scholarly journals Analysis of Dynactin Subcomplexes Reveals a Novel Actin-Related Protein Associated with the Arp1 Minifilament Pointed End

1999 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mark Eckley ◽  
Steven R. Gill ◽  
Karin A. Melkonian ◽  
James B. Bingham ◽  
Holly V. Goodson ◽  
...  

The multisubunit protein, dynactin, is a critical component of the cytoplasmic dynein motor machinery. Dynactin contains two distinct structural domains: a projecting sidearm that interacts with dynein and an actin-like minifilament backbone that is thought to bind cargo. Here, we use biochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular cloning techniques to obtain a comprehensive picture of dynactin composition and structure. Treatment of purified dynactin with recombinant dynamitin yields two assemblies: the actin-related protein, Arp1, minifilament and the p150Glued sidearm. Both contain dynamitin. Treatment of dynactin with the chaotropic salt, potassium iodide, completely depolymerizes the Arp1 minifilament to reveal multiple protein complexes that contain the remaining dynactin subunits. The shoulder/sidearm complex contains p150Glued, dynamitin, and p24 subunits and is ultrastructurally similar to dynactin's flexible projecting sidearm. The dynactin shoulder complex, which contains dynamitin and p24, is an elongated, flexible assembly that may link the shoulder/sidearm complex to the Arp1 minifilament. Pointed-end complex contains p62, p27, and p25 subunits, plus a novel actin-related protein, Arp11. p62, p27, and p25 contain predicted cargo-binding motifs, while the Arp11 sequence suggests a pointed-end capping activity. These isolated dynactin subdomains will be useful tools for further analysis of dynactin assembly and function.

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (19) ◽  
pp. 3827-3837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Yu Yeh ◽  
Nicholas J. Quintyne ◽  
Brett R. Scipioni ◽  
D. Mark Eckley ◽  
Trina A. Schroer

Dynactin is an essential part of the cytoplasmic dynein motor that enhances motor processivity and serves as an adaptor that allows dynein to bind cargoes. Much is known about dynactin's interaction with dynein and microtubules, but how it associates with its diverse complement of subcellular binding partners remains mysterious. It has been suggested that cargo specification involves a group of subunits referred to as the “pointed-end complex.” We used chemical cross-linking, RNA interference, and protein overexpression to characterize interactions within the pointed-end complex and explore how it contributes to dynactin's interactions with endomembranes. The Arp11 subunit, which caps one end of dynactin's Arp1 filament, and p62, which binds Arp11 and Arp1, are necessary for dynactin stability. These subunits also allow dynactin to bind the nuclear envelope prior to mitosis. p27 and p25, by contrast, are peripheral components that can be removed without any obvious impact on dynactin integrity. Dynactin lacking these subunits shows reduced membrane binding. Depletion of p27 and p25 results in impaired early and recycling endosome movement, but late endosome movement is unaffected, and mitotic spindles appear normal. We conclude that the pointed-end complex is a bipartite structural domain that stabilizes dynactin and supports its binding to different subcellular structures.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Terenzio ◽  
Agostina Di Pizio ◽  
Ida Rishal ◽  
Letizia Marvaldi ◽  
Pierluigi Di Matteo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe cytoplasmic dynein motor complex transports essential signals and organelles from the cell periphery to perinuclear region, hence is critical for the survival and function of highly polarized cells such as neurons. Dynein Light Chain Roadblock-Type 1 (DYNLRB1) is thought to be an accessory subunit required for specific cargos, but here we show that it is essential for general dynein-mediated transport and sensory neuron survival. Homozygous Dynlrb1 null mice are not viable and die during early embryonic development. Furthermore, heterozygous or adult knockdown animals display reduced neuronal growth, and selective depletion of Dynlrb1 in proprioceptive neurons compromises their survival. Conditional depletion of Dynlrb1 in sensory neurons causes deficits in several signaling pathways, including β-catenin subcellular localization, and a severe impairment in the axonal transport of both lysosomes and retrograde signaling endosomes. Hence, DYNLRB1 is an essential component of the dynein complex.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Amin ◽  
Richard J. McKenney ◽  
Dileep Varma

