibrium chemical reaction networks regulated by chemical fuels, which show unique properties such as finite lifetime, dynamic structures, and regenerative capabilities. Finally, we provide a perspective on the future investigations that need to be done urgently, which range from fundamental research to real-life applications of dynamic supramolecular hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
| | - Hucheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
| | - Feng Long
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
| | - Shengyu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
| | - Yiming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
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4
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Zhang Y, Yang D, Wang P, Ke Y. Building Large DNA Bundles via Controlled Hierarchical Assembly of DNA Tubes. ACS NANO 2023. [PMID: 37207344 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c01342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Structural DNA nanotechnology is capable of fabricating designer nanoscale artificial architectures. Developing simple and yet versatile assembly methods to construct large DNA structures of defined spatial features and dynamic capabilities has remained challenging. Herein, we designed a molecular assembly system where DNA tiles can assemble into tubes and then into large one-dimensional DNA bundles following a hierarchical pathway. A cohesive link was incorporated into the tile to induce intertube binding for the formation of DNA bundles. DNA bundles with length of dozens of micrometers and width of hundreds of nanometers were produced, whose assembly was revealed to be collectively determined by cationic strength and linker designs (binding strength, spacer length, linker position, etc.). Furthermore, multicomponent DNA bundles with programmable spatial features and compositions were realized by using various distinct tile designs. Lastly, we implemented dynamic capability into large DNA bundles to realize reversible reconfigurations among tile, tube, and bundles following specific molecular stimulations. We envision this assembly strategy can enrich the toolbox of DNA nanotechnology for rational design of large-size DNA materials of defined features and properties that may be applied to a variety of fields in materials science, synthetic biology, biomedical science, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Donglei Yang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Center for DNA Information Storage, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Pengfei Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Center for DNA Information Storage, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yonggang Ke
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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5
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Luchniak A, Kuo YW, McGuinness C, Sutradhar S, Orbach R, Mahamdeh M, Howard J. Dynamic microtubules slow down during their shrinkage phase. Biophys J 2023; 122:616-623. [PMID: 36659852 PMCID: PMC9989939 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are dynamic polymers that undergo stochastic transitions between growing and shrinking phases. The structural and chemical properties of these phases remain poorly understood. The transition from growth to shrinkage, termed catastrophe, is not a first-order reaction but rather a multistep process whose frequency increases with the growth time: the microtubule ages as the older microtubule tip becomes more unstable. Aging shows that the growing phase is not a single state but comprises several substates of increasing instability. To investigate whether the shrinking phase is also multistate, we characterized the kinetics of microtubule shrinkage following catastrophe using an in vitro reconstitution assay with purified tubulins. We found that the shrinkage speed is highly variable across microtubules and that the shrinkage speed of individual microtubules slows down over time by as much as several fold. The shrinkage slowdown was observed in both fluorescently labeled and unlabeled microtubules as well as in microtubules polymerized from tubulin purified from different species, suggesting that the shrinkage slowdown is a general property of microtubules. These results indicate that microtubule shrinkage, like catastrophe, is time dependent and that the shrinking microtubule tip passes through a succession of states of increasing stability. We hypothesize that the shrinkage slowdown is due to destabilizing events that took place during growth, which led to multistep catastrophe. This suggests that the aging associated with growth is also manifested during shrinkage, with the older, more unstable growing tip being associated with a faster depolymerizing shrinking tip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Luchniak
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yin-Wei Kuo
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Catherine McGuinness
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sabyasachi Sutradhar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ron Orbach
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Mohammed Mahamdeh
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jonathon Howard
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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6
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Shipps C, Thrush KL, Reinhardt CR, Siwiecki SA, Claydon JL, Noble DB, O'Hern CS. "Student-led workshop strengthens perceived discussion skills and community in an interdisciplinary graduate program". FASEB Bioadv 2023; 5:1-12. [PMID: 36643898 PMCID: PMC9832528 DOI: 10.1096/fba.2021-00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology (IGPPEB) at Yale University brings together Ph.D. students from the physical, engineering, and biological sciences. The main goals of this program are for students to become comfortable working in an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment and adept at communicating with scientists and nonscientists. To fill a student-identified learning gap in engaging in inclusive discussions, IGPPEB students developed a communication workshop to improve skills in visual engagement, citing specific content, constructive conversation entrances, and encouragement of peers. Based on short- and long-term assessment of the workshop, 100% of students reported that it should be offered to future cohorts and 63% of students perceived it to be personally helpful. Additionally, 92% of participants reported using one or more of the core skills beyond the course, with skills in "Encouraging peers" and "Constructive conversation entrances" rated the highest in perceived improvement. Based on the highest average rating of 76 ± 24 (on a scale of 0-100), students agreed that the workshop made them feel more welcome in the IGPPEB community. With a rating of 68 ± 13, they also agreed that the workshop had a positive impact on their graduate school experience. Participants provided suggestions for future improvements, such as increasing student involvement in leading discussions of course material. This study demonstrates that a student-led workshop can improve perceived discussion skills and build community across an interdisciplinary program in the sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine Shipps
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Kyra L Thrush
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Graduate Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Clorice R Reinhardt
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Sara A Siwiecki
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Jennifer L Claydon
- Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Combined Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Dorottya B Noble
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Program in Physics, Engineering, and Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Corey S O'Hern
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Graduate Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Program in Physics, Engineering, and Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Physics Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
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7
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Farmer VJ, Zanic M. Beyond the GTP-cap: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of microtubule catastrophe. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200081. [PMID: 36398561 PMCID: PMC10648283 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Almost 40 years since the discovery of microtubule dynamic instability, the molecular mechanisms underlying microtubule dynamics remain an area of intense research interest. The "standard model" of microtubule dynamics implicates a "cap" of GTP-bound tubulin dimers at the growing microtubule end as the main determinant of microtubule stability. Loss of the GTP-cap leads to microtubule "catastrophe," a switch-like transition from microtubule growth to shrinkage. However, recent studies, using biochemical in vitro reconstitution, cryo-EM, and computational modeling approaches, challenge the simple GTP-cap model. Instead, a new perspective on the mechanisms of microtubule dynamics is emerging. In this view, highly dynamic transitions between different structural conformations of the growing microtubule end - which may or may not be directly linked to the nucleotide content at the microtubule end - ultimately drive microtubule catastrophe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica J. Farmer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Marija Zanic
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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8
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Radwitz J, Hausrat TJ, Heisler FF, Janiesch PC, Pechmann Y, Rübhausen M, Kneussel M. Tubb3 expression levels are sensitive to neuronal activity changes and determine microtubule growth and kinesin-mediated transport. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:575. [DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04607-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMicrotubules are dynamic polymers of α/β-tubulin. They regulate cell structure, cell division, cell migration, and intracellular transport. However, functional contributions of individual tubulin isotypes are incompletely understood. The neuron-specific β-tubulin Tubb3 displays highest expression around early postnatal periods characterized by exuberant synaptogenesis. Although Tubb3 mutations are associated with neuronal disease, including abnormal inhibitory transmission and seizure activity in patients, molecular consequences of altered Tubb3 levels are largely unknown. Likewise, it is unclear whether neuronal activity triggers Tubb3 expression changes in neurons. In this study, we initially asked whether chemical protocols to induce long-term potentiation (cLTP) affect microtubule growth and the expression of individual tubulin isotypes. We found that growing microtubules and Tubb3 expression are sensitive to changes in neuronal activity and asked for consequences of Tubb3 downregulation in neurons. Our data revealed that reduced Tubb3 levels accelerated microtubule growth in axons and dendrites. Remarkably, Tubb3 knockdown induced a specific upregulation of Tubb4 gene expression, without changing other tubulin isotypes. We further found that Tubb3 downregulation reduces tubulin polyglutamylation, increases KIF5C motility and boosts the transport of its synaptic cargo N-Cadherin, which is known to regulate synaptogenesis and long-term potentiation. Due to the large number of tubulin isotypes, we developed and applied a computational model based on a Monte Carlo simulation to understand consequences of tubulin expression changes in silico. Together, our data suggest a feedback mechanism with neuronal activity regulating tubulin expression and consequently microtubule dynamics underlying the delivery of synaptic cargoes.
