Click here to close Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Xenbase and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a current version of Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.
XB-ART-35394
Mol Biol Cell 2007 Jan 01;181:282-94. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e06-08-0724.
Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

The interplay of the N- and C-terminal domains of MCAK control microtubule depolymerization activity and spindle assembly.

Ems-McClung SC , Hertzer KM , Zhang X , Miller MW , Walczak CE .


???displayArticle.abstract???
Spindle assembly and accurate chromosome segregation require the proper regulation of microtubule dynamics. MCAK, a Kinesin-13, catalytically depolymerizes microtubules, regulates physiological microtubule dynamics, and is the major catastrophe factor in egg extracts. Purified GFP-tagged MCAK domain mutants were assayed to address how the different MCAK domains contribute to in vitro microtubule depolymerization activity and physiological spindle assembly activity in egg extracts. Our biochemical results demonstrate that both the neck and the C-terminal domain are necessary for robust in vitro microtubule depolymerization activity. In particular, the neck is essential for microtubule end binding, and the C-terminal domain is essential for tight microtubule binding in the presence of excess tubulin heterodimer. Our physiological results illustrate that the N-terminal domain is essential for regulating microtubule dynamics, stimulating spindle bipolarity, and kinetochore targeting; whereas the C-terminal domain is necessary for robust microtubule depolymerization activity, limiting spindle bipolarity, and enhancing kinetochore targeting. Unexpectedly, robust MCAK microtubule (MT) depolymerization activity is not needed for sperm-induced spindle assembly. However, high activity is necessary for proper physiological MT dynamics as assayed by Ran-induced aster assembly. We propose that MCAK activity is spatially controlled by an interplay between the N- and C-terminal domains during spindle assembly.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 17093055
???displayArticle.pmcLink??? PMC1751331
???displayArticle.link??? Mol Biol Cell
???displayArticle.grants??? [+]

Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: kif2c ran

References [+] :
Adio, Review: regulation mechanisms of Kinesin-1. 2006, Pubmed