scholarly journals The hyperstability and composition of Giardia’s ventral disc highlights the remarkable versatility of microtubule organelles

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Nosala ◽  
K.D. Hagen ◽  
T.M. Chase ◽  
K. Jones ◽  
R. Loudermilk ◽  
...  

AbstractGiardia is a common protistan parasite that causes diarrheal disease worldwide. Motile trophozoites colonize the small intestine, attaching to the villi with the ventral disc, a unique and complex microtubule (MT) organelle. Attachment to the host epithelium allows Giardia to resist peristalsis during infection of the host gastrointestinal tract. Despite our emerging view of the complexity of ventral disc architecture, we are still in the very preliminary stages of understanding how specific structural elements contribute to disc stability or generate forces for attachment. The ventral disc is a large, dome-shaped, spiral MT array decorated with microribbon-crossbridge protein complexes (MR-CB) that extend upward into the cytoplasm. To find additional disc-associated proteins (DAPs), we used a modified method for disc biochemical fractionation in high salt followed by shotgun proteomic analyses and validation by GFP-tagging. Using this method in conjunction with an ongoing subcellular localization screen, we identified 54 new DAPs. Of the 87 DAPs confirmed to date, 54 localize only to the disc, and the remainder localize to additional structures including the flagella, basal bodies, or median body. Almost one third of the known DAPs lack any homology to proteins in other eukaryotes and another one third simply contain ankyrin repeat domains. Many DAPs localize to specific structural regions of the disc, including the ventral groove region and disc margin. Lastly, we show that spiral singlet MT array comprising the disc is hyperstable and lacks dynamic instability, and we attribute these unique properties to the presence of both novel DAPs as well conserved MAPs and MIPs that are known to stabilize ciliary doublet and triplet MTs.

2015 ◽  
Vol 211 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takayuki Yasunaga ◽  
Sylvia Hoff ◽  
Christoph Schell ◽  
Martin Helmstädter ◽  
Oliver Kretz ◽  
...  

Motile cilia polarization requires intracellular anchorage to the cytoskeleton; however, the molecular machinery that supports this process remains elusive. We report that Inturned plays a central role in coordinating the interaction between cilia-associated proteins and actin-nucleation factors. We observed that knockdown of nphp4 in multiciliated cells of the Xenopus laevis epidermis compromised ciliogenesis and directional fluid flow. Depletion of nphp4 disrupted the subapical actin layer. Comparison to the structural defects caused by inturned depletion revealed striking similarities. Furthermore, coimmunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the two proteins interact with each other and that Inturned mediates the formation of ternary protein complexes between NPHP4 and DAAM1. Knockdown of daam1, but not formin-2, resulted in similar disruption of the subapical actin web, whereas nphp4 depletion prevented the association of Inturned with the basal bodies. Thus, Inturned appears to function as an adaptor protein that couples cilia-associated molecules to actin-modifying proteins to rearrange the local actin cytoskeleton.


2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (16) ◽  
pp. jcs227355
Author(s):  
Christopher Nosala ◽  
Kari D. Hagen ◽  
Nicholas Hilton ◽  
Tiffany M. Chase ◽  
Kelci Jones ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTGiardia lamblia, a widespread parasitic protozoan, attaches to the host gastrointestinal epithelium by using the ventral disc, a complex microtubule (MT) organelle. The ‘cup-like’ disc is formed by a spiral MT array that scaffolds numerous disc-associated proteins (DAPs) and higher-order protein complexes. In interphase, the disc is hyperstable and has limited MT dynamics; however, it remains unclear how DAPs confer these properties. To investigate mechanisms of hyperstability, we confirmed the disc-specific localization of over 50 new DAPs identified by using both a disc proteome and an ongoing GFP localization screen. DAPs localize to specific disc regions and many lack similarity to known proteins. By screening 14 CRISPRi-mediated DAP knockdown (KD) strains for defects in hyperstability and MT dynamics, we identified two strains – DAP5188KD and DAP6751KD –with discs that dissociate following high-salt fractionation. Discs in the DAP5188KD strain were also sensitive to treatment with the MT-polymerization inhibitor nocodazole. Thus, we confirm here that at least two of the 87 known DAPs confer hyperstable properties to the disc MTs, and we anticipate that other DAPs contribute to disc MT stability, nucleation and assembly.


eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna L Höög ◽  
Sylvain Lacomble ◽  
Eileen T O’Toole ◽  
Andreas Hoenger ◽  
J Richard McIntosh ◽  
...  