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9
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Lam NT, McCluskey JB, Glover DJ. Harnessing the Structural and Functional Diversity of Protein Filaments as Biomaterial Scaffolds. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:4668-4686. [PMID: 35766918 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The natural ability of many proteins to polymerize into highly structured filaments has been harnessed as scaffolds to align functional molecules in a diverse range of biomaterials. Protein-engineering methodologies also enable the structural and physical properties of filaments to be tailored for specific biomaterial applications through genetic engineering or filaments built from the ground up using advances in the computational prediction of protein folding and assembly. Using these approaches, protein filament-based biomaterials have been engineered to accelerate enzymatic catalysis, provide routes for the biomineralization of inorganic materials, facilitate energy production and transfer, and provide support for mammalian cells for tissue engineering. In this review, we describe how the unique structural and functional diversity in natural and computationally designed protein filaments can be harnessed in biomaterials. In addition, we detail applications of these protein assemblies as material scaffolds with a particular emphasis on applications that exploit unique properties of specific filaments. Through the diversity of protein filaments, the biomaterial engineer's toolbox contains many modular protein filaments that will likely be incorporated as the main structural component of future biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nga T Lam
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Joshua B McCluskey
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Dominic J Glover
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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10
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Grignard J, Lamamy V, Vermersch E, Delagrange P, Stephan JP, Dorval T, Fages F. Mathematical modeling of the microtubule detyrosination/tyrosination cycle for cell-based drug screening design. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010236. [PMID: 35759459 PMCID: PMC9236252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules and their post-translational modifications are involved in major cellular processes. In severe diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, tyrosinated tubulin and tyrosinated microtubules are in lower concentration. We present here a mechanistic mathematical model of the microtubule tyrosination cycle combining computational modeling and high-content image analyses to understand the key kinetic parameters governing the tyrosination status in different cellular models. That mathematical model is parameterized, firstly, for neuronal cells using kinetic values taken from the literature, and, secondly, for proliferative cells, by a change of two parameter values obtained, and shown minimal, by a continuous optimization procedure based on temporal logic constraints to formalize experimental high-content imaging data. In both cases, the mathematical models explain the inability to increase the tyrosination status by activating the Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase enzyme. The tyrosinated tubulin is indeed the product of a chain of two reactions in the cycle: the detyrosinated microtubule depolymerization followed by its tyrosination. The tyrosination status at equilibrium is thus limited by both reaction rates and activating the tyrosination reaction alone is not effective. Our computational model also predicts the effect of inhibiting the Tubulin Carboxy Peptidase enzyme which we have experimentally validated in MEF cellular model. Furthermore, the model predicts that the activation of two particular kinetic parameters, the tyrosination and detyrosinated microtubule depolymerization rate constants, in synergy, should suffice to enable an increase of the tyrosination status in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Grignard
- Pole of Activity Data Sciences and Data Management, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
- * E-mail: (JG); (TD); (FF)
| | - Véronique Lamamy
- Pole of Activity Cellular Sciences, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Eva Vermersch
- Pole of Activity Cellular Sciences, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Philippe Delagrange
- Therapeutic Area Neuropsychiatry and Immunoinflammation, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Stephan
- In Vitro Pharmacology Unit, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Thierry Dorval
- Pole of Activity Data Sciences and Data Management, Institut de Recherches Servier (IdRS), Croissy-sur-Seine, France
- * E-mail: (JG); (TD); (FF)
| | - François Fages
- Team Project Lifeware, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique, Inria Saclay, Palaiseau, France
- * E-mail: (JG); (TD); (FF)
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11
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Cleary JM, Kim T, Cook ASI, McCormick LA, Hancock WO, Rice LM. Measurements and simulations of microtubule growth imply strong longitudinal interactions and reveal a role for GDP on the elongating end. eLife 2022; 11:75931. [PMID: 35420545 PMCID: PMC9064298 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule polymerization dynamics result from the biochemical interactions of αβ-tubulin with the polymer end, but a quantitative understanding has been challenging to establish. We used interference reflection microscopy to make improved measurements of microtubule growth rates and growth fluctuations in the presence and absence of GTP hydrolysis. In the absence of GTP hydrolysis, microtubules grew steadily with very low fluctuations. These data were best described by a computational model implementing slow assembly kinetics, such that the rate of microtubule elongation is primarily limited by the rate of αβ-tubulin associations. With GTPase present, microtubules displayed substantially larger growth fluctuations than expected based on the no GTPase measurements. Our modeling showed that these larger fluctuations occurred because exposure of GDP-tubulin on the microtubule end transiently 'poisoned' growth, yielding a wider range of growth rates compared to GTP only conditions. Our experiments and modeling point to slow association kinetics (strong longitudinal interactions), such that drugs and regulatory proteins that alter microtubule dynamics could do so by modulating either the association or dissociation rate of tubulin from the microtubule tip. By causing slower growth, exposure of GDP tubulin at the growing microtubule end may be an important early event determining catastrophe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Cleary
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Tae Kim
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Annan S I Cook
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Lauren A McCormick
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - William O Hancock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Luke M Rice
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
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12
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Wu R, Guzman-Sepulveda J, Kalra A, Tuszynski J, Dogariu A. Thermal hysteresis in microtubule assembly/disassembly dynamics: The aging-induced degradation of tubulin dimers. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 29:101199. [PMID: 35036585 PMCID: PMC8749447 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The assembly/disassembly of biological macromolecules plays an important role in their biological functionalities. Although the dynamics of tubulin polymers and their super-assembly into microtubule structures is critical for many cellular processes, details of their cyclical polymerization/depolymerization are not fully understood. Here, we use a specially designed light scattering technique to continuously examine the effects of temperature cycling on the process of microtubule assembly/disassembly. We observe a thermal hysteresis loop during tubulin assembly/disassembly, consistently with earlier reports on the coexistence of tubulin and microtubules as a phase transition. In a cyclical process, the structural hysteresis has a kinetic component that depends on the rate of temperature change but also an intrinsic thermodynamic component that depends on the protein topology, possibly related to irreversible processes. Analyzing the evolution of such thermal hysteresis loops over successive cycles, we found that the assembly/disassembly ceases after some time, which is indicative of protein aging leading to its inability to self-assemble after a finite number of temperature cycles. The emergence of assembly-incompetent tubulin could have major consequences for human pathologies related to microtubules, including aging, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Wu
- CREOL, College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - J.R. Guzman-Sepulveda
- CREOL, College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - A.P. Kalra
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - J.A. Tuszynski
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
- DIMEAS, Polytechnic di Torino, Turin, I-10129, Italy
| | - A. Dogariu
- CREOL, College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
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13
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Mahserejian SM, Scripture JP, Mauro AJ, Lawrence EJ, Jonasson EM, Murray KS, Li J, Gardner M, Alber M, Zanic M, Goodson HV. Quantification of Microtubule Stutters: Dynamic Instability Behaviors that are Strongly Associated with Catastrophe. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar22. [PMID: 35108073 PMCID: PMC9250389 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-06-0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are cytoskeletal fibers that undergo dynamic instability (DI), a remarkable process involving phases of growth and shortening separated by stochastic transitions called catastrophe and rescue. Dissecting DI mechanism(s) requires first characterizing and quantifying these dynamics, a subjective process that often ignores complexity in MT behavior. We present a Statistical Tool for Automated Dynamic Instability Analysis (STADIA) that identifies and quantifies not only growth and shortening, but also a category of intermediate behaviors that we term “stutters.” During stutters, the rate of MT length change tends to be smaller in magnitude than during typical growth or shortening phases. Quantifying stutters and other behaviors with STADIA demonstrates that stutters precede most catastrophes in our in vitro experiments and dimer-scale MT simulations, suggesting that stutters are mechanistically involved in catastrophes. Related to this idea, we show that the anticatastrophe factor CLASP2γ works by promoting the return of stuttering MTs to growth. STADIA enables more comprehensive and data-driven analysis of MT dynamics compared with previous methods. The treatment of stutters as distinct and quantifiable DI behaviors provides new opportunities for analyzing mechanisms of MT dynamics and their regulation by binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shant M Mahserejian
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556.,Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352
| | - Jared P Scripture
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Ava J Mauro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA, 01003
| | - Elizabeth J Lawrence
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240
| | - Erin M Jonasson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556.,Department of Natural Sciences, Saint Martin's University, Lacey, WA 98503
| | - Kristopher S Murray
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Melissa Gardner
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Mark Alber
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556.,Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Marija Zanic
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235.,Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37205
| | - Holly V Goodson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, IN 46556
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14
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Effects of random hydrolysis on biofilament length distributions in a shared subunit pool. Biophys J 2022; 121:502-514. [PMID: 34954156 PMCID: PMC8822617 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The sizes of filamentous structures in a cell are often regulated for many physiological processes. A key question in cell biology is how such size control is achieved. Here, we theoretically study the length distributions of multiple filaments, growing by stochastic assembly and disassembly of subunits from a limiting subunit pool. Importantly, we consider a chemical switching of subunits (hydrolysis) prevalent in many biofilaments like microtubules (MTs). We show by simulations of different models that hydrolysis leads to a skewed unimodal length distribution for a single MT. In contrast, hydrolysis can lead to bimodal distributions of individual lengths for two MTs, where individual filaments toggle stochastically between bigger and smaller sizes. For more than two MTs, length distributions are also bimodal, although the bimodality becomes less prominent. We further show that this collective phenomenon is connected with the nonequilibrium nature of hydrolysis, and the bimodality disappears for reversible dynamics. Consistent with earlier theoretical studies, a homogeneous subunit pool, without hydrolysis, cannot control filament lengths. We thus elucidate the role of hydrolysis as a control mechanism on MT length diversity.
