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Puri D, Barry BJ, Engle EC. TUBB3 and KIF21A in neurodevelopment and disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1226181. [PMID: 37600020 PMCID: PMC10436312 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1226181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal migration and axon growth and guidance require precise control of microtubule dynamics and microtubule-based cargo transport. TUBB3 encodes the neuronal-specific β-tubulin isotype III, TUBB3, a component of neuronal microtubules expressed throughout the life of central and peripheral neurons. Human pathogenic TUBB3 missense variants result in altered TUBB3 function and cause errors either in the growth and guidance of cranial and, to a lesser extent, central axons, or in cortical neuronal migration and organization, and rarely in both. Moreover, human pathogenic missense variants in KIF21A, which encodes an anterograde kinesin motor protein that interacts directly with microtubules, alter KIF21A function and cause errors in cranial axon growth and guidance that can phenocopy TUBB3 variants. Here, we review reported TUBB3 and KIF21A variants, resulting phenotypes, and corresponding functional studies of both wildtype and mutant proteins. We summarize the evidence that, in vitro and in mouse models, loss-of-function and missense variants can alter microtubule dynamics and microtubule-kinesin interactions. Lastly, we highlight additional studies that might contribute to our understanding of the relationship between specific tubulin isotypes and specific kinesin motor proteins in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Puri
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
| | - Brenda J. Barry
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth C. Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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2
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Brayford S, Duly A, Teo WS, Dwarte T, Gonzales-Aloy E, Ma Z, McVeigh L, Failes TW, Arndt GM, McCarroll JA, Kavallaris M. βIII-tubulin suppression enhances the activity of Amuvatinib to inhibit cell proliferation in c-Met positive non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cancer Med 2023; 12:4455-4471. [PMID: 35946957 PMCID: PMC9972117 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5128] [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: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer death. Resistance to therapy is a significant problem, highlighting the need to find new ways of sensitising tumour cells to therapeutic agents. βIII-tubulin is associated with aggressive tumours and chemotherapy resistance in a range of cancers including NSCLC. βIII-tubulin expression has been shown to impact kinase signalling in NSCLC cells. Here, we sought to exploit this interaction by identifying co-activity between βIII-tubulin suppression and small-molecule kinase inhibitors. To achieve this, a forced-genetics approach combined with a high-throughput drug screen was used. We show that activity of the multi-kinase inhibitor Amuvatinib (MP-470) is enhanced by βIII-tubulin suppression in independent NSCLC cell lines. We also show that this compound significantly inhibits cell proliferation among βIII-tubulin knockdown cells expressing the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met. Together, our results highlight that βIII-tubulin suppression combined with targeting specific receptor tyrosine kinases may represent a novel therapeutic approach for otherwise difficult-to-treat lung carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Brayford
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alastair Duly
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wee Siang Teo
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tanya Dwarte
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Estrella Gonzales-Aloy
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Zerong Ma
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Laura McVeigh
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Timothy W Failes
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Greg M Arndt
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia.,ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joshua A McCarroll
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maria Kavallaris
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
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3
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Cushion TD, Leca I, Keays DA. MAPping tubulin mutations. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1136699. [PMID: 36875768 PMCID: PMC9975266 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1136699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are filamentous structures that play a critical role in a diverse array of cellular functions including, mitosis, nuclear translocation, trafficking of organelles and cell shape. They are composed of α/β-tubulin heterodimers which are encoded by a large multigene family that has been implicated in an umbrella of disease states collectively known as the tubulinopathies. De novo mutations in different tubulin genes are known to cause lissencephaly, microcephaly, polymicrogyria, motor neuron disease, and female infertility. The diverse clinical features associated with these maladies have been attributed to the expression pattern of individual tubulin genes, as well as their distinct Functional repertoire. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the impact of tubulin mutations on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). MAPs can be classified according to their effect on microtubules and include polymer stabilizers (e.g., tau, MAP2, doublecortin), destabilizers (e.g., spastin, katanin), plus-end binding proteins (e.g., EB1-3, XMAP215, CLASPs) and motor proteins (e.g., dyneins, kinesins). In this review we analyse mutation-specific disease mechanisms that influence MAP binding and their phenotypic consequences, and discuss methods by which we can exploit genetic variation to identify novel MAPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Cushion
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ines Leca
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - David A Keays
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.,Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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4
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Ciliate Microtubule Diversities: Insights from the EFBTU3 Tubulin in the Antarctic Ciliate Euplotes focardii. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122415. [PMID: 36557668 PMCID: PMC9784925 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122415] [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: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoans of the Phylum Ciliophora (ciliates) assemble many diverse microtubular structures in a single cell throughout the life cycle, a feature that made them useful models to study microtubule complexity and the role of tubulin isotypes. In the Antarctic ciliate Euplotes focardii we identified five β-tubulin isotypes by genome sequencing, named EFBTU1, EFBTU2, EFBTU3, EFBTU4 and EFBTU5. By using polyclonal antibodies directed against EFBTU2/EFBTU1 and EFBTU3, we show that the former isotypes appear to be involved in the formation of all microtubular structures and are particularly abundant in cilia, whereas the latter specifically localizes at the bases of cilia. By RNA interference (RNAi) technology, we silenced the EFBTU3 gene and provided evidence that this isotype has a relevant role in cilia regeneration upon deciliation and in cell division. These results support the long-standing concept that tubulin isotypes possess functional specificity in building diverse microtubular structures.
