Regulation of microtubule cold stability by calmodulin-dependent and -independent phosphorylation

Hyperdynamic microtubules, cognitive deficits, and pathology are improved in tau transgenic mice with low doses of the microtubule-stabilizing agent BMS-241027

Tau is a microtubule (MT)-stabilizing protein that is altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. It is hypothesized that the hyperphosphorylated, conformationally altered, and multimeric forms of tau lead to a disruption of MT stability; however, direct evidence is lacking in vivo. In this study, an in vivo stable isotope-mass spectrometric technique was used to measure the turnover, or dynamicity, of MTs in brains of living animals. We demonstrated an age-dependent increase in MT dynamics in two different tau transgenic mouse models, 3xTg and rTg4510. MT hyperdynamicity was dependent on tau expression, since a reduction of transgene expression with doxycycline reversed the MT changes. Treatment of rTg4510 mice with the epothilone, BMS-241027, also restored MT dynamics to baseline levels. In addition, MT stabilization with BMS-241027 had beneficial effects on Morris water maze deficits, tau pathology, and neurodegeneration. Interestingly, pathological and functional benefits of BMS-241027 were observed at doses that only partially reversed MT hyperdynamicity. Together, these data suggest that tau-mediated loss of MT stability may contribute to disease progression and that very low doses of BMS-241027 may be useful in the treatment of AD and other tauopathies.

Phosphorylation of Microtubule-associated Protein STOP by Calmodulin Kinase II

STOP proteins are microtubule-associated, calmodulin-regulated proteins responsible for the high degree of stabilization displayed by neuronal microtubules. STOP suppression in mice induces synaptic defects affecting both short and long term synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons. Interestingly, STOP has been identified as a component of synaptic structures in neurons, despite the absence of microtubules in nerve terminals, indicating the existence of mechanisms able to induce a translocation of STOP from microtubules to synaptic compartments. Here we have tested STOP phosphorylation as a candidate mechanism for STOP relocalization. We show that, both in vitro and in vivo, STOP is phosphorylated by the multifunctional enzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), which is a key enzyme for synaptic plasticity. This phosphorylation occurs on at least two independent sites. Phosphorylated forms of STOP do not bind microtubules in vitro and do not co-localize with microtubules in cultured differentiating neurons. Instead, phosphorylated STOP co-localizes with actin assemblies along neurites or at branching points. Correlatively, we find that STOP binds to actin in vitro. Finally, in differentiated neurons, phosphorylated STOP co-localizes with clusters of synaptic proteins, whereas unphosphorylated STOP does not. Thus, STOP phosphorylation by CaMKII may promote STOP translocation from microtubules to synaptic compartments where it may interact with actin, which could be important for STOP function in synaptic plasticity.

Calmodulin as a versatile calcium signal transducer in plants

The complexity of Ca²⁺ patterns observed in eukaryotic cells, including plants, has led to the hypothesis that specific patterns of Ca²⁺ propagation, termed Ca²⁺ signatures, encode information and relay it to downstream elements (effectors) for translation into appropriate cellular responses. Ca²⁺ -binding proteins (sensors) play a key role in decoding Ca²⁺ signatures and transducing signals by activating specific targets and pathways. Calmodulin is a Ca²⁺ sensor known to modulate the activity of many mammalian proteins, whose targets in plants are now being actively characterized. Plants possess an interesting and rapidly growing list of calmodulin targets with a variety of cellular roles. Nevertheless, many targets appear to be unique to plants and remain uncharacterized, calling for a concerted effort to elucidate their functions. Moreover, the extended family of calmodulin-related proteins in plants consists of evolutionarily divergent members, mostly of unknown function, although some have recently been implicated in stress responses. It is hoped that advances in functional genomics, and the research tools it generates, will help to explain themultiplicity of calmodulin genes in plants, and to identify their downstream effectors. This review summarizes current knowledge of the Ca²⁺ -calmodulin messenger system in plants and presents suggestions for future areas of research. Contents I. Introduction 36 II. CaM isoforms and CaM-like proteins 37 III. CaM-target proteins 42 IV. CaM and nuclear functions 46 V. Regulation of ion transport 49 VI. CaM and plant responses to environmental stimuli 52 VII. Conclusions and future studies 58 Acknowledgements 59 References 59.