AbstractChromosome alignment and segregation during mitosis depends critically on kinetochoremicrotubule (kMT) attachments that are mediated by the function of the molecular motor cytoplasmic dynein, and the kinetochore microtubule (MT) binding complex, Ndc80. The RZZ (Rod-ZW10-Zwilch) complex is central to this coordination as it has an important role in dynein recruitment and has recently been reported to have a key function in the regulation of stable kMT attachment formation in C. elegans. However, the mechanism by which kMT attachments are controlled by the coordinated function of these protein complexes to drive chromosome motility during early mitosis is still unclear. In this manuscript, we provide evidence to show that Ndc80 and dynein directly antagonize each other’s MT-binding. We also find that severe chromosome alignment defects induced by depletion of dynein, or the dynein adapter spindly, are rescued by codepletion of the RZZ component, Rod, in human cells. Interestingly, the rescue of chromosome alignments defects was independent of Rod function in activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint and was accompanied by a remarkable restoration of stable kMT attachments. Furthermore, rescue of chromosome alignment was critically dependent on the plus-end-directed motility of CENP-E, as cells codepleted of CENP-E along with Rod and dynein were unable to establish stable kMT attachments or align their chromosomes properly. Taken together, our findings support the idea that the dynein motor may control the function of the Ndc80 complex in stabilizing kMT attachments either directly by interfering with Ndc80-MT binding, and/or indirectly by modulating the Rod-mediated inhibition of Ndc80.


2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2195-2206 ◽  
Author(s):  
In Hyung Lee ◽  
Santosh Kumar ◽  
Michael Plamann

Dynactin is a multisubunit complex that regulates the activities of cytoplasmic dynein, a microtubule-associated motor. Actin-related protein 1 (Arp1) is the most abundant subunit of dynactin, and it forms a short filament to which additional subunits associate. An Arp1 filament pointed-end–binding subcomplex has been identified that consists of p62, p25, p27, and Arp11 subunits. The functional roles of these subunits have not been determined. Recently, we reported the cloning of an apparent homologue of mammalian Arp11 from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Here, we report that N. crassa ro-2 and ro-12 genes encode the respective p62 and p25 subunits of the pointed-end complex. Characterization of Δro-2, Δro-7, and Δro-12 mutants reveals that each has a distinct phenotype. All three mutants have reduced in vivo vesicle trafficking and have defects in vacuole distribution. We showed previously that in vivo dynactin function is required for high-level dynein ATPase activity, and we find that all three mutants have low dynein ATPase activity. Surprisingly, Δro-12 differs from Δro-2 and Δro-7 and other previously characterized dynein/dynactin mutants in that it has normal nuclear distribution. Each of the mutants shows a distinct dynein/dynactin localization pattern. All three mutants also show stronger dynein/dynactin-membrane interaction relative to wild type, suggesting that the Arp1 pointed-end complex may regulate interaction of dynactin with membranous cargoes.


Author(s):  
C.A. Mannella ◽  
K.F. Buttle ◽  
K.A. O‘Farrell ◽  
A. Leith ◽  
M. Marko

Early transmission electron microscopy of plastic-embedded, thin-sectioned mitochondria indicated that there are numerous junctions between the outer and inner membranes of this organelle. More recent studies have suggested that the mitochondrial membrane contacts may be the site of protein complexes engaged in specialized functions, e.g., import of mitochondrial precursor proteins, adenine nucleotide channeling, and even intermembrane signalling. It has been suggested that the intermembrane contacts may be sites of membrane fusion involving non-bilayer lipid domains in the two membranes. However, despite growing interest in the nature and function of intramitochondrial contact sites, little is known about their structure.We are using electron microscopic tomography with the Albany HVEM to determine the internal organization of mitochondria. We have reconstructed a 0.6-μm section through an isolated, plasticembedded rat-liver mitochondrion by combining 123 projections collected by tilting (+/- 70°) around two perpendicular tilt axes. The resulting 3-D image has confirmed the basic inner-membrane organization inferred from lower-resolution reconstructions obtained from single-axis tomography.