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5
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Abstract
The microtubule cytoskeleton is assembled from the α- and β-tubulin subunits of the canonical tubulin heterodimer, which polymerizes into microtubules, and a small number of other family members, such as γ-tubulin, with specialized functions. Overall, microtubule function involves the collective action of multiple α- and β-tubulin isotypes. However, despite 40 years of awareness that most eukaryotes harbor multiple tubulin isotypes, their role in the microtubule cytoskeleton has remained relatively unclear. Various model organisms offer specific advantages for gaining insight into the role of tubulin isotypes. Whereas simple unicellular organisms such as yeast provide experimental tractability that can facilitate deeper access to mechanistic details, more complex organisms, such as the fruit fly, nematode and mouse, can be used to discern potential specialized functions of tissue- and structure-specific isotypes. Here, we review the role of α- and β-tubulin isotypes in microtubule function and in associated tubulinopathies with an emphasis on the advances gained using model organisms. Overall, we argue that studying tubulin isotypes in a range of organisms can reveal the fundamental mechanisms by which they mediate microtubule function. It will also provide valuable perspectives on how these mechanisms underlie the functional and biological diversity of the cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel T Nsamba
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Mohan L Gupta
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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6
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Duly AMP, Kao FCL, Teo WS, Kavallaris M. βIII-Tubulin Gene Regulation in Health and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:851542. [PMID: 35573698 PMCID: PMC9096907 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.851542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule proteins form a dynamic component of the cytoskeleton, and play key roles in cellular processes, such as vesicular transport, cell motility and mitosis. Expression of microtubule proteins are often dysregulated in cancer. In particular, the microtubule protein βIII-tubulin, encoded by the TUBB3 gene, is aberrantly expressed in a range of epithelial tumours and is associated with drug resistance and aggressive disease. In normal cells, TUBB3 expression is tightly restricted, and is found almost exclusively in neuronal and testicular tissues. Understanding the mechanisms that control TUBB3 expression, both in cancer, mature and developing tissues will help to unravel the basic biology of the protein, its role in cancer, and may ultimately lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to target this protein. This review is devoted to the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of TUBB3 in normal and cancerous tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair M. P. Duly
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Felicity C. L. Kao
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Wee Siang Teo
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Kavallaris
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- Australian Center for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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7
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βIII-Tubulin Structural Domains Regulate Mitochondrial Network Architecture in an Isotype-Specific Manner. Cells 2022; 11:cells11050776. [PMID: 35269398 PMCID: PMC8909761 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
βIII-tubulin is a neuronal microtubule protein that is aberrantly expressed in epithelial cancers. The microtubule network is implicated in regulating the architecture and dynamics of the mitochondrial network, although the isotype-specific role for β-tubulin proteins that constitute this microtubule network remains unclear. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed that manipulation of βIII-tubulin expression levels impacts the volume and shape of mitochondria. Analysis of the structural domains of the protein identifies that the C-terminal tail of βIII-tubulin, which distinguishes this protein from other β-tubulin isotypes, significantly contributes to the isotype-specific effects of βIII-tubulin on mitochondrial architecture. Mass spectrometry analysis of protein–protein interactions with β-tubulin isotypes identifies that βIII-tubulin specifically interacts with regulators of mitochondrial dynamics that may mediate these functional effects. Advanced quantitative dynamic lattice light sheet imaging of the mitochondrial network reveals that βIII-tubulin promotes a more dynamic and extended reticular mitochondrial network, and regulates mitochondrial volume. A regulatory role for the βIII-tubulin C-terminal tail in mitochondrial network dynamics and architecture has widespread implications for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis in health and disease.