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15
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Kliuchnikov E, Klyshko E, Kelly MS, Zhmurov A, Dima RI, Marx KA, Barsegov V. Microtubule assembly and disassembly dynamics model: Exploring dynamic instability and identifying features of Microtubules' Growth, Catastrophe, Shortening, and Rescue. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:953-974. [PMID: 35242287 PMCID: PMC8861655 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs), a cellular structure element, exhibit dynamic instability and can switch stochastically from growth to shortening; but the factors that trigger these processes at the molecular level are not understood. We developed a 3D Microtubule Assembly and Disassembly DYnamics (MADDY) model, based upon a bead-per-monomer representation of the αβ-tubulin dimers forming an MT lattice, stabilized by the lateral and longitudinal interactions between tubulin subunits. The model was parameterized against the experimental rates of MT growth and shortening, and pushing forces on the Dam1 protein complex due to protofilaments splaying out. Using the MADDY model, we carried out GPU-accelerated Langevin simulations to access dynamic instability behavior. By applying Machine Learning techniques, we identified the MT characteristics that distinguish simultaneously all four kinetic states: growth, catastrophe, shortening, and rescue. At the cellular 25 μM tubulin concentration, the most important quantities are the MT length L , average longitudinal curvatureκ long , MT tip width w , total energy of longitudinal interactions in MT latticeU long , and the energies of longitudinal and lateral interactions required to complete MT to full cylinderU long add andU lat add . At high 250 μM tubulin concentration, the most important characteristics are L ,κ long , number of hydrolyzed αβ-tubulin dimersn hyd and number of lateral interactions per helical pitchn lat in MT lattice, energy of lateral interactions in MT latticeU lat , and energy of longitudinal interactions in MT tipu long . These results allow greater insights into what brings about kinetic state stability and the transitions between states involved in MT dynamic instability behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugene Klyshko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Maria S. Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Artem Zhmurov
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ruxandra I. Dima
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Kenneth A. Marx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Valeri Barsegov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
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16
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Lattice defects induced by microtubule-stabilizing agents exert a long-range effect on microtubule growth by promoting catastrophes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2112261118. [PMID: 34916292 PMCID: PMC8713758 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112261118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are major cytoskeletal filaments important for cell division, growth, and differentiation. Microtubules can rapidly switch between phases of growth and shortening, and this dynamic behavior is essential for shaping microtubule arrays. To obtain insights into mechanisms controlling microtubule dynamics, here we used microtubule-stabilizing agents such as Taxol and their fluorescent analogs to manipulate microtubule protofilament number and generate stable defects in microtubule lattices that can be visualized using fluorescence microscopy. We show that microtubule polymerization rate increases with protofilament number and that drug-induced microtubule lattice discontinuities can promote plus-end catastrophes at a distance of several micrometers. Our data indicate that structural defects in the microtubule wall can have long-range propagating effects on microtubule tip dynamics. Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that spontaneously switch between phases of growth and shrinkage. The probability of transitioning from growth to shrinkage, termed catastrophe, increases with microtubule age, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we set out to test whether microtubule lattice defects formed during polymerization can affect growth at the plus end. To generate microtubules with lattice defects, we used microtubule-stabilizing agents that promote formation of polymers with different protofilament numbers. By employing different agents during nucleation of stable microtubule seeds and the subsequent polymerization phase, we could reproducibly induce switches in protofilament number and induce stable lattice defects. Such drug-induced defects led to frequent catastrophes, which were not observed when microtubules were grown in the same conditions but without a protofilament number mismatch. Microtubule severing at the site of the defect was sufficient to suppress catastrophes. We conclude that structural defects within the microtubule lattice can exert effects that can propagate over long distances and affect the dynamic state of the microtubule end.
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17
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Wu YFO, Bryant AT, Nelson NT, Madey AG, Fernandes GF, Goodson HV. Overexpression of the microtubule-binding protein CLIP-170 induces a +TIP network superstructure consistent with a biomolecular condensate. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260401. [PMID: 34890409 PMCID: PMC8664194 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics is critical for cellular processes including cell division and intracellular transport. Plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) dynamically track growing MTs and play a key role in MT regulation. +TIPs participate in a complex web of intra- and inter- molecular interactions known as the +TIP network. Hypotheses addressing the purpose of +TIP:+TIP interactions include relieving +TIP autoinhibition and localizing MT regulators to growing MT ends. In addition, we have proposed that the web of +TIP:+TIP interactions has a physical purpose: creating a dynamic scaffold that constrains the structural fluctuations of the fragile MT tip and thus acts as a polymerization chaperone. Here we examine the possibility that this proposed scaffold is a biomolecular condensate (i.e., liquid droplet). Many animal +TIP network proteins are multivalent and have intrinsically disordered regions, features commonly found in biomolecular condensates. Moreover, previous studies have shown that overexpression of the +TIP CLIP-170 induces large “patch” structures containing CLIP-170 and other +TIPs; we hypothesized that these structures might be biomolecular condensates. To test this hypothesis, we used video microscopy, immunofluorescence staining, and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). Our data show that the CLIP-170-induced patches have hallmarks indicative of a biomolecular condensate, one that contains +TIP proteins and excludes other known condensate markers. Moreover, bioinformatic studies demonstrate that the presence of intrinsically disordered regions is conserved in key +TIPs, implying that these regions are functionally significant. Together, these results indicate that the CLIP-170 induced patches in cells are phase-separated liquid condensates and raise the possibility that the endogenous +TIP network might form a liquid droplet at MT ends or other +TIP locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Fu O. Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Annamarie T. Bryant
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Nora T. Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Alexander G. Madey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Gail F. Fernandes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | - Holly V. Goodson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Revell CK, Jensen OE, Shearer T, Lu Y, Holmes DF, Kadler KE. Collagen fibril assembly: New approaches to unanswered questions. Matrix Biol Plus 2021; 12:100079. [PMID: 34381990 PMCID: PMC8334717 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2021.100079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Collagen fibrils are essential for metazoan life. They are the largest, most abundant, and most versatile protein polymers in animals, where they occur in the extracellular matrix to form the structural basis of tissues and organs. Collagen fibrils were first observed at the turn of the 20th century. During the last 40 years, the genes that encode the family of collagens have been identified, the structure of the collagen triple helix has been solved, the many enzymes involved in the post-translational modifications of collagens have been identified, mutations in the genes encoding collagen and collagen-associated proteins have been linked to heritable disorders, and changes in collagen levels have been associated with a wide range of diseases, including cancer. Yet despite extensive research, a full understanding of how cells assemble collagen fibrils remains elusive. Here, we review current models of collagen fibril self-assembly, and how cells might exert control over the self-assembly process to define the number, length and organisation of fibrils in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K. Revell
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Oliver E. Jensen
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Tom Shearer
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Yinhui Lu
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - David F. Holmes
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Karl E. Kadler
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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19
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Rice LM, Moritz M, Agard DA. Microtubules form by progressively faster tubulin accretion, not by nucleation-elongation. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:211894. [PMID: 33734292 PMCID: PMC7980253 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202012079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are dynamic polymers that play fundamental roles in all eukaryotes. Despite their importance, how new microtubules form is poorly understood. Textbooks have focused on variations of a nucleation–elongation mechanism in which monomers rapidly equilibrate with an unstable oligomer (nucleus) that limits the rate of polymer formation; once formed, the polymer then elongates efficiently from this nucleus by monomer addition. Such models faithfully describe actin assembly, but they fail to account for how more complex polymers like hollow microtubules assemble. Here, we articulate a new model for microtubule formation that has three key features: (1) microtubules initiate via rectangular, sheet-like structures that grow faster the larger they become; (2) the dominant pathway proceeds via accretion, the stepwise addition of longitudinal or lateral layers; and (3) a “straightening penalty” to account for the energetic cost of tubulin’s curved-to-straight conformational transition. This model can quantitatively fit experimental assembly data, providing new insights into biochemical determinants and assembly pathways for microtubule nucleation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke M Rice
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Michelle Moritz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA
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20
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Regulation of microtubule dynamics, mechanics and function through the growing tip. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:777-795. [PMID: 34408299 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microtubule dynamics and their control are essential for the normal function and division of all eukaryotic cells. This plethora of functions is, in large part, supported by dynamic microtubule tips, which can bind to various intracellular targets, generate mechanical forces and couple with actin microfilaments. Here, we review progress in the understanding of microtubule assembly and dynamics, focusing on new information about the structure of microtubule tips. First, we discuss evidence for the widely accepted GTP cap model of microtubule dynamics. Next, we address microtubule dynamic instability in the context of structural information about assembly intermediates at microtubule tips. Three currently discussed models of microtubule assembly and dynamics are reviewed. These are considered in the context of established facts and recent data, which suggest that some long-held views must be re-evaluated. Finally, we review structural observations about the tips of microtubules in cells and describe their implications for understanding the mechanisms of microtubule regulation by associated proteins, by mechanical forces and by microtubule-targeting drugs, prominently including cancer chemotherapeutics.