2016 ◽  
pp. 126-129
Author(s):  
M. Makarenko ◽  
◽  
D. Hovsyeyev ◽  
L. Sydoryk ◽  
◽  
...  

Different kinds of physiological stress cause mass changes in the cells, including the changes in the structure and function of the protein complexes and in separate molecules. The protein functions is determined by its folding (the spatial conclusion), which depends on the functioning of proteins of thermal shock- molecular chaperons (HSPs) or depends on the stress proteins, that are high-conservative; specialized proteins that are responsible for the correct proteinaceous folding. The family of the molecular chaperones/ chaperonins/ Hsp60 has a special place due to the its unique properties of activating the signaling cascades through the system of Toll-like receptors; it also stimulates the cells to produce anti- inflammatory cytokines, defensins, molecules of cell adhesion and the molecules of MHC; it functions as the intercellular signaling molecule. The pathological role of Hsp60 is established in a wide range of illnesses, from diabetes to atherosclerosis, where Hsp60 takes part in the regulation of both apoptosis and the autoimmune processes. The presence of the HSPs was found in different tissues that are related to the reproductive system. Key words: molecular chaperons (HSPs), Toll-like receptors, reproductive function, natural auto antibody.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Satish Kantipudi ◽  
Daniel Harder ◽  
Sara Bonetti ◽  
Dimitrios Fotiadis ◽  
Jean-Marc Jeckelmann

Heterodimeric amino acid transporters (HATs) are protein complexes composed of two subunits, a heavy and a light subunit belonging to the solute carrier (SLC) families SLC3 and SLC7. HATs transport amino acids and derivatives thereof across the plasma membrane. The human HAT 4F2hc-LAT1 is composed of the type-II membrane N-glycoprotein 4F2hc (SLC3A2) and the L-type amino acid transporter LAT1 (SLC7A5). 4F2hc-LAT1 is medically relevant, and its dysfunction and overexpression are associated with autism and tumor progression. Here, we provide a general applicable protocol on how to screen for the best membrane transport protein-expressing clone in terms of protein amount and function using Pichia pastoris as expression host. Furthermore, we describe an overexpression and purification procedure for the production of the HAT 4F2hc-LAT1. The isolated heterodimeric complex is pure, correctly assembled, stable, binds the substrate L-leucine, and is thus properly folded. Therefore, this Pichia pastoris-derived recombinant human 4F2hc-LAT1 sample can be used for downstream biochemical and biophysical characterizations.


2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 2690-2701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton ◽  
Amanda Siglin ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Jeffrey K. Moore ◽  
Shubbir Ahmed ◽  
...  

Cytoplasmic dynein is a large multisubunit complex involved in retrograde transport and the positioning of various organelles. Dynein light chain (LC) subunits are conserved across species; however, the molecular contribution of LCs to dynein function remains controversial. One model suggests that LCs act as cargo-binding scaffolds. Alternatively, LCs are proposed to stabilize the intermediate chains (ICs) of the dynein complex. To examine the role of LCs in dynein function, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which the sole function of dynein is to position the spindle during mitosis. We report that the LC8 homologue, Dyn2, localizes with the dynein complex at microtubule ends and interacts directly with the yeast IC, Pac11. We identify two Dyn2-binding sites in Pac11 that exert differential effects on Dyn2-binding and dynein function. Mutations disrupting Dyn2 elicit a partial loss-of-dynein phenotype and impair the recruitment of the dynein activator complex, dynactin. Together these results indicate that the dynein-based function of Dyn2 is via its interaction with the dynein IC and that this interaction is important for the interaction of dynein and dynactin. In addition, these data provide the first direct evidence that LC occupancy in the dynein motor complex is important for function.


mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas J. Delalez ◽  
Richard M. Berry ◽  
Judith P. Armitage

ABSTRACTSome proteins in biological complexes exchange with pools of free proteins while the complex is functioning. Evidence is emerging that protein exchange can be part of an adaptive mechanism. The bacterial flagellar motor is one of the most complex biological machines and is an ideal model system to study protein dynamics in large multimeric complexes. Recent studies showed that the copy number of FliM in the switch complex and the fraction of FliM that exchanges vary with the direction of flagellar rotation. Here, we investigated the stoichiometry and turnover of another switch complex component, FliN, labeled with the fluorescent protein CyPet, inEscherichia coli. Our results confirm that,in vivo, FliM and FliN form a complex with stoichiometry of 1:4 and function as a unit. We estimated that wild-type motors contained 120 ± 26 FliN molecules. Motors that rotated only clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) contained 114 ± 17 and 144 ± 26 FliN molecules, respectively. The ratio of CCW-to-CW FliN copy numbers was 1.26, very close to that of 1.29 reported previously for FliM. We also measured the exchange of FliN molecules, which had a time scale and dependence upon rotation direction similar to those of FliM, consistent with an exchange of FliM-FliN as a unit. Our work confirms the highly dynamic nature of multimeric protein complexes and indicates that, under physiological conditions, these machines might not be the stable, complete structures suggested by averaged fixed methodologies but, rather, incomplete rings that can respond and adapt to changing environments.IMPORTANCEThe flagellum is one of the most complex structures in a bacterial cell, with the core motor proteins conserved across species. Evidence is now emerging that turnover of some of these motor proteins depends on motor activity, suggesting that turnover is important for function. The switch complex transmits the chemosensory signal to the rotor, and we show, by using single-cell measurement, that both the copy number and the fraction of exchanging molecules vary with the rotational bias of the rotor. When the motor is locked in counterclockwise rotation, the copy number is similar to that determined by averaged, fixed methodologies, but when locked in a clockwise direction, the number is much lower, suggesting that that the switch complex ring is incomplete. Our results suggest that motor remodeling is an important component in tuning responses and adaptation at the motor.


Reproduction ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Zhang ◽  
Shen Yin ◽  
Man-Xi Jiang ◽  
Wei Ma ◽  
Yi Hou ◽  
...  

The present study was designed to investigate the localization and function of cytoplasmic dynein (dynein) during mouse oocyte meiosis and its relationship with two major spindle checkpoint proteins, mitotic arrest-deficient (Mad) 1 and Mad2. Oocytes at various stages during the first meiosis were fixed and immunostained for dynein, Mad1, Mad2, kinetochores, microtubules, and chromosomes. Some oocytes were treated with nocodazole before examination. Anti-dynein antibody was injected into the oocytes at germinal vesicle (GV) stage before the examination of its effects on meiotic progression or Mad1 and Mad2 localization. Results showed that dynein was present in the oocytes at various stages from GV to metaphase II and the locations of Mad1 and Mad2 were associated with dynein’s movement. Both Mad1 and Mad2 had two existing states: one existed in the cytoplasm (cytoplasmic Mad1 or cytoplasmic Mad2), which did not bind to kinetochores, while the other bound to kinetochores (kinetochore Mad1 or kinetochore Mad2). The equilibrium between the two states varied during meiosis and/or in response to the changes of the connection between microtubules and kinetochores. Cytoplasmic Mad1 and Mad2 recruited to chromosomes when the connection between microtubules and chromosomes was destroyed. Inhibition of dynein interferes with cytoplasmic Mad1 and Mad2 transportation from chromosomes to spindle poles, thus inhibits checkpoint silence and delays anaphase onset. These results indicate that dynein may play a role in spindle checkpoint inactivation.


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