STOP proteins are responsible for the high degree of microtubule stabilization observed in neuronal cells

Neuronal differentiation and function require extensive stabilization of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Neurons contain a large proportion of microtubules that resist the cold and depolymerizing drugs and exhibit slow subunit turnover. The origin of this stabilization is unclear. Here we have examined the role of STOP, a calmodulin-regulated protein previously isolated from cold-stable brain microtubules. We find that neuronal cells express increasing levels of STOP and of STOP variants during differentiation. These STOP proteins are associated with a large proportion of microtubules in neuronal cells, and are concentrated on cold-stable, drug-resistant, and long-lived polymers. STOP inhibition abolishes microtubule cold and drug stability in established neurites and impairs neurite formation. Thus, STOP proteins are responsible for microtubule stabilization in neurons, and are apparently required for normal neurite formation.

Cloning, expression, and properties of the microtubule-stabilizing protein STOP

Nerve cells contain abundant subpopulations of cold-stable microtubules. We have previously isolated a calmodulin-regulated brain protein, STOP (stable tubule-only polypeptide), which reconstitutes microtubule cold stability when added to cold-labile microtubules in vitro. We have now cloned cDNA encoding STOP. We find that STOP is a 100.5-kDa protein with no homology to known proteins. The primary structure of STOP includes two distinct domains of repeated motifs. The central region of STOP contains 5 tandem repeats of 46 amino acids, 4 with 98% homology to the consensus sequence. The STOP C terminus contains 28 imperfect repeats of an 11-amino acid motif. STOP also contains a putative SH3-binding motif close to its N terminus. In vitro translated STOP binds to both microtubules and Ca2+-calmodulin. When STOP cDNA is expressed in cells that lack cold-stable microtubules, STOP associates with microtubules at 37 degrees C, and stabilizes microtubule networks, inducing cold stability, nocodazole resistance, and tubulin detyrosination on microtubules in transfected cells. We conclude that STOP must play an important role in the generation of microtubule cold stability and in the control of microtubule dynamics in brain.

Cold-stable and cold-adapted microtubules

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

Intrinsic microtubule stability in interphase cells

Interphase microtubule arrays are dynamic in intact cells under normal conditions and for this reason they are currently assumed to be composed of polymers that are intrinsically labile, with dynamics that correspond to the behavior of microtubules assembled in vitro from purified tubulin preparations. Here, we propose that this apparent lability is due to the activity of regulatory effectors that modify otherwise stable polymers in the living cell. We demonstrate that there is an intrinsic stability in the microtubule network in a variety of fibroblast and epithelial cells. In the absence of regulatory factors, fibroblast cell interphase microtubules are for the most part resistant to cold temperature exposure, to dilution-induced disassembly and to nocodazole-induced disassembly. In epithelial cells, microtubules are cold-labile, but otherwise similar in behavior to polymers observed in fibroblast cells. Factors that regulate stability of microtubules appear to include Ca2+ and the p34cdc2 protein kinase. Indeed, this kinase induced complete destabilization of microtubules when applied to lysed cells, while a variety of other protein kinases were ineffective. This suggests that p34cdc2, or a kinase of similar specificity, may phosphorylate and inactivate microtubule-associated proteins, thereby conferring lability to otherwise length-wise stabilized microtubules.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II: localization in the interphase nucleus and the mitotic apparatus of mammalian cells

Indirect immunofluorescence was used to determine the distribution of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) in rat embryo fibroblast 3Y1 cells, rat C6 glioma cells, and human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells. During interphase at growing phase, CaM kinase II was localized diffusely in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. In the nucleus, the enzyme was localized within the whole nuclear matrix in which the enzyme was specially concentrated in nucleoli. During mitosis, CaM kinase II was found to be a dynamic component of the mitotic apparatus, particularly present at microtubule-organizing centers. In metaphase and anaphase, CaM kinase II was observed at centrosomes and between the spindle poles. During telophase, CaM kinase II was condensed as a bright fluorescent dot at the midzone of the intercellular bridge between two daughter cells, while tubulin was found at each side of the midbody. Colchicine, a microtubule inhibitor, disorganized the tubulin- and CaM kinase II specific fluorescent structure of mitotic 3Y1 cells. In cold-treated cells, CaM kinase II was localized predominantly at centrosomes. The localization of CaM kinase II in the cell nucleus and the mitotic apparatus suggests that the enzyme may play a role in the cell cycle progression of mammalian cells.