Defects in flagella growth are related to a number of human diseases. Central to flagellar growth is the organization of microtubules that polymerize from basal bodies to form the axoneme, which consists of hundreds of proteins. Flagella exist in all eukaryotic phyla, but neither the mechanism by which flagella grow nor the conservation of this process in evolution are known. Here, we study how protein complexes assemble onto the growing axoneme tip using (cryo) electron tomography. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii microtubules and associated proteins are added simultaneously. However, in Trypanosoma brucei, disorganized arrays of microtubules are arranged into the axoneme structure by the later addition of preformed protein complexes. Post assembly, the T. brucei transition zone alters structure and its association with the central pair loosens. We conclude that there are multiple ways to form a flagellum and that species-specific structural knowledge is critical before evaluating flagellar defects.


Author(s):  
R.A Walker ◽  
S. Inoue ◽  
E.D. Salmon

Microtubules polymerized in vitro from tubulin purified free of microtubule-associated proteins exhibit dynamic instability (1,2,3). Free microtubule ends exist in persistent phases of elongation or rapid shortening with infrequent, but, abrupt transitions between these phases. The abrupt transition from elongation to rapid shortening is termed catastrophe and the abrupt transition from rapid shortening to elongation is termed rescue. A microtubule is an asymmetrical structure. The plus end grows faster than the minus end. The frequency of catastrophe of the plus end is somewhat greater than the minus end, while the frequency of rescue of the plus end in much lower than for the minus end (4).The mechanism of catastrophe is controversial, but for both the plus and minus microtubule ends, catastrophe is thought to be dependent on GTP hydrolysis. Microtubule elongation occurs by the association of tubulin-GTP subunits to the growing end. Sometime after incorporation into an elongating microtubule end, the GTP is hydrolyzed to GDP, yielding a core of tubulin-GDP capped by tubulin-GTP (“GTP-cap”).


1991 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
IRM HUTTENLAUCH ◽  
ROBERT K. PECK

The membrane skeleton, or epiplasm, is part of the structurally complex ciliate cortex. It is thought to have skeletal functions concerning the spatial organization of cortical elements such as the basal bodies. Here we report the biochemical and immunological characterization of some components of the purified epiplasm of Pseudomicrothorax dubius. The epiplasm proteins consist of two quantitatively major groups of proteins, one of 76–80x103Mr, the other of 11–13x103Mr, which appear to be the principal structural elements of the epiplasm, and a series of minor components of 62–18x103Mr. Based upon lectin labeling and glycosidase treatment, some of the latter have been identified as glycoproteins. Using affinity-purified antibodies specific for individual glycoproteins or groups of glycoproteins, we were able to localize them in situ by immunoelectron microscopical methods. This in situ localization demonstrates that the glycosylated epitopes, unlike the glycoresidues of membrane proteins, are distributed throughout the entire epiplasmic layer rather than being restricted to regions adjacent to the cortical membranes. Thus, these proteins represent glycosylated, cytoskeletal elements. At least one of these glycoproteins (Mr 62x103) shows positive immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody (Pruss anti-IFA) recognizing most intermediate filament (IF) proteins, indicating that IF proteins might be present in protozoan cytoskeletons.


2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (12) ◽  
pp. 1203-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Cerecedo ◽  
Dalila Martínez-Rojas ◽  
Oscar Chávez ◽  
Francisco Martínez-Pérez ◽  
Francisco García-Sierra ◽  
...  

SummaryPlatelets are dynamic cell fragments that modify their shape during activation. Utrophin and dystrophins are minor actin-binding proteins present in muscle and non-muscle cytoskeleton. In the present study, we characterised the pattern of Dp71 isoforms and utrophin gene products by immunoblot in human platelets. Two new dystrophin isoforms were found, Dp71f and Dp71d, as well as the Up71 isoform and the dystrophin-associated proteins, α and β-dystrobrevins. Distribution of Dp71d/Dp71Δ110 m, Up400/Up71 and dystrophin-associated proteins in relation to the actin cytoskeleton was evaluated by confocal microscopy in both resting and platelets adhered on glass. Formation of two dystrophin-associated protein complexes (Dp71d/Dp71Δ110 m ~DAPC and Up400/Up71~DAPC) was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation and their distribution in relation to the actin cytoskeleton was characterised during platelet adhesion. The Dp71d/Dp71Δ110 m ~DAPC is maintained mainly at the granulomere and is associated with dynamic structures during activation by adhesion to thrombin-coated surfaces. Participation of both Dp71d/Dp71Δ110 m ~DAPC and Up400/Up71~DAPC in the biological roles of the platelets is discussed.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 6694
Author(s):  
Niamat Khan ◽  
Sidra Shahid ◽  
Abdul R. Asif