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21
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Goldblum RR, McClellan M, White K, Gonzalez SJ, Thompson BR, Vang HX, Cohen H, Higgins L, Markowski TW, Yang TY, Metzger JM, Gardner MK. Oxidative stress pathogenically remodels the cardiac myocyte cytoskeleton via structural alterations to the microtubule lattice. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2252-2266.e6. [PMID: 34343476 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the failing heart, the cardiac myocyte microtubule network is remodeled, which contributes to cellular contractile failure and patient death. However, the origins of this deleterious cytoskeletal reorganization are unknown. We now find that oxidative stress, a condition characteristic of heart failure, leads to cysteine oxidation of microtubules. Our electron and fluorescence microscopy experiments revealed regions of structural damage within the microtubule lattice that occurred at locations of oxidized tubulin. The incorporation of GTP-tubulin into these damaged, oxidized regions led to stabilized "hot spots" within the microtubule lattice, which suppressed the shortening of dynamic microtubules. Thus, oxidative stress may act inside of cardiac myocytes to facilitate a pathogenic shift from a sparse microtubule network into a dense, aligned network. Our results demonstrate how a disease condition characterized by oxidative stress can trigger a molecular oxidation event, which likely contributes to a toxic cellular-scale transformation of the cardiac myocyte microtubule network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Goldblum
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mark McClellan
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kyle White
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Samuel J Gonzalez
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brian R Thompson
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hluechy X Vang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Houda Cohen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - LeeAnn Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Todd W Markowski
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Tzu-Yi Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph M Metzger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Melissa K Gardner
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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22
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Farmer V, Arpağ G, Hall SL, Zanic M. XMAP215 promotes microtubule catastrophe by disrupting the growing microtubule end. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212518. [PMID: 34324632 PMCID: PMC8327381 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202012144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The GTP-tubulin cap is widely accepted to protect microtubules against catastrophe. The GTP-cap size is thought to increase with the microtubule growth rate, presumably endowing fast-growing microtubules with enhanced stability. It is unknown what GTP-cap properties permit frequent microtubule catastrophe despite fast growth. Here, we investigate microtubules growing in the presence and absence of the polymerase XMAP215. Using EB1 as a GTP-cap marker, we find that GTP-cap size increases regardless of whether growth acceleration is achieved by increasing tubulin concentration or by XMAP215. Despite increased mean GTP-cap size, microtubules grown with XMAP215 display increased catastrophe frequency, in contrast to microtubules grown with more tubulin, for which catastrophe is abolished. However, microtubules polymerized with XMAP215 have large fluctuations in growth rate; display tapered and curled ends; and undergo catastrophe at faster growth rates and with higher EB1 end-localization. Our results suggest that structural perturbations induced by XMAP215 override the protective effects of the GTP-cap, ultimately driving microtubule catastrophe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Farmer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Göker Arpağ
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Sarah L Hall
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Marija Zanic
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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23
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Abstract
Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal filaments composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Historically, the dynamics of single tubulin interactions at the growing microtubule tip have been inferred from steady-state growth kinetics. However, recent advances in the production of recombinant tubulin and in high-resolution optical and cryo-electron microscopies have opened new windows into understanding the impacts of specific intermolecular interactions during growth. The microtubule lattice is held together by lateral and longitudinal tubulin-tubulin interactions, and these interactions are in turn regulated by the GTP hydrolysis state of the tubulin heterodimer. Furthermore, tubulin can exist in either an extended or a compacted state in the lattice. Growing evidence has led to the suggestion that binding of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) or motors can induce changes in tubulin conformation and that this information can be communicated through the microtubule lattice. Progress in understanding how dynamic tubulin-tubulin interactions control dynamic instability has benefitted from visualizing structures of growing microtubule plus ends and through stochastic biochemical models constrained by experimental data. Here, we review recent insights into the molecular basis of microtubule growth and discuss how MAPs and regulatory proteins alter tubulin-tubulin interactions to exert their effects on microtubule growth and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Cleary
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - William O Hancock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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24
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Ayukawa R, Iwata S, Imai H, Kamimura S, Hayashi M, Ngo KX, Minoura I, Uchimura S, Makino T, Shirouzu M, Shigematsu H, Sekimoto K, Gigant B, Muto E. GTP-dependent formation of straight tubulin oligomers leads to microtubule nucleation. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:211760. [PMID: 33544140 PMCID: PMC7871348 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202007033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleation of microtubules (MTs) is essential for cellular activities, but its mechanism is unknown because of the difficulty involved in capturing rare stochastic events in the early stage of polymerization. Here, combining rapid flush negative stain electron microscopy (EM) and kinetic analysis, we demonstrate that the formation of straight oligomers of critical size is essential for nucleation. Both GDP and GTP tubulin form single-stranded oligomers with a broad range of curvatures, but upon nucleation, the curvature distribution of GTP oligomers is shifted to produce a minor population of straight oligomers. With tubulin having the Y222F mutation in the β subunit, the proportion of straight oligomers increases and nucleation accelerates. Our results support a model in which GTP binding generates a minor population of straight oligomers compatible with lateral association and further growth to MTs. This study suggests that cellular factors involved in nucleation promote it via stabilization of straight oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Ayukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Seigo Iwata
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Imai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Kamimura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahito Hayashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kien Xuan Ngo
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Itsushi Minoura
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Seiichi Uchimura
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Makino
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideki Shigematsu
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ken Sekimoto
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), CNRS UMR 7057, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Gulliver, CNRS UMR 7083, ESPCI Paris and Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | - Benoît Gigant
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Etsuko Muto
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
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25
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Atomistic Basis of Microtubule Dynamic Instability Assessed Via Multiscale Modeling. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:1716-1734. [PMID: 33537926 PMCID: PMC8302526 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02715-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microtubule “dynamic instability,” the abrupt switching from assembly to disassembly caused by the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP within the β subunit of the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, is necessary for vital cellular processes such as mitosis and migration. Despite existing high-resolution structural data, the key mechanochemical differences between the GTP and GDP states that mediate dynamic instability behavior remain unclear. Starting with a published atomic-level structure as an input, we used multiscale modeling to find that GTP hydrolysis results in both longitudinal bond weakening (~ 4 kBT) and an outward bending preference (~ 1.5 kBT) to both drive dynamic instability and give rise to the microtubule tip structures previously observed by light and electron microscopy. More generally, our study provides an example where atomic level structural information is used as the sole input to predict cellular level dynamics without parameter adjustment.