Microtubule-associated proteins from Antarctic fishes

Microtubules and presumptive microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) were isolated from the brain tissues of four Antarctic fishes (Notothenia gibberifrons, N. coriiceps neglecta, Chaenocephalus aceratus, and a Chionodraco sp.) by means of a taxol-dependent, microtubule-affinity procedure (cf. Vallee: Journal of Cell Biology 92:435-442, 1982). MAPs from these fishes were similar to each other in electrophoretic pattern. Prominent in each preparation were proteins in the molecular weight ranges 410,000-430,000, 220,000-280,000, 140,000-155,000, 85,000-95,000, 40,000-45,000, and 32,000-34,000. The surfaces of MAP-rich microtubules were decorated by numerous filamentous projections. Exposure to elevated ionic strength released the MAPs from the microtubules and also removed the filamentous projections. Addition of fish MAPs to subcritical concentrations of fish tubulins at 0-5 degrees C induced the assembly of microtubules. Both the rate and the extent of this assembly increased with increasing concentrations of the MAPs. Sedimentation revealed that approximately six proteins, with apparent molecular weights between 60,000 and 300,000, became incorporated into the microtubule polymer. Bovine MAPs promoted microtubule formation by fish tubulin at 2-5 degrees C, and proteins corresponding to MAPs 1 and 2 co-sedimented with the polymer. MAPs from C. aceratus also enhanced the polymerization of bovine tubulin at 33 degrees C, but the microtubules depolymerized at 0 degrees C. We conclude that MAPs are part of the microtubules of Antarctic fishes, that these proteins promote microtubule assembly in much the same way as mammalian MAPs, and that they do not possess special capacities to promote microtubule assembly at low temperatures or to prevent cold-induced microtubule depolymerization.

Polymerization of Antarctic fish tubulins at low temperatures: energetic aspects

Tubulins were purified from the brain tissues of three Antarctic fishes, Notothenia gibberifrons, Notothenia coriiceps neglecta, and Chaenocephalus aceratus, by ion-exchange chromatography and one cycle of temperature-dependent microtubule assembly and disassembly in vitro, and the functional properties of the protein were examined. The preparations contained the alpha- and beta-tubulins and were free of microtubule-associated proteins. At temperatures between 0 and 24 degrees C, the purified tubulins polymerized readily and reversibly to yield both microtubules and microtubule polymorphs (e.g., "hooked" microtubules and protofilament sheets). Critical concentrations for polymerization of the tubulins ranged from 0.87 mg/mL at 0 degrees C to 0.02 mg/mL at 18 degrees C. The van't Hoff plot of the apparent equilibrium constant for microtubule elongation at temperatures between 0 and 18 degrees C was linear and gave a standard enthalpy change (delta H degree) of +26.9 kcal/mol and a standard entropy change (delta S degree) of +123 eu. At 10 degrees C, tubulin from N. gibberifrons polymerized efficiently at high ionic strength; the critical concentration increased monotonically from 0.041 to 0.34 mg/mL as the concentration of NaCl added to the assembly buffer was increased from 0 to 0.4 M. Together, the results indicate that the polymerization of tubulins from the Antarctic fishes is entropically driven and suggest that an increased reliance on hydrophobic interactions underlies the energetics of microtubule formation at low temperatures. Thus, evolutionary modification to increase the proportion of hydrophobic interactions (relative to other bond types) at sites of interdimer contact may be one adaptive mechanism that enables the tubulins of cold-living poikilotherms to polymerize efficiently at low temperatures.

"Pull" and "push" in neurite elongation: observations on the effects of different concentrations of cytochalasin B and taxol

Neurite elongation involves two distinct cytoskeletal functions the "push" of anterograde transport of the cytoskeleton and associated organelles to the neurite tip, and the "pull" exerted by protrusion and generation of tensions in the growth cone. We investigated the roles of these two activities in neurite elongation via the drugs taxol and cytochalasin B (CB), which act on the key cytoskeletal components, microtubules and actin filaments, respectively. When neurons are treated with concentrations of CB below 0.2 micrograms/ml, neurite elongation, growth cone protrusion, and neurite tension are all inhibited in a similar concentration dependent manner. Protrusive activity and tensions are absent at CB concentrations above 0.3 micrograms/ml, yet neurite elongation continues at a plateau level. Thus, "pull" does modulate, but it is not required for neurite elongation. Surprisingly, the inhibitory effects of taxol on neurite elongation are removed by the addition of CB at levels that substantially disrupt the actin filaments of neurites. The neurites extended by taxol-CB neurons are unbranched and curiously unattached to the substratum. When CB is added to taxol-treated neurons, neurite extension begins rapidly, even if protein synthesis is severely reduced. We propose that taxol inhibits microtubule transport in neurites, and this inhibition of "push" is reversed by the disruptive effects of CB on the cytoplasmic matrix, allowing taxol-induced microtubule bundles to be transported distally.

