Overexpression of the microtubule-binding protein CLIP-170 induces a +TIP network superstructure consistent with a biomolecular condensate

PLoS One. 2021 Dec 10;16(12):e0260401. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260401. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Proper regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics is critical for cellular processes including cell division and intracellular transport. Plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) dynamically track growing MTs and play a key role in MT regulation. +TIPs participate in a complex web of intra- and inter- molecular interactions known as the +TIP network. Hypotheses addressing the purpose of +TIP:+TIP interactions include relieving +TIP autoinhibition and localizing MT regulators to growing MT ends. In addition, we have proposed that the web of +TIP:+TIP interactions has a physical purpose: creating a dynamic scaffold that constrains the structural fluctuations of the fragile MT tip and thus acts as a polymerization chaperone. Here we examine the possibility that this proposed scaffold is a biomolecular condensate (i.e., liquid droplet). Many animal +TIP network proteins are multivalent and have intrinsically disordered regions, features commonly found in biomolecular condensates. Moreover, previous studies have shown that overexpression of the +TIP CLIP-170 induces large "patch" structures containing CLIP-170 and other +TIPs; we hypothesized that these structures might be biomolecular condensates. To test this hypothesis, we used video microscopy, immunofluorescence staining, and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). Our data show that the CLIP-170-induced patches have hallmarks indicative of a biomolecular condensate, one that contains +TIP proteins and excludes other known condensate markers. Moreover, bioinformatic studies demonstrate that the presence of intrinsically disordered regions is conserved in key +TIPs, implying that these regions are functionally significant. Together, these results indicate that the CLIP-170 induced patches in cells are phase-separated liquid condensates and raise the possibility that the endogenous +TIP network might form a liquid droplet at MT ends or other +TIP locations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Biological Transport
  • Biomolecular Condensates / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Computational Biology
  • Mice
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / chemistry*
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubules / metabolism*
  • Molecular Chaperones / chemistry
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Phase Transition
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • cytoplasmic linker protein 170

Grants and funding

This research was funded by a fellowship from the American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en (#17PRE33670896) to YOW and a grant from the National Science Foundation https://www.nsf.gov/ (MCB #1817966) to HVG. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.