Marshalin, a microtubule minus-end binding protein, regulates cytoskeletal structure in the organ of Corti

Cytoplasmic dynein1 intermediate-chain2 regulates cellular trafficking and physiopathological development in Magnaporthe oryzae

The cytoplasmic dynein 1, a minus end-directed motor protein, is an essential microtubule-based molecular motor that mediates the movement of molecules to intracellular destinations in eukaryotes. However, the role of dynein in the pathogenesis of Magnaporthe oryzae is unknown. Here, we identified cytoplasmic dynein 1 intermediate-chain 2 genes in M. oryzae and functionally characterized it using genetic manipulations, and biochemical approaches. We observed that targeted the deletion of MoDYNC1I2 caused significant vegetative growth defects, abolished conidiation, and rendered the ΔModync1I2 strains non-pathogenic. Microscopic examinations revealed significant defects in microtubule network organization, nuclear positioning, and endocytosis ΔModync1I2 strains. MoDync1I2 is localized exclusively to microtubules during fungal developmental stages but co-localizes with the histone OsHis1 in plant nuclei upon infection. The exogenous expression of a histone gene, MoHis1, restored the homeostatic phenotypes of ΔModync1I2 strains but not pathogenicity. These findings could facilitate the development of dynein-directed remedies for managing the rice blast disease.

Vestibular Hair Cells Require CAMSAP3, a Microtubule Minus-End Regulator, for Formation of Normal Kinocilia

Kinocilia are exceptionally long primary sensory cilia located on vestibular hair cells, which are essential for transmitting key signals that contribute to mammalian balance and overall vestibular system function. Kinocilia have a “9+2” microtubule (MT) configuration with nine doublet MTs surrounding two central singlet MTs. This is uncommon as most mammalian primary sensory cilia have a “9+0” configuration, in which the central MT pair is absent. It has yet to be determined what the function of the central MT pair is in kinocilia. Calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein 3 (CAMSAP3) regulates the minus end of MTs and is essential for forming the central MT pair in motile cilia, which have the “9+2” configuration. To explore the role of the central MT pair in kinocilia, we created a conditional knockout model (cKO), Camsap3-cKO, which intended to eliminate CAMSAP3 in limited organs including the inner ear, olfactory bulb, and kidneys. Immunofluorescent staining of vestibular organs demonstrated that CAMSAP3 proteins were significantly reduced in Camsap3-cKO mice and that aged Camsap3-cKO mice had significantly shorter kinocilia than their wildtype littermates. Transmission electron microscopy showed that aged Camsap3-cKO mice were in fact missing that the central MT pair in kinocilia more often than their wildtype counterparts. In the examination of behavior, wildtype and Camsap3-cKO mice performed equally well on a swim assessment, right-reflex test, and evaluation of balance on a rotarod. However, Camsap3-cKO mice showed slightly altered gaits including reduced maximal rate of change of paw area and a smaller paw area in contact with the surface. Although Camsap3-cKO mice had no differences in olfaction from their wildtype counterparts, Camsap3-cKO mice did have kidney dysfunction that deteriorated their health. Thus, CAMSAP3 is important for establishing and/or maintaining the normal structure of kinocilia and kidney function but is not essential for normal olfaction. Our data supports our hypothesis that CAMSAP3 is critical for construction of the central MT pair in kinocilia, and that the central MT pair may be important for building long and stable axonemes in these kinocilia. Whether shorter kinocilia might lead to abnormal vestibular function and altered gaits in older Camsap3-cKO mice requires further investigation.