Calcium rises abruptly and briefly throughout the cell at the onset of anaphase

Continuous measurement and imaging of the intracellular free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) of mitotic and interphase PtK1 cells was accomplished with the new fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2. No statistically significant difference between basal [Ca2+]i of interphase and mitotic cells was detected. However, mitotic cells showed a rapid elevation of [Ca2+]i from basal levels of 130 nM to 500 to 800 nM at the metaphase-anaphase transition. The [Ca2+]i transient was brief, lasting approximately 20 seconds and the elevated [Ca2+]i appeared uniformly distributed over the entire spindle and central region of the cell. The close temporal association of the [Ca2+]i transient with the onset of anaphase suggests that calcium may have a signaling role in this event.

Calcium and calmodulin-enhanced in vitro phosphorylation of hen brain cold-stable microtubules and spinal cord neurofilament triplet proteins after a single oral dose of tri-o-cresyl phosphate

The effect of a single 750-mg/kg oral dose of tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) on the endogenous phosphorylation of brain microtubule preparations and spinal cord neurofilaments was assessed in hens after the development of delayed neurotoxicity. Protein phosphorylation with [gamma-32P]ATP was analyzed by one-dimensional and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, autoradiography, and microdensitometry. TOCP treatment enhanced the Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of tubulin in crude chicken brain cytosol (160% for alpha-tubulin and 140% for beta-tubulin) and cold-stable microtubules (165% and 155% for alpha- and beta-tubulin, respectively). Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) phosphorylation was also increased in brain fractions studied--i.e., brain cytosol (145%), cold-stable microtubules (133%), and cold-labile microtubules (328%). There was significant increase in phosphorylation of a 70-kDa protein in the brain cytosol and in the cold-stable microtubule fractions. TOCP also stimulated the phosphorylation of spinal cord proteins of 70 kDa (119%) and 160 kDa (129%) in a Mg2+-dependent manner. Addition of Ca2+ and calmodulin further enhanced the phosphorylation of these 70-kDa (563%) and 160-kDa (221%) proteins as well as of 52-, 59-, and 210-kDa proteins by as much as 126%, 160%, and 196%, respectively. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was carried out to identify these proteins. They were confirmed as alpha- and beta-tubulin (52 and 59 kDa) in brain and spinal cord preparations and the neurofilament triplet proteins (70, 160, and 210 kDa) in the spinal cord preparation. The 70-kDa protein in brain was not neurofilament in origin. Peptide mapping using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease showed the brain and spinal cord cytoskeletal proteins have identical phosphopeptide patterns in control and TOCP-treated hens, indicating that it was unlikely that the phosphorylation sites were altered by TOCP treatment.

Association of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase with cytoskeletal preparations: phosphorylation of tubulin, neurofilament, and microtubule-associated proteins

Calcium and calmodulin have been implicated in the regulation of cytoskeletal function. In this report, we demonstrate that microtubule preparations from rat brain contain a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase that phosphorylates endogenous MAP-2, tubulin, synapsin I, and neurofilament proteins. This cytoskeletal-associated kinase has been biochemically characterized and shown to be identical to Type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase II). The subunits of CaM kinase II represented major calmodulin-binding proteins in cytoskeletal preparations. A monoclonal antibody against the 52000 Da subunit of CaM kinase II specifically labeled cytoskeletal elements in cortical neurons. These results indicate that CaM kinase II is associated with the neuronal cytoskeleton and may play a role in mediating some of the effects of calcium on cytoskeletal function.

Sliding of STOP proteins on microtubules: a model system for diffusion-dependent microtubule motility

STOP proteins, of 145 kD, act substoichiometrically to block end-wise disassembly of microtubules. STOPs bind to microtubules either during microtubule assembly or when added at steady state, and when binding to the polymers is apparently irreversible. They are not measurably lost from polymers under competition conditions, and there is no measurable exchange between polymers. Nonetheless, STOP proteins exhibit an extraordinary behavior: they "slide" laterally on the surface of the microtubule. Displacement is assayed by forming hybrid microtubules in which cold stable or cold labile region subunits are labeled. Displacement of STOPs on the polymer with time will cause labeled subunits of cold-stable regions to become increasingly cold labile in a manner reciprocal to cold stabilization of previously cold-labile subunits. Because equilibrium exchange of STOP proteins onto and off the polymers can be ruled out, the displacement of STOPs relative to subunits can only be explained by lateral diffusion or "sliding." Axonal transport and mitotic mechanisms were discussed as implications of such a lateral translocation mechanism for microtubule-dependent motility.