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26
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Ishihara K, Decker F, Caldas P, Pelletier JF, Loose M, Brugués J, Mitchison TJ. Spatial variation of microtubule depolymerization in large asters. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:869-879. [PMID: 33439671 PMCID: PMC8108532 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-11-0723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule plus-end depolymerization rate is a potentially important target of physiological regulation, but it has been challenging to measure, so its role in spatial organization is poorly understood. Here we apply a method for tracking plus ends based on time difference imaging to measure depolymerization rates in large interphase asters growing in Xenopus egg extract. We observed strong spatial regulation of depolymerization rates, which were higher in the aster interior compared with the periphery, and much less regulation of polymerization or catastrophe rates. We interpret these data in terms of a limiting component model, where aster growth results in lower levels of soluble tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in the interior cytosol compared with that at the periphery. The steady-state polymer fraction of tubulin was ∼30%, so tubulin is not strongly depleted in the aster interior. We propose that the limiting component for microtubule assembly is a MAP that inhibits depolymerization, and that egg asters are tuned to low microtubule density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Ishihara
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Decker
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Paulo Caldas
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - James F Pelletier
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Cell Division Group, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Martin Loose
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jan Brugués
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Timothy J Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Cell Division Group, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
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27
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Kalra AP, Eakins BB, Patel SD, Ciniero G, Rezania V, Shankar K, Tuszynski JA. All Wired Up: An Exploration of the Electrical Properties of Microtubules and Tubulin. ACS NANO 2020; 14:16301-16320. [PMID: 33213135 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c06945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microtubules are hollow, cylindrical polymers of the protein α, β tubulin, that interact mechanochemically with a variety of macromolecules. Due to their mechanically robust nature, microtubules have gained attention as tracks for precisely directed transport of nanomaterials within lab-on-a-chip devices. Primarily due to the unusually negative tail-like C-termini of tubulin, recent work demonstrates that these biopolymers are also involved in a broad spectrum of intracellular electrical signaling. Microtubules and their electrostatic properties are discussed in this Review, followed by an evaluation of how these biopolymers respond mechanically to electrical stimuli, through microtubule migration, electrorotation and C-termini conformation changes. Literature focusing on how microtubules act as nanowires capable of intracellular ionic transport, charge storage, and ionic signal amplification is reviewed, illustrating how these biopolymers attenuate ionic movement in response to electrical stimuli. The Review ends with a discussion on the important questions, challenges, and future opportunities for intracellular microtubule-based electrical signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarat P Kalra
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Boden B Eakins
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107-116 St, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2 V4, Canada
| | - Sahil D Patel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107-116 St, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2 V4, Canada
| | - Gloria Ciniero
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129, Italy
| | - Vahid Rezania
- Department of Physical Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4S2, Canada
| | - Karthik Shankar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107-116 St, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2 V4, Canada
| | - Jack A Tuszynski
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9, Canada
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2, Canada
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28
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Hirst WG, Kiefer C, Abdosamadi MK, Schäffer E, Reber S. In Vitro Reconstitution and Imaging of Microtubule Dynamics by Fluorescence and Label-free Microscopy. STAR Protoc 2020; 1:100177. [PMID: 33377071 PMCID: PMC7757405 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic microtubules are essential for many processes in the lives of eukaryotic cells. To study and understand the mechanisms of microtubule dynamics and regulation, in vitro reconstitution with purified components has proven a vital approach. Imaging microtubule dynamics can be instructive for a given species, isoform composition, or biochemical modification. Here, we describe two methods that visualize microtubule dynamics at high speed and high contrast: (1) total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and (2) label-free interference reflection microscopy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hirst et al. (2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- William Graham Hirst
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Christine Kiefer
- Cellular Nanoscience (ZMBP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Erik Schäffer
- Cellular Nanoscience (ZMBP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Simone Reber
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
- University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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29
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Castle BT, McKibben KM, Rhoades E, Odde DJ. Tau Avoids the GTP Cap at Growing Microtubule Plus-Ends. iScience 2020; 23:101782. [PMID: 33294790 PMCID: PMC7691178 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) associate with the growing end of microtubules and mediate important cellular functions. The majority of +TIPs are directed to the plus-end through a family of end-binding proteins (EBs), which preferentially bind the stabilizing cap of GTP-tubulin present during microtubule growth. One outstanding question is whether there may exist other microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) that preferentially bind specific nucleotide states of tubulin. Here, we report that the neuronal MAP tau preferentially binds GDP-tubulin (K D = 0.26 μM) over GMPCPP-tubulin (K D = 1.1 μM) in vitro, as well as GTP-tubulin at the tips of growing microtubules, causing tau binding to lag behind the plus-end both in vitro and in live cells. Thus, tau is a microtubule tip avoiding protein, establishing the framework for a possible new class of tip avoiding MAPs. We speculate that disease-relevant tau mutations may exert their phenotype by their failure to properly recognize GDP-tubulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T. Castle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kristen M. McKibben
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David J. Odde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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30
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Hevia LG, Fanarraga ML. Microtubule cytoskeleton-disrupting activity of MWCNTs: applications in cancer treatment. J Nanobiotechnology 2020; 18:181. [PMID: 33317574 PMCID: PMC7734827 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-020-00742-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and more particularly multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), share many mechanical and morphological similarities that prompt their association into biosynthetic tubulin filaments both, in vitro and in vivo. Unlike CNTs, microtubules are highly dynamic protein polymers that, upon interaction with these nanomaterials, display enhanced stability that has critical consequences at the cellular level. Among others, CNTs prompt ectopic (acentrosomal) microtubule nucleation and the disassembly of the centrosome, causing a dramatic cytoskeletal reorganization. These changes in the microtubule pattern trigger the generation of ineffective biomechanical forces that result in migration defects, and ultimately in spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC) blockage and apoptosis. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanism involved in the intrinsic interference of CNTs with the microtubule dynamics and illustrate the consequences of this effect on cell biomechanics. We also discuss the potential application of these synthetic microtubule-stabilizing agents as synergetic agents to boost the effect of classical chemotherapy that includes spindle poisons (i.e. paclitaxel) or DNA interfering agents (5-fluorouracil)-, and list some of the advantages of the use of MWCNTs as adjuvant agents in preventing cell resistance to chemotherapy.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena García Hevia
- Nanomedicine Group, Valdecilla Research Institute-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Herrera Oria s/n, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Mónica L Fanarraga
- Nanomedicine Group, Valdecilla Research Institute-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Herrera Oria s/n, 39011, Santander, Spain.
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31
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Levin M, Sorkin R, Pine D, Granek R, Bernheim-Groswasser A, Roichman Y. Kinetics of actin networks formation measured by time resolved particle-tracking microrheology. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:7869-7876. [PMID: 32803212 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00290a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Actin is one of the most studied cytoskeleton proteins showing a very rich span of structures and functions. For example, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-assisted polymerization of actin is used to push protrusions forward in a mechanism that enables cells to crawl on a substrate. In this process, the chemical energy released from the hydrolysis of ATP is what enables force generation. We study a minimal model system comprised of actin monomers in an excess of ATP concentration. In such a system polymerization proceeds in three stages: nucleation of actin filaments, elongation, and network formation. While the kinetics of filament growth was characterized previously, not much is known about the kinetics of network formation and the evolution of networks towards a steady-state structure. In particular, it is not clear how the non-equilibrium nature of this ATP-assisted polymerization manifests itself in the kinetics of self-assembly. Here, we use time-resolved microrheology to follow the kinetics of the three stages of self-assembly as a function of initial actin monomer concentration. Surprisingly, we find that at high enough initial monomer concentrations the effective elastic modulus of the forming actin networks overshoots and then relaxes with a -2/5 power law. We attribute the overshoot to the non-equilibrium nature of the polymerization and the relaxation to rearrangements of the network into a steady-state structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Levin
- Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
| | - Raya Sorkin
- Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
| | - David Pine
- Department of Physics, New York University, NY 10003, USA and Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Rony Granek
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Ilse Katz Institute for Meso and Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Anne Bernheim-Groswasser
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yael Roichman
- Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel. and Raymond & Beverly Sackler School of Physics & Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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32