Chromatin is a dynamic structure comprising of DNA and proteins. Its unique nature not only help to pack the DNA tightly within the cell but also is pivotal in regulating gene expression DNA replication. Furthermore it also protects the DNA from being damaged. Various proteins are involved in making a specific complex within a chromatin and the knowledge about these interacting partners is helpful to enhance our understanding about the pathophysiology of various chromatin associated diseases. Moreover, it could also help us to identify new drug targets and design more effective remedies. Due to the existence of chromatin in different forms under various physiological conditions it is hard to develop a single strategy to study chromatin associated proteins under all conditions. In our current review, we tried to provide an overview and comparative analysis of the strategies currently adopted to capture the DNA bounded protein complexes and their mass spectrometric identification and quantification. Precise information about the protein partners and their function in the DNA-protein complexes is crucial to design new and more effective therapeutic molecules against chromatin associated diseases.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L. Mallam ◽  
Wisath Sae-Lee ◽  
Jeffrey M. Schaub ◽  
Fan Tu ◽  
Anna Battenhouse ◽  
...  

AbstractRNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play essential roles in biology and are frequently associated with human disease. While recent studies have systematically identified individual RBPs, their higher order assembly intoRibonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes has not been systematically investigated. Here, we describe a proteomics method for systematic identification of RNP complexes in human cells. We identify 1,428 protein complexes that associate with RNA, indicating that over 20% of known human protein complexes contain RNA. To explore the role of RNA in the assembly of each complex, we identify complexes that dissociate, change composition, or form stable protein-only complexes in the absence of RNA. Importantly, these data also provide specific novel insights into the function of well-studied protein complexes not previously known to associate with RNA, including replication factor C (RFC) and cytokinetic centralspindlin complex. Finally, we use our method to systematically identify cell-type specific RNA-associated proteins in mouse embryonic stem cells. We distribute these data as a resource, rna.MAP (rna.proteincomplexes.org) which provides a comprehensive dataset for the study of RNA-associated protein complexes. Our system thus provides a novel methodology for further explorations across human tissues and disease states, as well as throughout all domains of life.SummaryAn exploration of human protein complexes in the presence and absence of RNA reveals endogenous ribonucleoprotein complexes


2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne Lampert ◽  
Christine Mieck ◽  
Gregory M. Alushin ◽  
Eva Nogales ◽  
Stefan Westermann

Kinetochores are large protein complexes that link sister chromatids to the spindle and transduce microtubule dynamics into chromosome movement. In budding yeast, the kinetochore–microtubule interface is formed by the plus end–associated Dam1 complex and the kinetochore-resident Ndc80 complex, but how they work in combination and whether a physical association between them is critical for chromosome segregation is poorly understood. Here, we define structural elements required for the Ndc80–Dam1 interaction and probe their function in vivo. A novel ndc80 allele, selectively impaired in Dam1 binding, displayed growth and chromosome segregation defects. Its combination with an N-terminal truncation resulted in lethality, demonstrating essential but partially redundant roles for the Ndc80 N-tail and Ndc80–Dam1 interface. In contrast, mutations in the calponin homology domain of Ndc80 abrogated kinetochore function and were not compensated by the presence of Dam1. Our experiments shed light on how microtubule couplers cooperate and impose important constraints on structural models for outer kinetochore assembly.


1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 1679-1689 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Dhamodharan ◽  
P. Wadsworth

Heat-stable brain microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) and purified microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) were microinjected into cultured BSC-1 cells which had been previously injected with rhodamine-labeled tubulin. The dynamic instability behavior of individual microtubules was then examined using low-light-level fluorescence microscopy and quantitative microtubule tracking methods. Both MAP preparations suppressed microtubule dynamics in vivo, by reducing the average rate and extent of both growing and shortening events. The average duration of growing events was not affected. When measured as events/unit time, heat-stable MAPs and MAP-2 did not significantly alter the frequency of rescue; the frequency of catastrophe was decreased approximately two-fold by heat-stable MAPs and MAP-2. When transition frequencies were calculated as events/unit distance, both MAP preparations increased the frequency of rescue, without altering the frequency of catastrophe. The percentage of total time spent in the phases of growth, shrink and pause was determined. Both MAP-2 and heat-stable MAPs decreased the percentage of time spent shortening, increased the percentage of time spent paused, and had no effect on percentage of time spent growing. Heat-stable MAPs increased the average pause duration, decreased the average number of events per minute per microtubule and increased the probability that a paused microtubule would switch to growing rather than shortening. The results demonstrate that addition of MAPs to living cells reduces the dynamic behavior of individual microtubules primarily by suppressing the magnitude of dynamic events and increasing the time spent in pause, where no change in the microtubule length can be detected. The results further suggest that the expression of MAPs directly contributes to cell type-specific microtubule dynamic behavior.


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