scholarly journals Coordination of NDC80 and Ska complexes at the kinetochore-microtubule interface in human cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wimbish ◽  
Keith F. DeLuca ◽  
Jeanne E. Mick ◽  
Jack Himes ◽  
Ignacio J. Sánchez ◽  
...  

AbstractThe conserved kinetochore-associated NDC80 complex (comprised of Hec1/Ndc80, Nuf2, Spc24, and Spc25) has well-documented roles in mitosis including (1) connecting mitotic chromosomes to spindle microtubules to establish force-transducing kinetochore-microtubule attachments, and (2) regulating the binding strength between kinetochores and microtubules such that correct attachments are stabilized and erroneous attachments are released. Although the NDC80 complex plays a central role in forming and regulating attachments to microtubules, additional factors support these processes as well, including the spindle and kinetochore-associated (Ska) complex. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that Ska complexes strengthen attachments by increasing the ability of NDC80 complexes to bind microtubules, especially to depolymerizing microtubule plus-ends, but how this is accomplished remains unclear. Using cell-based and in vitro assays, we demonstrate that the Hec1 tail domain is dispensable for Ska complex recruitment to kinetochores and for generation of kinetochore-microtubule attachments in human cells. We further demonstrate that Hec1 tail phosphorylation regulates kinetochore-microtubule attachment stability independently of the Ska complex. Finally, we map the location of the Ska complex in cells to a region near the coiled-coil domain of the NDC80 complex, and demonstrate that this region is required for Ska complex recruitment to the NDC80 complex-microtubule interface.

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 759-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynsie J.R. Sundin ◽  
Geoffrey J. Guimaraes ◽  
Jennifer G. DeLuca

Successful mitosis requires that kinetochores stably attach to the plus ends of spindle microtubules. Central to generating these attachments is the NDC80 complex, made of the four proteins Spc24, Spc25, Nuf2, and Hec1/Ndc80. Structural studies have revealed that portions of both Hec1 and Nuf2 N termini fold into calponin homology (CH) domains, which are known to mediate microtubule binding in certain proteins. Hec1 also contains a basic, positively charged stretch of amino acids that precedes its CH domain, referred to as the “tail.” Here, using a gene silence and rescue approach in HeLa cells, we show that the CH domain of Hec1, the CH domain of Nuf2, and the Hec1 tail each contributes to kinetochore–microtubule attachment in distinct ways. The most severe defects in kinetochore–microtubule attachment were observed in cells rescued with a Hec1 CH domain mutant, followed by those rescued with a Hec1 tail domain mutant. Cells rescued with Nuf2 CH domain mutants, however, generated stable kinetochore–microtubule attachments but failed to generate wild-type interkinetochore tension and failed to enter anaphase in a timely manner. These data suggest that the CH and tail domains of Hec1 generate essential contacts between kinetochores and microtubules in cells, whereas the Nuf2 CH domain does not.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1235-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owais Saifee ◽  
Liping Wei ◽  
Michael L. Nonet

We describe the molecular cloning and characterization of theunc-64 locus of Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-64 expresses three transcripts, each encoding a molecule with 63–64% identity to human syntaxin 1A, a membrane- anchored protein involved in synaptic vesicle fusion. Interestingly, the alternative forms of syntaxin differ only in their C-terminal hydrophobic membrane anchors. The forms are differentially expressed in neuronal and secretory tissues; genetic evidence suggests that these forms are not functionally equivalent. A complete loss-of-function mutation in unc-64 results in a worm that completes embryogenesis, but arrests development shortly thereafter as a paralyzed L1 larva, presumably as a consequence of neuronal dysfunction. The severity of the neuronal phenotypes of C. elegans syntaxin mutants appears comparable to those ofDrosophila syntaxin mutants. However, nematode syntaxin appears not to be required for embryonic development, for secretion of cuticle from the hypodermis, or for the function of muscle, in contrast to Drosophila syntaxin, which appears to be required in all cells. Less severe viable unc-64 mutants exhibit a variety of behavioral defects and show strong resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb. Extracellular physiological recordings from pharyngeal muscle of hypomorphic mutants show alterations in the kinetics of transmitter release. The lesions in the hypomorphic alleles map to the hydrophobic face of the H3 coiled-coil domain of syntaxin, a domain that in vitro mediates physical interactions with similar coiled-coil domains in SNAP-25 and synaptobrevin. Furthermore, the unc-64 syntaxin mutants exhibit allele-specific genetic interactions with mutants carrying lesions in the coiled-coil domain of synaptobrevin, providing in vivo evidence for the significance of these domains in regulating synaptic vesicle fusion.


2002 ◽  
Vol 159 (6) ◽  
pp. 993-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine L. Humphries ◽  
Heath I. Balcer ◽  
Jessica L. D'Agostino ◽  
Barbara Winsor ◽  
David G. Drubin ◽  
...  