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8
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βIII-tubulin overexpression in cancer: Causes, consequences, and potential therapies. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188607. [PMID: 34364992 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Class III β-tubulin (βIII-tubulin) is frequently overexpressed in human tumors and is associated with resistance to microtubule-targeting agents, tumor aggressiveness, and poor patient outcome. Understanding the mechanisms regulating βIII-tubulin expression and the varied functions βIII-tubulin may have in different cancers is vital to assess the prognostic value of this protein and to develop strategies to enhance therapeutic benefits in βIII-tubulin overexpressing tumors. Here we gather all the available evidence regarding the clinical implications of βIII-tubulin overexpression in cancer, describe factors that regulate βIII-tubulin expression, and discuss current understanding of the mechanisms underlying βIII-tubulin-mediated resistance to microtubule-targeting agents and tumor aggressiveness. Finally, we provide an overview of emerging therapeutic strategies to target tumors that overexpress βIII-tubulin.
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9
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Heale KA, Alisaraie L. C-terminal Tail of β-Tubulin and its Role in the Alterations of Dynein Binding Mode. Cell Biochem Biophys 2020; 78:331-345. [PMID: 32462384 PMCID: PMC10020315 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-020-00920-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Dynein is a cytoskeletal molecular motor protein that moves along the microtubule (MT) and transports various cellular cargos during its movement. Using standard Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation, Principle Component Analysis (PCA), and Normal Mode Analysis (NMA) methods, this investigation studied large-scale movements and local interactions of dynein's Microtubule Binding Domain (MTBD) when bound to tubulin heterodimer subunits. Examination of the interactions between the MTBD segments, and their adjustments in terms of intra- and intermolecular distances at the interfacial area with tubulin heterodimer, particularly at α-H16, β-H18, and β-tubulin C-terminal tail (CTT), was the main focus of this study. The specific intramolecular interactions, electrostatic forces, and the salt bridge residue pairs were shown to be the dominating factors in orchestrating movements of the MTBD and MT interfacial segments in the dynein's low-high-affinity binding modes. Important interactions included β-Glu447 and β-Glu449 (CTT) with Arg3469 (MTBD-H6), Lys3472 (MTBD-H6-H7 loop) and Lys3479 (MTBD-H7); β-Glu449 with Lys3384 (MTBD-H8), Lys3386 and His3387 (MTBD-H1). The structural and precise position, orientation, and functional effects of the CTTs on the MT-MTBD, within reasonable cut-off distance for non-bonding interactions and under physiological conditions, are unavailable from previous studies. The absence of the residues in the highly flexible MT-CTTs in the experimentally solved structures is perhaps in some cases due to insufficient data from density maps, but these segments are crucial in protein binding. The presented work contributes to the information useful for the MT-MTBD structure refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kali A Heale
- School of Pharmacy, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Laleh Alisaraie
- School of Pharmacy, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Dr., St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
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10
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Borys F, Joachimiak E, Krawczyk H, Fabczak H. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Affecting Microtubule Dynamics in Normal and Cancer Cells. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25163705. [PMID: 32823874 PMCID: PMC7464520 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs), highly dynamic structures composed of α- and β-tubulin heterodimers, are involved in cell movement and intracellular traffic and are essential for cell division. Within the cell, MTs are not uniform as they can be composed of different tubulin isotypes that are post-translationally modified and interact with different microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). These diverse intrinsic factors influence the dynamics of MTs. Extrinsic factors such as microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) can also affect MT dynamics. MTAs can be divided into two main categories: microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs) and microtubule-destabilizing agents (MDAs). Thus, the MT skeleton is an important target for anticancer therapy. This review discusses factors that determine the microtubule dynamics in normal and cancer cells and describes microtubule–MTA interactions, highlighting the importance of tubulin isoform diversity and post-translational modifications in MTA responses and the consequences of such a phenomenon, including drug resistance development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Borys
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 3 Noakowskiego Street, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (E.J.); (H.F.)
| | - Hanna Krawczyk
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 3 Noakowskiego Street, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Hanna Fabczak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (E.J.); (H.F.)