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Gudimchuk NB, Ulyanov EV, O'Toole E, Page CL, Vinogradov DS, Morgan G, Li G, Moore JK, Szczesna E, Roll-Mecak A, Ataullakhanov FI, Richard McIntosh J. Mechanisms of microtubule dynamics and force generation examined with computational modeling and electron cryotomography. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3765. [PMID: 32724196 PMCID: PMC7387542 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are dynamic tubulin polymers responsible for many cellular processes, including the capture and segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. In contrast to textbook models of tubulin self-assembly, we have recently demonstrated that microtubules elongate by addition of bent guanosine triphosphate tubulin to the tips of curving protofilaments. Here we explore this mechanism of microtubule growth using Brownian dynamics modeling and electron cryotomography. The previously described flaring shapes of growing microtubule tips are remarkably consistent under various assembly conditions, including different tubulin concentrations, the presence or absence of a polymerization catalyst or tubulin-binding drugs. Simulations indicate that development of substantial forces during microtubule growth and shortening requires a high activation energy barrier in lateral tubulin-tubulin interactions. Modeling offers a mechanism to explain kinetochore coupling to growing microtubule tips under assisting force, and it predicts a load-dependent acceleration of microtubule assembly, providing a role for the flared morphology of growing microtubule ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita B Gudimchuk
- Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
- Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
- Dmitry Rogachev National Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Evgeni V Ulyanov
- Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eileen O'Toole
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Cynthia L Page
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Dmitrii S Vinogradov
- Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Garry Morgan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Gabriella Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Moore
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ewa Szczesna
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Antonina Roll-Mecak
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fazoil I Ataullakhanov
- Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Dmitry Rogachev National Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Moscow, Russia
| | - J Richard McIntosh
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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33
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Song Y, Zhang Y, Pan Y, He J, Wang Y, Chen W, Guo J, Deng H, Xue Y, Fang X, Liang X. The microtubule end-binding affinity of EB1 is enhanced by a dimeric organization that is susceptible to phosphorylation. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs241216. [PMID: 32152183 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.241216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In cells, microtubule dynamics are regulated by plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs). End-binding protein 1 (EB1, also known as MAPRE1) acts as a master regulator of +TIP networks by targeting the growing ends of microtubules and recruiting other factors. However, the molecular mechanism underlying high-affinity binding of EB1 to microtubule ends remains an open area of research. Using single-molecule imaging, we show that the end-binding kinetics of EB1 change when the polymerization and hydrolysis rates of tubulin dimers are altered, confirming that EB1 binds to GTP-tubulin and/or GDP-Pi-tubulin at microtubule growing ends. The affinity of wild-type EB1 to these sites is higher than that of monomeric EB1 mutants, suggesting that both calponin homology domains present in the EB1 dimer contribute to end binding. Introduction of phosphomimetic mutations into the EB1 linker domain weakens the end-binding affinity and confers a more curved conformation on the EB1 dimer without compromising dimerization, suggesting that the overall architecture of EB1 is important for its end-binding affinity. Taken together, our results provide insights into how the high-affinity end-binding of EB1 is achieved and how this activity may be regulated in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinlong Song
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yikan Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Ying Pan
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Jianfeng He
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Jing Guo
- Protein Chemistry Facility at the Center for Biomedical Analysis of Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Haiteng Deng
- Protein Chemistry Facility at the Center for Biomedical Analysis of Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yi Xue
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Xianyang Fang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Xin Liang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
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34
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Hirst WG, Biswas A, Mahalingan KK, Reber S. Differences in Intrinsic Tubulin Dynamic Properties Contribute to Spindle Length Control in Xenopus Species. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2184-2190.e5. [PMID: 32386526 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The function of cellular organelles relates not only to their molecular composition but also to their size. However, how the size of dynamic mesoscale structures is established and maintained remains poorly understood [1-3]. Mitotic spindle length, for example, varies several-fold among cell types and among different organisms [4]. Although most studies on spindle size control focus on changes in proteins that regulate microtubule dynamics [5-8], the contribution of the spindle's main building block, the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, has yet to be studied. Apart from microtubule-associated proteins and motors, two factors have been shown to contribute to the heterogeneity of microtubule dynamics: tubulin isoform composition [9, 10] and post-translational modifications [11]. In the past, studying the contribution of tubulin and microtubules to spindle assembly has been limited by the fact that physiologically relevant tubulins were not available. Here, we show that tubulins purified from two closely related frogs, Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis, have surprisingly different microtubule dynamics in vitro. X. laevis microtubules combine very fast growth and infrequent catastrophes. In contrast, X. tropicalis microtubules grow slower and catastrophe more frequently. We show that spindle length and microtubule mass can be controlled by titrating the ratios of the tubulins from the two frog species. Furthermore, we combine our in vitro reconstitution assay and egg extract experiments with computational modeling to show that differences in intrinsic properties of different tubulins contribute to the control of microtubule mass and therefore set steady-state spindle length.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Hirst
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Abin Biswas
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | | | - Simone Reber
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA; University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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35
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Tong D, Voth GA. Microtubule Simulations Provide Insight into the Molecular Mechanism Underlying Dynamic Instability. Biophys J 2020; 118:2938-2951. [PMID: 32413312 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic instability of microtubules (MTs), which refers to their ability to switch between polymerization and depolymerization states, is crucial for their function. It has been proposed that the growing MT ends are protected by a "GTP cap" that consists of GTP-bound tubulin dimers. When the speed of GTP hydrolysis is faster than dimer recruitment, the loss of this GTP cap will lead the MT to undergo rapid disassembly. However, the underlying atomistic mechanistic details of the dynamic instability remains unclear. In this study, we have performed long-time atomistic molecular dynamics simulations (1 μs for each system) for MT patches as well as a short segment of a closed MT in both GTP- and GDP-bound states. Our results confirmed that MTs in the GDP state generally have weaker lateral interactions between neighboring protofilaments (PFs) and less cooperative outward bending conformational change, where the difference between bending angles of neighboring PFs tends to be larger compared with GTP ones. As a result, when the GDP state tubulin dimer is exposed at the growing MT end, these factors will be more likely to cause the MT to undergo rapid disassembly. We also compared simulation results between the special MT seam region and the remaining material and found that the lateral interactions between MT PFs at the seam region were comparatively much weaker. This finding is consistent with the experimental suggestion that the seam region tends to separate during the disassembly process of an MT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dudu Tong
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gregory A Voth
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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36
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Prahl LS, Stanslaski MR, Vargas P, Piel M, Odde DJ. Predicting Confined 1D Cell Migration from Parameters Calibrated to a 2D Motor-Clutch Model. Biophys J 2020; 118:1709-1720. [PMID: 32145191 PMCID: PMC7136340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological tissues contain micrometer-scale gaps and pores, including those found within extracellular matrix fiber networks, between tightly packed cells, and between blood vessels or nerve bundles and their associated basement membranes. These spaces restrict cell motion to a single-spatial dimension (1D), a feature that is not captured in traditional in vitro cell migration assays performed on flat, unconfined two-dimensional (2D) substrates. Mechanical confinement can variably influence cell migration behaviors, and it is presently unclear whether the mechanisms used for migration in 2D unconfined environments are relevant in 1D confined environments. Here, we assessed whether a cell migration simulator and associated parameters previously measured for cells on 2D unconfined compliant hydrogels could predict 1D confined cell migration in microfluidic channels. We manufactured microfluidic devices with narrow channels (60-μm2 rectangular cross-sectional area) and tracked human glioma cells that spontaneously migrated within channels. Cell velocities (vexp = 0.51 ± 0.02 μm min-1) were comparable to brain tumor expansion rates measured in the clinic. Using motor-clutch model parameters estimated from cells on unconfined 2D planar hydrogel substrates, simulations predicted similar migration velocities (vsim = 0.37 ± 0.04 μm min-1) and also predicted the effects of drugs targeting the motor-clutch system or cytoskeletal assembly. These results are consistent with glioma cells utilizing a motor-clutch system to migrate in confined environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis S Prahl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Maria R Stanslaski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Pablo Vargas
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 144 and Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, PSL Research University, Paris, France; INSERM U932 Immunité et Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Matthieu Piel
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 144 and Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - David J Odde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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37