Mechanisms for activating the actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex have been the focus of many recent studies. Here, we identify a novel mode of Arp2/3 complex regulation mediated by the highly conserved actin binding protein coronin. Yeast coronin (Crn1) physically associates with the Arp2/3 complex and inhibits WA- and Abp1-activated actin nucleation in vitro. The inhibition occurs specifically in the absence of preformed actin filaments, suggesting that Crn1 may restrict Arp2/3 complex activity to the sides of filaments. The inhibitory activity of Crn1 resides in its coiled coil domain. Localization of Crn1 to actin patches in vivo and association of Crn1 with the Arp2/3 complex also require its coiled coil domain. Genetic studies provide in vivo evidence for these interactions and activities. Overexpression of CRN1 causes growth arrest and redistribution of Arp2 and Crn1p into aberrant actin loops. These defects are suppressed by deletion of the Crn1 coiled coil domain and by arc35-26, an allele of the p35 subunit of the Arp2/3 complex. Further in vivo evidence that coronin regulates the Arp2/3 complex comes from the observation that crn1 and arp2 mutants display an allele-specific synthetic interaction. This work identifies a new form of regulation of the Arp2/3 complex and an important cellular function for coronin.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUANWEI FAN ◽  
Natasha Bilkey ◽  
Ram Dixit

Accruing evidence points to the control of microtubule minus-end dynamics as being crucial for the spatial arrangement and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton. In plants, the SPIRAL2 (SPR2) protein has emerged as a microtubule minus-end regulator that is structurally distinct from the animal minus-end regulators. Previously, SPR2 was shown to autonomously localize to microtubule minus ends and decrease their depolymerization rate. Here, we used in vitro and in planta experiments to identify the structural determinants required for SPR2 to recognize and stabilize microtubule minus ends. We show that SPR2 contains a single N-terminal TOG domain that binds to soluble tubulin. The TOG domain, a basic region, and coiled-coil domain are necessary and sufficient to target and stabilize microtubule minus ends. We demonstrate that the coiled-coil domain mediates multimerization of SPR2 that provides avidity for microtubule binding and is essential for binding to soluble tubulin. While TOG domain-containing proteins are traditionally thought to function as microtubule plus-end regulators, our results reveal that nature has repurposed the TOG domain of SPR2 to regulate microtubule minus ends.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (44) ◽  
pp. 22196-22204
Author(s):  
Ashley L. Arthur ◽  
Livia D. Songster ◽  
Helena Sirkia ◽  
Akash Bhattacharya ◽  
Carlos Kikuti ◽  
...  

Filopodia are actin-filled protrusions employed by cells to interact with their environment. Filopodia formation in Amoebozoa and Metazoa requires the phylogenetically diverse MyTH4-FERM (MF) myosins DdMyo7 and Myo10, respectively. While Myo10 is known to form antiparallel dimers, DdMyo7 lacks a coiled-coil domain in its proximal tail region, raising the question of how such divergent motors perform the same function. Here, it is shown that the DdMyo7 lever arm plays a role in both autoinhibition and function while the proximal tail region can mediate weak dimerization, and is proposed to be working in cooperation with the C-terminal MF domain to promote partner-mediated dimerization. Additionally, a forced dimer of the DdMyo7 motor is found to weakly rescue filopodia formation, further highlighting the importance of the C-terminal MF domain. Thus, weak dimerization activity of the DdMyo7 proximal tail allows for sensitive regulation of myosin activity to prevent inappropriate activation of filopodia formation. The results reveal that the principles of MF myosin-based filopodia formation are conserved via divergent mechanisms for dimerization.


2017 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith F. DeLuca ◽  
Amanda Meppelink ◽  
Amanda J. Broad ◽  
Jeanne E. Mick ◽  
Olve B. Peersen ◽  
...  

Precise regulation of kinetochore–microtubule attachments is essential for successful chromosome segregation. Central to this regulation is Aurora B kinase, which phosphorylates kinetochore substrates to promote microtubule turnover. A critical target of Aurora B is the N-terminal “tail” domain of Hec1, which is a component of the NDC80 complex, a force-transducing link between kinetochores and microtubules. Although Aurora B is regarded as the “master regulator” of kinetochore–microtubule attachment, other mitotic kinases likely contribute to Hec1 phosphorylation. In this study, we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase regulates kinetochore–microtubule dynamics of metaphase chromosomes, and we identify Hec1 S69, a previously uncharacterized phosphorylation target site in the Hec1 tail, as a critical Aurora A substrate for this regulation. Additionally, we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase associates with inner centromere protein (INCENP) during mitosis and that INCENP is competent to drive accumulation of the kinase to the centromere region of mitotic chromosomes. These findings reveal that both Aurora A and B contribute to kinetochore–microtubule attachment dynamics, and they uncover an unexpected role for Aurora A in late mitosis.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 8335-8343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyun Cheng ◽  
Jim A. Rogers ◽  
Nancy A. Dunham ◽  
Thomas E. Smithgall

