Mobility of the von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor protein is regulated by kinesin-2

Exp Cell Res. 2008 Apr 1;314(6):1229-36. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2007.12.020. Epub 2008 Jan 5.

Abstract

The von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor protein (pVHL) participates in many cellular processes including oxygen sensing, microtubule stability and primary cilia regulation. Recently, we identified ATP-dependent motor complex kinesin-2 to endogenously bind the full-length variant of VHL (pVHL30) in primary kidney cells, and mediate its association to microtubules. Here we show that pVHL also endogenously binds the neuronal kinesin-2 complex, which slightly differs from renal kinesin-2. To investigate the role of kinesin-2 in pVHL mobility, we performed fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments in neuroblastoma cells. We observe that pVHL30 is a highly mobile cytoplasmic protein, which becomes an immobile centrosomal protein after ATP-depletion in living cells. This response to ATP-depletion is independent of GSK3beta-dependent phosphorylation of pVHL30. Furthermore, VHL variant alleles with reduced binding to kinesin-2 fail to respond to ATP-depletion. Accordingly, interfering with pVHL30-KIF3A interaction by either overexpressing a dominant negative construct or by reducing endogenous cellular levels of KIF3A by RNAi abolishes pVHL's response to ATP-depletion. From these data we suggest that mobility of a subcellular pool of pVHL is regulated by the ATP-dependent kinesin-2 motor. Kinesin-2 driven mobility of cytoplasmic pVHL might enable pVHL to function as a tumour suppressor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / pharmacology
  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • Cell Extracts
  • Cell Line
  • Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Kinesins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Transfection
  • Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cell Extracts
  • Kif3a protein, mouse
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein
  • Kinesins