Purification and assay of a 145-kDa protein (STOP145) with microtubule-stabilizing and motility behavior

The capacity of microtubules to disassemble in vitro is profoundly affected by a protein factor designated STOP (stable tubule only polypeptide). Here we report the isolation of STOP protein and confirm that its activity is, as predicted, highly substoichiometric to the tubulin in microtubules. The isolation of the 145-kDa STOP (STOP145) protein has been effected from isolated cold-stable microtubules by two column steps: DEAE ion-exchange and a calmodulin affinity column. To confirm the protein's activity we have produced an antibody against STOP145 and have used the antibody to specifically remove the protein and the activity using an antibody-linked affinity column. We conclude that the STOP145 protein accounts for the observed in vitro stabilization of microtubules.

Separation of endogenous calmodulin- and cAMP-dependent kinases from microtubule preparations

Both cAMP- and calmodulin-dependent kinases are proposed regulators of microtubule function by means of their ability to phosphorylate microtubule-associated protein 2(MAP 2). A cAMP-dependent kinase/MAP 2 complex is endogenous to microtubules. In this report, we demonstrate that an endogenous calmodulin-dependent kinase that phosphorylates MAP 2 as a major substrate is also present in microtubules prepared under conditions that preserve kinase activity. This enzyme is identical to a calmodulin-dependent kinase purified previously from rat brain cytosol. A fraction containing calmodulin-dependent kinase and MAP 2 was separated from the cAMP-dependent kinase/MAP 2 complex by gel filtration chromatography of microtubule protein in high ionic strength buffer. All of the recovered calmodulin-dependent kinase activity in microtubules eluted in a single protein peak. The specific activity of the enzyme for MAP 2 was enriched 31-fold in this fraction compared to cytosol. Two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide mapping revealed that the endogenous cAMP- and calmodulin-dependent kinases phosphorylated distinct sites on MAP 2. These data demonstrate that both kinases are present in microtubule preparations and that they may differentially regulate MAP 2 function by phosphorylating separate sites on MAP 2.

Identification of endogenous calmodulin-dependent kinase and calmodulin-binding proteins in cold-stable microtubule preparations from rat brain

Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was investigated in cold-stable microtubule fractions. Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was enriched approximately 20-fold over cytosol in cold-stable microtubule preparations. Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity in cold-stable microtubule preparations phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein-2, alpha- and beta-tubulin, an 80,000-dalton doublet, and several minor phosphoproteins. The endogenous calmodulin-dependent kinase in cold-stable microtubule fractions was identical to a previously purified calmodulin-dependent kinase from rat brain by several criteria including (1) subunit molecular weights, (2) subunit isoelectric points, (3) calmodulin-binding properties, (4) subunit autophosphorylation, (5) calmodulin-binding subunit composition on high-resolution sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, (6) isolation of kinase on calmodulin affinity resin, (7) kinetic parameters, (8) phosphoamino acid phosphorylation sites on beta-tubulin, and (9) phosphopeptide mapping. Endogenous cold-stable calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was isolated from the microtubule fraction by calmodulin affinity resin column chromatography and specifically eluted with EGTA. This kinase fraction contained the calmodulin-binding, autophosphorylating rho and sigma subunits of the previously purified kinase. The rho and sigma subunits of this kinase represented the major calmodulin-binding proteins in the cold-stable microtubule fractions as assessed by denaturing and non-denaturing procedures. These results indicate that calmodulin-dependent kinase is a major calmodulin-binding enzyme system in cold-stable microtubule fractions and may play an important role in mediating some of the effects of calcium on microtubule and cytoskeletal dynamics.

Differences in polypeptide composition and enzyme activity between cold-stable and cold-labile microtubules and study of microtubule alkaline phosphatase activity

Cold-stable and cold-labile microtubules were prepared by two cycles of assembly and disassembly and two periods of exposure to cold. The cold-labile preparations were shown to contain a higher proportion of a high molecular mass microtubule-associated protein (MAP 2) than cold-stable preparations. The cold-stable preparations showed a much higher alkaline phosphatase activity. Stimulation of microtubule assembly by zinc led to increases in both cold stability and alkaline phosphatase activity.

Disassembly and reconstitution of a membrane-microtubule complex

The cell membrane of the unicellular algae Distigma proteus is associated with arrays of parallel microtubules. Fragments of the membrane-microtubule complex have been isolated and partially purified. The microtubules were stable in vitro at room temperature as well as at 0 degree C, but were specifically and rapidly disassembled by Ca2+. After removal of all endogenous microtubules, the membrane-microtubule complex could be reassembled from brain microtubule protein and denuded Distigma membrane fragments. The readded microtubules bound in a fixed orientation, and only to those regions of membrane that are normally associated with microtubules in vivo.