Microtubule and auditory function - an underestimated connection

The organ of Corti, located in the cochlea within the inner ear is the receptor organ for hearing. It converts auditory signals into neuronal action potentials that are transmitted to the brain for further processing. The mature organ of Corti consists of a variety of highly differentiated sensory cells that fulfil unique tasks in the processing of auditory signals. The actin and microtubule cytoskeleton play essential function in hearing, however so far, more attention has been paid to the role of actin. Microtubules play important roles in maintaining cellular structure and intracellular transport in virtually all eukaryotic cells. Their functions are controlled by interactions with a large variety of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and molecular motors. Current advances show that tubulin posttranslational modifications, as well as tubulin isotypes could play key roles in modulating microtubule properties and functions in cells. These mechanisms could have various effects on the stability and functions of microtubules in the highly specialised cells of the cochlea. Here, we review the current understanding of the role of microtubule-regulating mechanisms in the function of the cochlea and their implications for hearing, which highlights the importance of microtubules in the field of hearing research.

Cochlear supporting cells require GAS2 for cytoskeletal architecture and hearing

In mammals, sound is detected by mechanosensory hair cells that are activated in response to vibrations at frequency-dependent positions along the cochlear duct. We demonstrate that inner ear supporting cells provide a structural framework for transmitting sound energy through the cochlear partition. Humans and mice with mutations in GAS2, encoding a cytoskeletal regulatory protein, exhibit hearing loss due to disorganization and destabilization of microtubule bundles in pillar and Deiters' cells, two types of inner ear supporting cells with unique cytoskeletal specializations. Failure to maintain microtubule bundle integrity reduced supporting cell stiffness, which in turn altered cochlear micromechanics in Gas2 mutants. Vibratory responses to sound were measured in cochleae from live mice, revealing defects in the propagation and amplification of the traveling wave in Gas2 mutants. We propose that the microtubule bundling activity of GAS2 imparts supporting cells with mechanical properties for transmitting sound energy through the cochlea.

CAMSAP3 facilitates basal body polarity and the formation of the central pair of microtubules in motile cilia

Cilia are composed of hundreds of proteins whose identities and functions are far from being completely understood. In this study, we determined that calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein 3 (CAMSAP3) plays an important role for the function of motile cilia in multiciliated cells (MCCs). Global knockdown of CAMSAP3 protein expression in mice resulted in defects in ciliary structures, polarity, and synchronized beating in MCCs. These animals also displayed signs and symptoms reminiscent of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), including a mild form of hydrocephalus, subfertility, and impaired mucociliary clearance that leads to hyposmia, anosmia, rhinosinusitis, and otitis media. Functional characterization of CAMSAP3 enriches our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation and function of motile cilia in MCCs.

Synchronized beating of cilia on multiciliated cells (MCCs) generates a directional flow of mucus across epithelia. This motility requires a “9 + 2” microtubule (MT) configuration in axonemes and the unidirectional array of basal bodies of cilia on the MCCs. However, it is not fully understood what components are needed for central MT-pair assembly as they are not continuous with basal bodies in contrast to the nine outer MT doublets. In this study, we discovered that a homozygous knockdown mouse model for MT minus-end regulator calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein 3 (CAMSAP3), Camsap3^tm1a/tm1a, exhibited multiple phenotypes, some of which are typical of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a condition caused by motile cilia defects. Anatomical examination of Camsap3^tm1a/tm1a mice revealed severe nasal airway blockage and abnormal ciliary morphologies in nasal MCCs. MCCs from different tissues exhibited defective synchronized beating and ineffective generation of directional flow likely underlying the PCD-like phenotypes. In normal mice, CAMSAP3 localized to the base of axonemes and at the basal bodies in MCCs. However, in Camsap3^tm1a/tm1a, MCCs lacked CAMSAP3 at the ciliary base. Importantly, the central MT pairs were missing in the majority of cilia, and the polarity of the basal bodies was disorganized. These phenotypes were further confirmed in MCCs of Xenopus embryos when CAMSAP3 expression was knocked down by morpholino injection. Taken together, we identified CAMSAP3 as being important for the formation of central MT pairs, proper orientation of basal bodies, and synchronized beating of motile cilia.