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11
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Wagenbach M, Vicente JJ, Ovechkina Y, Domnitz S, Wordeman L. Functional characterization of MCAK/Kif2C cancer mutations using high-throughput microscopic analysis. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:580-588. [PMID: 31746663 PMCID: PMC7202071 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-09-0503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The microtubule (MT)-depolymerizing activity of MCAK/Kif2C can be quantified by expressing the motor in cultured cells and measuring tubulin fluorescence levels after enough hours have passed to allow tubulin autoregulation to proceed. This method allows us to score the impact of point mutations within the motor domain. We found that, despite their distinctly different activities, many mutations that impact transport kinesins also impair MCAK/Kif2C's depolymerizing activity. We improved our workflow using CellProfiler to significantly speed up the imaging and analysis of transfected cells. This allowed us to rapidly interrogate a number of MCAK/Kif2C motor domain mutations documented in the cancer database cBioPortal. We found that a large proportion of these mutations adversely impact the motor. Using green fluorescent protein-FKBP-MCAK CRISPR cells we found that one deleterious hot-spot mutation increased chromosome instability in a wild-type (WT) background, suggesting that such mutants have the potential to promote tumor karyotype evolution. We also found that increasing WT MCAK/Kif2C protein levels over that of endogenous MCAK/Kif2C similarly increased chromosome instability. Thus, endogenous MCAK/Kif2C activity in normal cells is tuned to a mean level to achieve maximal suppression of chromosome instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Wagenbach
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Juan Jesus Vicente
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Yulia Ovechkina
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sarah Domnitz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Linda Wordeman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
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Kumbhar BV, Bhandare VV, Panda D, Kunwar A. Delineating the interaction of combretastatin A-4 with αβ tubulin isotypes present in drug resistant human lung carcinoma using a molecular modeling approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:426-438. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1577174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vishwambhar Vishnu Bhandare
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Dulal Panda
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ambarish Kunwar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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13
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Morello L, Pydiura N, Galinousky D, Blume Y, Breviario D. Flax tubulin and CesA superfamilies represent attractive and challenging targets for a variety of genome- and base-editing applications. Funct Integr Genomics 2019; 20:163-176. [PMID: 30826923 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-019-00667-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Flax is both a valuable resource and an interesting model crop. Despite a long history of flax genetic transformation only one transgenic linseed cultivar has been so far registered in Canada. Implementation and use of the genome-editing technologies that allow site-directed modification of endogenous genes without the introduction of foreign genes might improve this situation. Besides its potential for boosting crop yields, genome editing is now one of the best tools for carrying out reverse genetics and it is emerging as an especially versatile tool for studying basic biology. A complex interplay between the flax tubulin family (6 α-, 14 β-, and 2 γ-tubulin genes), the building block of microtubules, and the CesA (15-16 genes), the subunit of the multimeric cellulose-synthesizing complex devoted to the oriented deposition of the cellulose microfibrils is fundamental for the biosynthesis of the cell wall. The role of the different members of each family in providing specificities to the assembled complexes in terms of structure, dynamics, activity, and interaction remains substantially obscure. Genome-editing strategies, recently shown to be successful in flax, can therefore be useful to unravel the issue of functional redundancy and provide evidence for specific interactions between different members of the tubulin and CesA gene families, in relation to different phase and mode of cell wall biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Morello
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria IBBA-CNR, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolay Pydiura
- Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Osypovskoho St. 2a, Kyiv, 04123, Ukraine
| | - Dmitry Galinousky
- Institute of Genetics and Cytology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Akademicheskaya St. 27, 220072, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Yaroslav Blume
- Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Osypovskoho St. 2a, Kyiv, 04123, Ukraine.
| | - Diego Breviario
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria IBBA-CNR, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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