SLAIN2 links microtubule plus end-tracking proteins and controls microtubule growth in interphase

J Cell Biol. 2011 Jun 13;193(6):1083-99. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201012179. Epub 2011 Jun 6.

Abstract

The ends of growing microtubules (MTs) accumulate a set of diverse factors known as MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs), which control microtubule dynamics and organization. In this paper, we identify SLAIN2 as a key component of +TIP interaction networks. We showed that the C-terminal part of SLAIN2 bound to end-binding proteins (EBs), cytoplasmic linker proteins (CLIPs), and CLIP-associated proteins and characterized in detail the interaction of SLAIN2 with EB1 and CLIP-170. Furthermore, we found that the N-terminal part of SLAIN2 interacted with ch-TOG, the mammalian homologue of the MT polymerase XMAP215. Through its multiple interactions, SLAIN2 enhanced ch-TOG accumulation at MT plus ends and, as a consequence, strongly stimulated processive MT polymerization in interphase cells. Depletion or disruption of the SLAIN2-ch-TOG complex led to disorganization of the radial MT array. During mitosis, SLAIN2 became highly phosphorylated, and its interaction with EBs and ch-TOG was inhibited. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cell cycle-specific regulation of MT polymerization and the organization of the MT network.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Interphase / physiology*
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / chemistry
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microtubules / physiology*
  • Microtubules / ultrastructure
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Conformation
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • EB1 microtubule binding proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • SLAIN1 protein, human
  • SLAIN2 protein, human
  • cytoplasmic linker protein 170