Ninein is essential for apico-basal microtubule formation and CLIP-170 facilitates its redeployment to non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centres

Differentiation of columnar epithelial cells involves a dramatic reorganization of the microtubules (MTs) and centrosomal components into an apico-basal array no longer anchored at the centrosome. Instead, the minus-ends of the MTs become anchored at apical non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centres (n-MTOCs). Formation of n-MTOCs is critical as they determine the spatial organization of MTs, which in turn influences cell shape and function. However, how they are formed is poorly understood. We have previously shown that the centrosomal anchoring protein ninein is released from the centrosome, moves in a microtubule-dependent manner and accumulates at n-MTOCs during epithelial differentiation. Here, we report using depletion and knockout (KO) approaches that ninein expression is essential for apico-basal array formation and epithelial elongation and that CLIP-170 is required for its redeployment to n-MTOCs. Functional inhibition also revealed that IQGAP1 and active Rac1 coordinate with CLIP-170 to facilitate microtubule plus-end cortical targeting and ninein redeployment. Intestinal tissue and in vitro organoids from the Clip1/Clip2 double KO mouse with deletions in the genes encoding CLIP-170 and CLIP-115, respectively, confirmed requirement of CLIP-170 for ninein recruitment to n-MTOCs, with possible compensation by other anchoring factors such as p150^Glued and CAMSAP2 ensuring apico-basal microtubule formation despite loss of ninein at n-MTOCs.

A structural model for microtubule minus-end recognition and protection by CAMSAP proteins

CAMSAP and Patronin family members regulate microtubule minus-end stability and localization and thus organize noncentrosomal microtubule networks, which are essential for cell division, polarization and differentiation. Here, we found that the CAMSAP C-terminal CKK domain is widely present among eukaryotes and autonomously recognizes microtubule minus ends. Through a combination of structural approaches, we uncovered how mammalian CKK binds between two tubulin dimers at the interprotofilament interface on the outer microtubule surface. In vitro reconstitution assays combined with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and cryo-electron tomography suggested that CKK preferentially associates with the transition zone between curved protofilaments and the regular microtubule lattice. We propose that minus-end-specific features of the interprotofilament interface at this site serve as the basis for CKK's minus-end preference. The steric clash between microtubule-bound CKK and kinesin motors explains how CKK protects microtubule minus ends against kinesin-13-induced depolymerization and thus controls the stability of free microtubule minus ends.

Microtubule-Organizing Centers

The organization of microtubule networks is crucial for controlling chromosome segregation during cell division, for positioning and transport of different organelles, and for cell polarity and morphogenesis. The geometry of microtubule arrays strongly depends on the localization and activity of the sites where microtubules are nucleated and where their minus ends are anchored. Such sites are often clustered into structures known as microtubule-organizing centers, which include the centrosomes in animals and spindle pole bodies in fungi. In addition, other microtubules, as well as membrane compartments such as the cell nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, and the cell cortex, can nucleate, stabilize, and tether microtubule minus ends. These activities depend on microtubule-nucleating factors, such as γ-tubulin-containing complexes and their activators and receptors, and microtubule minus end-stabilizing proteins with their binding partners. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on how such factors work together to control microtubule organization in different systems.

Patronin/Shot Cortical Foci Assemble the Noncentrosomal Microtubule Array that Specifies the Drosophila Anterior-Posterior Axis

Noncentrosomal microtubules play an important role in polarizing differentiated cells, but little is known about how these microtubules are organized. Here we identify the spectraplakin, Short stop (Shot), as the cortical anchor for noncentrosomal microtubule organizing centers (ncMTOCs) in the Drosophila oocyte. Shot interacts with the cortex through its actin-binding domain and recruits the microtubule minus-end-binding protein, Patronin, to form cortical ncMTOCs. Shot/Patronin foci do not co-localize with γ-tubulin, suggesting that they do not nucleate new microtubules. Instead, they capture and stabilize existing microtubule minus ends, which then template new microtubule growth. Shot/Patronin foci are excluded from the oocyte posterior by the Par-1 polarity kinase to generate the polarized microtubule network that localizes axis determinants. Both proteins also accumulate apically in epithelial cells, where they are required for the formation of apical-basal microtubule arrays. Thus, Shot/Patronin ncMTOCs may provide a general mechanism for organizing noncentrosomal microtubules in differentiated cells.