ABSTRACT The cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase Fes has been implicated in cytokine signal transduction, hematopoiesis, and embryonic development. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that active Fes exists as a large oligomeric complex in vitro. However, when Fes is expressed in mammalian cells, its kinase activity is tightly repressed. The Fes unique N-terminal sequence has two regions with strong homology to coiled-coil-forming domains often found in oligomeric proteins. Here we show that disruption or deletion of the first coiled-coil domain upregulates Fes tyrosine kinase and transforming activities in Rat-2 fibroblasts and enhances Fes differentiation-inducing activity in myeloid leukemia cells. Conversely, expression of a Fes truncation mutant consisting only of the unique N-terminal domain interfered with Rat-2 fibroblast transformation by an activated Fes mutant, suggesting that oligomerization is essential for Fes activation in vivo. Coexpression with the Fes N-terminal region did not affect the transforming activity of v-Src in Rat-2 cells, arguing against a nonspecific suppressive effect. Taken together, these findings suggest a model in which Fes activation may involve coiled-coil-mediated interconversion of monomeric and oligomeric forms of the kinase. Mutation of the first coiled-coil domain may activate Fes by disturbing intramolecular coiled-coil interaction, allowing for oligomerization via the second coiled-coil domain. Deletion of the second coiled-coil domain blocks fibroblast transformation by an activated form of c-Fes, consistent with this model. These results provide the first evidence for regulation of a nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinase by coiled-coil domains.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1491-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Beaven ◽  
Nikola S. Dzhindzhev ◽  
Yue Qu ◽  
Ines Hahn ◽  
Federico Dajas-Bailador ◽  
...  

Axons act like cables, electrically wiring the nervous system. Polar bundles of microtubules (MTs) form their backbones and drive their growth. Plus end–tracking proteins (+TIPs) regulate MT growth dynamics and directionality at their plus ends. However, current knowledge about +TIP functions, mostly derived from work in vitro and in nonneuronal cells, may not necessarily apply to the very different context of axonal MTs. For example, the CLIP family of +TIPs are known MT polymerization promoters in nonneuronal cells. However, we show here that neither Drosophila CLIP-190 nor mammalian CLIP-170 is a prominent MT plus end tracker in neurons, which we propose is due to low plus end affinity of the CAP-Gly domain–containing N-terminus and intramolecular inhibition through the C-terminus. Instead, both CLIP-190 and CLIP-170 form F-actin–dependent patches in growth cones, mediated by binding of the coiled-coil domain to myosin-VI. Because our loss-of-function analyses in vivo and in culture failed to reveal axonal roles for CLIP-190, even in double-mutant combinations with four other +TIPs, we propose that CLIP-190 and -170 are not essential axon extension regulators. Our findings demonstrate that +TIP functions known from nonneuronal cells do not necessarily apply to the regulation of the very distinct MT networks in axons.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiantian Wu ◽  
Yi Lu ◽  
Orit Gutman ◽  
Huasong Lu ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractTAZ promotes cell proliferation, development, and tumorigenesis by regulating target gene transcription. However, how TAZ orchestrates the transcriptional responses remains poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that TAZ forms nuclear condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation to compartmentalize its DNA binding co-factor TEAD4, the transcription co-activators BRD4 and MED1 and the transcription elongation factor CDK9 for activation of gene expression. TAZ, but not its paralog YAP, forms phase-separated droplets in vitro and liquid-like nuclear condensates in vivo, and this ability is negatively regulated by Hippo signaling via LATS-mediated phosphorylation and mediated by the coiled-coil domain. Deletion of the TAZ coiled-coil domain or substitution with the YAP coiled-coil domain does not affect the interaction of TAZ with its partners, but prevents its phase separation and more importantly, its ability to induce target gene expression. Thus, our study identifies a novel mechanism for the transcriptional activation by TAZ and demonstrates for the first time that pathway-specific transcription factors also engage the phase separation mechanism for efficient transcription activation.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae ook Kim ◽  
Alex Zelter ◽  
Neil T Umbreit ◽  
Athena Bollozos ◽  
Michael Riffle ◽  
...  

Strong kinetochore-microtubule attachments are essential for faithful segregation of sister chromatids during mitosis. The Dam1 and Ndc80 complexes are the main microtubule binding components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore. Cooperation between these two complexes enhances kinetochore-microtubule coupling and is regulated by Aurora B kinase. We show that the Ndc80 complex can simultaneously bind and bridge across two Dam1 complex rings through a tripartite interaction, each component of which is regulated by Aurora B kinase. Mutations in any one of the Ndc80p interaction regions abrogates the Ndc80 complex’s ability to bind two Dam1 rings in vitro, and results in kinetochore biorientation and microtubule attachment defects in vivo. We also show that an extra-long Ndc80 complex, engineered to space the two Dam1 rings further apart, does not support growth. Taken together, our work suggests that each kinetochore in vivo contains two Dam1 rings and that proper spacing between the rings is vital.


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