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J S A, Padinhateeri R, Das D. Regulation of microtubule disassembly by spatially heterogeneous patterns of acetylation. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:3125-3136. [PMID: 32159199 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm02198a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are bio-polymers, composed of tubulin proteins, involved in several functions such as cell division, transport of cargoes within cells, maintaining cellular structures etc. Their kinetics are often affected by chemical modifications on the filament known as Post Translational Modifications (PTMs). Acetylation is a PTM which occurs on the luminal surface of the MT lattice and has been observed to reduce the lateral interaction between tubulins on adjacent protofilaments. Depending on the properties of the acetylase enzyme αTAT1 and the structural features of MTs, the patterns of acetylation formed on MTs are observed to be quite diverse. In this study, we present a multi-protofilament model with spatially heterogeneous patterns of acetylation, and investigate how the local kinetic differences arising from heterogeneity affect the global kinetics of MT filaments. From the computational study we conclude that a filament with spatially uniform acetylation is least stable against disassembly, while ones with more clustered acetylation patterns may provide better resistance against disassembly. The increase in disassembly times for clustered pattern as compared to uniform pattern can be up to fifty percent for identical amounts of acetylation. Given that acetylated MTs affect several cellular functions as well as diseases such as cancer, our study indicates that spatial patterns of acetylation need to be focused on, apart from the overall amount of acetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna J S
- Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
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38
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Hema K, Sureshan KM. β-Sheet to Helical-Sheet Evolution Induced by Topochemical Polymerization: Cross-α-Amyloid-like Packing in a Pseudoprotein with Gly-Phe-Gly Repeats. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:8854-8859. [PMID: 32149438 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201914975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein-mimics are of great interest for their structure, stability, and properties. We are interested in the synthesis of protein-mimics containing triazole linkages as peptide-bond surrogate by topochemical azide-alkyne cycloaddition (TAAC) polymerization of azide- and alkyne-modified peptides. The rationally designed dipeptide N3 -CH2 CO-Phe-NHCH2 CCH (1) crystallized in a parallel β-sheet arrangement and are head-to-tail aligned in a direction perpendicular to the β-sheet-direction. Upon heating, crystals of 1 underwent single-crystal-to-single-crystal polymerization forming a triazole-linked pseudoprotein with Gly-Phe-Gly repeats. During TAAC polymerization, the pseudoprotein evolved as helical chains. These helical chains are laterally assembled by backbone hydrogen bonding in a direction perpendicular to the helical axis to form helical sheets. This interesting helical-sheet orientation in the crystal resembles the cross-α-amyloids, where α-helices are arranged laterally as sheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuntrapakam Hema
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - Kana M Sureshan
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
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39
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Hema K, Sureshan KM. β‐Sheet to Helical‐Sheet Evolution Induced by Topochemical Polymerization: Cross‐α‐Amyloid‐like Packing in a Pseudoprotein with Gly‐Phe‐Gly Repeats. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201914975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kuntrapakam Hema
- School of Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram Kerala 695551 India
| | - Kana M. Sureshan
- School of Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram Kerala 695551 India
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40
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Ye X, Kim T, Geyer EA, Rice LM. Insights into allosteric control of microtubule dynamics from a buried β-tubulin mutation that causes faster growth and slower shrinkage. Protein Sci 2020; 29:1429-1439. [PMID: 32077153 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
αβ-tubulin subunits cycle through a series of different conformations in the polymer lattice during microtubule growing and shrinking. How these allosteric responses to different tubulin:tubulin contacts contribute to microtubule dynamics, and whether the contributions are evolutionarily conserved, remains poorly understood. Here, we sought to determine whether the microtubule-stabilizing effects (slower shrinking) of the β:T238A mutation we previously observed using yeast αβ-tubulin would generalize to mammalian microtubules. Using recombinant human microtubules as a model, we found that the mutation caused slow microtubule shrinking, indicating that this effect of the mutation is indeed conserved. However, unlike in yeast, β:T238A human microtubules grew faster than wild-type and the mutation did not appear to attenuate the conformational change associated with guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis in the lattice. We conclude that the assembly-dependent conformational change in αβ-tubulin can contribute to determine the rates of microtubule growing as well as shrinking. Our results also suggest that an allosteric perturbation like the β:T238A mutation can alter the behavior of terminal subunits without accompanying changes in the conformation of fully surrounded subunits in the body of the microtubule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuecheng Ye
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Tae Kim
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Geyer
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Luke M Rice
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Dallas, Texas, USA
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41
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Roostalu J, Thomas C, Cade NI, Kunzelmann S, Taylor IA, Surrey T. The speed of GTP hydrolysis determines GTP cap size and controls microtubule stability. eLife 2020; 9:e51992. [PMID: 32053491 PMCID: PMC7018511 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are cytoskeletal polymers whose function depends on their property to switch between states of growth and shrinkage. Growing microtubules are thought to be stabilized by a GTP cap at their ends. The nature of this cap, however, is still poorly understood. End Binding proteins (EBs) recruit a diverse range of regulators of microtubule function to growing microtubule ends. Whether the EB binding region is identical to the GTP cap is unclear. Using mutated human tubulin with blocked GTP hydrolysis, we demonstrate that EBs bind with high affinity to the GTP conformation of microtubules. Slowing-down GTP hydrolysis leads to extended GTP caps. We find that cap length determines microtubule stability and that the microtubule conformation changes gradually in the cap as GTP is hydrolyzed. These results demonstrate the critical importance of the kinetics of GTP hydrolysis for microtubule stability and establish that the GTP cap coincides with the EB-binding region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Surrey
- The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Genomic RegulationBarcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- ICREABarcelonaSpain
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42
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Kalnin JR, Berezhkovskii AM. Coarse-graining of asymmetric discrete-time random walk on a one-dimensional lattice. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:224110. [PMID: 31837683 DOI: 10.1063/1.5129637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coarse-graining of an asymmetric nearest-neighbor discrete-time random walk on a one-dimensional lattice allows one to describe this random walk as biased one-dimensional diffusion. The latter is characterized by two parameters: the drift velocity and diffusivity. There is a general expression giving the drift velocity as a function of the parameters determining the random walk. However, a corresponding expression for the diffusivity is known only for the particular case where the random walk escapes from the lattice site at every time step. In this work, we generalize this result and derive an expression for the diffusivity, assuming that the random walk does not necessarily leave the site, and therefore, its mean lifetime on the site can be longer than the time step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juris R Kalnin
- Ventspils Engineering Research Center, International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC), Inzenieru 101a, Ventpils LV-3601, Latvia
| | - Alexander M Berezhkovskii
- Mathematical and Statistical Computing Laboratory, Office of Intramural Research, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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43
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Olubiyi OO, Olagunju MO, Strodel B. Rational Drug Design of Peptide-Based Therapies for Sickle Cell Disease. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24244551. [PMID: 31842406 PMCID: PMC6943517 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited disorders affecting red blood cells, which is caused by a single mutation that results in substitution of the amino acid valine for glutamic acid in the sixth position of the β-globin chain of hemoglobin. These mutant hemoglobin molecules, called hemoglobin S, can polymerize upon deoxygenation, causing erythrocytes to adopt a sickled form and to suffer hemolysis and vaso-occlusion. Until recently, only two drug therapies for SCD, which do not even fully address the manifestations of SCD, were approved by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration. A third treatment was newly approved, while a monoclonal antibody preventing vaso-occlusive crises is also now available. The complex nature of SCD manifestations provides multiple critical points where drug discovery efforts can be and have been directed. These notwithstanding, the need for new therapeutic approaches remains high and one of the recent efforts includes developments aimed at inhibiting the polymerization of hemoglobin S. This review focuses on anti-sickling approaches using peptide-based inhibitors, ranging from individual amino acid dipeptides investigated 30–40 years ago up to more promising 12- and 15-mers under consideration in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olujide O. Olubiyi
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (M.O.O.); (B.S.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220282, Nigeria
- Correspondence:
| | - Maryam O. Olagunju
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (M.O.O.); (B.S.)
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (M.O.O.); (B.S.)
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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44
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Bollinger JA, Stevens MJ. Diverse balances of tubulin interactions and shape change drive and interrupt microtubule depolymerization. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:8137-8146. [PMID: 31593193 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01323g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microtubules are stiff biopolymers that self-assemble via the addition of GTP-tubulin (αβ-dimer bound to GTP), but hydrolysis of GTP- to GDP-tubulin within the tubules destabilizes them toward catastrophically-fast depolymerization. The molecular mechanisms and features of the individual tubulin proteins that drive such behavior are still not well-understood. Using molecular dynamics simulations of whole microtubules built from a coarse-grained model of tubulin, we demonstrate how conformational shape changes (i.e., deformations) in subunits that frustrate tubulin-tubulin binding within microtubules drive depolymerization of stiff tubules via unpeeling "ram's horns" consistent with experiments. We calculate the sensitivity of these behaviors to the length scales and strengths of binding attractions and varying degrees of binding frustration driven by subunit shape change, and demonstrate that the dynamic instability and mechanical properties of microtubules can be produced based on either balanced or imbalanced strengths of lateral and vertical binding attractions. Finally, we show how catastrophic depolymerization can be interrupted by small regions of the microtubule containing undeformed dimers, corresponding to incomplete lattice hydrolysis. The results demonstrate a mechanism by which microtubule rescue can occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Bollinger
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA.
| | - Mark J Stevens
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA.