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The Drosophila spectraplakin, Shot, recruits Patronin to form noncentrosomal MTOCs

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The actin-binding domain of Shot anchors the ncMTOCs to the oocyte cortex

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Par-1 excludes Shot from the posterior cortex to define the anterior-posterior axis

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Shot/Patronin ncMTOCs lack γ-tubulin and grow MTs from stabilized minus-end stumps

Cadherin 23-C Regulates Microtubule Networks by Modifying CAMSAP3's Function

Cadherin-related 23 (CDH23) is an adhesive protein important for hearing and vision, while CAMSAP3/Marshalin is a microtubule (MT) minus-end binding protein that regulates MT networks. Although both CDH23 and CAMSAP3/Marshalin are expressed in the organ of Corti, and carry several protein-protein interaction domains, no functional connection between these two proteins has been proposed. In this report, we demonstrate that the C isoform of CDH23 (CDH23-C) directly binds to CAMSAP3/Marshalin and modifies its function by inhibiting CAMSAP3/Marshalin-induced bundle formation, a process that requires a tubulin-binding domain called CKK. We further identified a conserved N-terminal region of CDH23-C that binds to the CKK domain. This CKK binding motif (CBM) is adjacent to the domain that interacts with harmonin, a binding partner of CDH23 implicated in deafness. Because the human Usher Syndrome 1D-associated mutation, CDH23 R3175H, maps to the CBM, we created a matched mutation in mouse CDH23-C at R55H. Both in vivo and in vitro assays decreased the ability of CDH23-C to interact with CAMSAP3/Marshalin, indicating that the interaction between CDH23 and CAMSAP3/Marshalin plays a vital role in hearing and vision. Together, our data suggest that CDH23-C is a CAMSAP3/Marshalin-binding protein that can modify MT networks indirectly through its interaction with CAMSAP3/Marshalin.

Control of apico-basal epithelial polarity by the microtubule minus-end binding protein CAMSAP3 and spectraplakin ACF7

The microtubule cytoskeleton regulates cell polarity by spatially organizing membrane trafficking and signaling processes. In epithelial cells, microtubules form parallel arrays aligned along the apico-basal axis, and recent work has demonstrated that the members of CAMSAP/Patronin family control apical tethering of microtubule minus ends. Here, we show that in mammalian intestinal epithelial cells, the spectraplakin ACF7 specifically binds to CAMSAP3 and is required for the apical localization of CAMSAP3-decorated microtubule minus ends. Loss of ACF7 but not of CAMSAP3 or its homologue CAMSAP2 affected the formation of polarized epithelial cysts in 3D cultures. In short-term epithelial polarization assays, the knock-out of CAMSAP3, but not of CAMSAP2 caused microtubule re-organization into a more radial centrosomal array, redistribution of Rab11 endosomes from the apical cell surface to the pericentrosomal region and inhibition of actin brush border formation at the apical side of the cell. We conclude that ACF7 is an important regulator of apico-basal polarity in mammalian intestinal cells and that a radial centrosome-centered microtubule organization can act as an inhibitor of epithelial polarity.

Microtubule minus-end-targeting proteins

Microtubules are cytoskeletal filaments that are intrinsically polarized, with two structurally and functionally distinct ends, the plus end and the minus end. Over the last decade, numerous studies have shown that microtubule plus-end dynamics play an important role in many vital cellular processes and are controlled by numerous factors, such as microtubule plus-end-tracking proteins (+TIPs). In contrast, the cellular machinery that controls the behavior and organization of microtubule minus ends remains one of the least well-understood facets of the microtubule cytoskeleton. The recent characterization of the CAMSAP/Patronin/Nezha family members as specific 'minus-end-targeting proteins' ('-TIPs') has provided important new insights into the mechanisms governing minus-end dynamics. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on how microtubule minus ends are controlled and how minus-end regulators contribute to non-centrosomal microtubule organization and function during cell division, migration and differentiation.