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45
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The growth of amyloid fibrils: rates and mechanisms. Biochem J 2019; 476:2677-2703. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAmyloid fibrils are β-sheet-rich linear protein polymers that can be formed by a large variety of different proteins. These assemblies have received much interest in recent decades, due to their role in a range of human disorders. However, amyloid fibrils are also found in a functional context, whereby their structural, mechanical and thermodynamic properties are exploited by biological systems. Amyloid fibrils form through a nucleated polymerisation mechanism with secondary processes acting in many cases to amplify the number of fibrils. The filamentous nature of amyloid fibrils implies that the fibril growth rate is, by several orders of magnitude, the fastest step of the overall aggregation reaction. This article focusses specifically on in vitro experimental studies of the process of amyloid fibril growth, or elongation, and summarises the state of knowledge of its kinetics and mechanisms. This work attempts to provide the most comprehensive summary, to date, of the available experimental data on amyloid fibril elongation rate constants and the temperature and concentration dependence of amyloid fibril elongation rates. These data are compared with those from other types of protein polymers. This comparison with data from other polymerising proteins is interesting and relevant because many of the basic ideas and concepts discussed here were first introduced for non-amyloid protein polymers, most notably by the Japanese school of Oosawa and co-workers for cytoskeletal filaments.
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46
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Jonasson EM, Mauro AJ, Li C, Labuz EC, Mahserejian SM, Scripture JP, Gregoretti IV, Alber M, Goodson HV. Behaviors of individual microtubules and microtubule populations relative to critical concentrations: dynamic instability occurs when critical concentrations are driven apart by nucleotide hydrolysis. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 31:589-618. [PMID: 31577530 PMCID: PMC7202068 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-02-0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of critical concentration (CC) is central to understanding the behavior of microtubules (MTs) and other cytoskeletal polymers. Traditionally, these polymers are understood to have one CC, measured in multiple ways and assumed to be the subunit concentration necessary for polymer assembly. However, this framework does not incorporate dynamic instability (DI), and there is work indicating that MTs have two CCs. We use our previously established simulations to confirm that MTs have (at least) two experimentally relevant CCs and to clarify the behavior of individuals and populations relative to the CCs. At free subunit concentrations above the lower CC (CCElongation), growth phases of individual filaments can occur transiently; above the higher CC (CCNetAssembly), the population’s polymer mass will increase persistently. Our results demonstrate that most experimental CC measurements correspond to CCNetAssembly, meaning that “typical” DI occurs below the concentration traditionally considered necessary for polymer assembly. We report that [free tubulin] at steady state does not equal CCNetAssembly, but instead approaches CCNetAssembly asymptotically as [total tubulin] increases, and depends on the number of stable MT nucleation sites. We show that the degree of separation between CCElongation and CCNetAssembly depends on the rate of nucleotide hydrolysis. This clarified framework helps explain and unify many experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Jonasson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.,Department of Natural Sciences, Saint Martin's University, Lacey, WA 98503
| | - Ava J Mauro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.,Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, and.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003
| | - Chunlei Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, and
| | | | | | | | | | - Mark Alber
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, and.,Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Holly V Goodson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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47
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Reid TA, Coombes C, Mukherjee S, Goldblum RR, White K, Parmar S, McClellan M, Zanic M, Courtemanche N, Gardner MK. Structural state recognition facilitates tip tracking of EB1 at growing microtubule ends. eLife 2019; 8:48117. [PMID: 31478831 PMCID: PMC6742484 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule binding protein EB1 specifically targets the growing ends of microtubules in cells, where EB1 facilitates the interactions of cellular proteins with microtubule plus-ends. Microtubule end targeting of EB1 has been attributed to high-affinity binding of EB1 to GTP-tubulin that is present at growing microtubule ends. However, our 3D single-molecule diffusion simulations predicted a ~ 6000% increase in EB1 arrivals to open, tapered microtubule tip structures relative to closed lattice conformations. Using quantitative fluorescence, single-molecule, and electron microscopy experiments, we found that the binding of EB1 onto opened, structurally disrupted microtubules was dramatically increased relative to closed, intact microtubules, regardless of hydrolysis state. Correspondingly, in cells, the blunting of growing microtubule plus-ends by Vinblastine was correlated with reduced EB1 targeting. Together, our results suggest that microtubule structural recognition, based on a fundamental diffusion-limited binding model, facilitates the tip tracking of EB1 at growing microtubule ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A Reid
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Courtney Coombes
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Soumya Mukherjee
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Rebecca R Goldblum
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Kyle White
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Sneha Parmar
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Mark McClellan
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Marija Zanic
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Naomi Courtemanche
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Melissa K Gardner
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
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48
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Strothman C, Farmer V, Arpağ G, Rodgers N, Podolski M, Norris S, Ohi R, Zanic M. Microtubule minus-end stability is dictated by the tubulin off-rate. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:2841-2853. [PMID: 31420452 PMCID: PMC6719460 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201905019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic organization of microtubule minus ends is vital for the formation and maintenance of acentrosomal microtubule arrays. In vitro, both microtubule ends switch between phases of assembly and disassembly, a behavior called dynamic instability. Although minus ends grow slower, their lifetimes are similar to those of plus ends. The mechanisms underlying these distinct dynamics remain unknown. Here, we use an in vitro reconstitution approach to investigate minus-end dynamics. We find that minus-end lifetimes are not defined by the mean size of the protective GTP-tubulin cap. Rather, we conclude that the distinct tubulin off-rate is the primary determinant of the difference between plus- and minus-end dynamics. Further, our results show that the minus-end-directed kinesin-14 HSET/KIFC1 suppresses tubulin off-rate to specifically suppress minus-end catastrophe. HSET maintains its protective minus-end activity even when challenged by a known microtubule depolymerase, kinesin-13 MCAK. Our results provide novel insight into the mechanisms of minus-end dynamics, essential for our understanding of microtubule minus-end regulation in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Strothman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Veronica Farmer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Göker Arpağ
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Nicole Rodgers
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Marija Podolski
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephen Norris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Ryoma Ohi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Marija Zanic
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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49
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Wordeman L. GTP-tubulin loves microtubule plus ends but marries the minus ends. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:2822-2823. [PMID: 31427370 PMCID: PMC6719450 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201908039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Linda Wordeman discusses work from Strothman et al. that sheds new light on the differences between plus- and minus-end microtubule dynamics. Microtubule minus ends are inherently more stable than plus ends despite the fact that free tubulin associates more avidly to the plus end. In this issue, Strothman et al. (2019. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201905019) measure, for the first time, the off-rate for GTP-tubulin and find that it is different for the two ends, suggesting that this parameter may control the transition to disassembly at microtubule ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Wordeman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
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50
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Hemmat M, Castle BT, Sachs JN, Odde DJ. Multiscale Computational Modeling of Tubulin-Tubulin Lateral Interaction. Biophys J 2019; 117:1234-1249. [PMID: 31493861 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are multistranded polymers in eukaryotic cells that support key cellular functions such as chromosome segregation, motor-based cargo transport, and maintenance of cell polarity. Microtubules self-assemble via "dynamic instability," in which the dynamic plus ends switch stochastically between alternating phases of polymerization and depolymerization. A key question in the field is what are the atomistic origins of this switching, i.e., what is different between the GTP- and GDP-tubulin states that enables microtubule growth and shortening, respectively? More generally, a major challenge in biology is how to connect theoretical frameworks across length- and timescales, from atoms to cellular behavior. In this study, we describe a multiscale model by linking atomistic molecular dynamics (MD), molecular Brownian dynamics (BD), and cellular-level thermokinetic modeling of microtubules. Here, we investigated the underlying interaction energy when tubulin dimers associate laterally by performing all-atom MD simulations. We found that the lateral potential energy is not significantly different among three nucleotide states of tubulin, GTP, GDP, and GMPCPP and is estimated to be ≅ -11 kBT. Furthermore, using MD potential energy in our BD simulations of tubulin dimers confirms that the lateral bond is weak on its own, with a mean lifetime of ∼0.1 μs, implying that the longitudinal bond is required for microtubule assembly. We conclude that nucleotide-dependent lateral-bond strength is not the key mediator microtubule dynamic instability, implying that GTP acts elsewhere to exert its stabilizing influence on microtubule polymer. Furthermore, the estimated lateral-bond strength (ΔGlat0≅ -5 kBT) is well-aligned with earlier estimates based on thermokinetic modeling and light microscopy measurements. Thus, we have computationally connected atomistic-level structural information, obtained by cryo-electron microscopy, to cellular-scale microtubule assembly dynamics using a combination of MD, BD, and thermokinetic models to bridge from Ångstroms to micrometers and from femtoseconds to minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahya Hemmat
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Brian T Castle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Jonathan N Sachs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - David J Odde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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