FrédÉrIc M. Coquelle

Objective: Most eukaryotic cells contain microtubule filaments, which play central roles in intra-cellular organization. However, microtubule networks have a wide variety of architectures from one cell type and organism to another. Nonetheless, the sequences of tubulins, of Microtubule Associated proteins (MAPs) and the structure of microtubules are usually well conserved throughout the evolution. MAPs being known to be responsible for regulating microtubule organization and dynamics, this raises the question of the conservation of their intrinsic properties. Indeed, knowing how the intrinsic properties of individual MAPs differ between organisms might enlighten our understanding of how distinct microtubule networks are built. End-Binding protein 1 (EB1), first described as a MAP in yeast, is conserved in plants and mammals. The intrinsic properties of the mammalian and the yeast EB1 proteins have been well described in the literature but, to our knowledge, the intrinsic properties of EB1 from plant and mammals have not been compared thus far. Results: Here, using an in vitro assay, we discovered that plant and mammalian EB1 purified proteins have different intrinsic properties on microtubule dynamics. Indeed, the mammalian EB1 protein increases microtubules dynamic while the plant EB1 protein stabilizes them.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is an aggressive tumor in which approximately 50% of patients develop metastasis. Expression of the PTP4A3 gene, encoding a phosphatase, is predictive of poor patient survival. PTP4A3 expression in UM cells increases their migration in vitro and invasiveness in vivo. Here, we show that CRMP2 is mostly dephosphorylated on T514 in PTP4A3 expressing cells. We also demonstrate that inhibition of CRMP2 expression in UM cells expressing PTP4A3 increases their migration in vitro and invasiveness in vivo. This phenotype is accompanied by modifications of the actin microfilament network, with shortened filaments, whereas cells with a inactive mutant of the phosphatase do not show the same behavior. In addition, we showed that the cell cytoplasm becomes stiffer when CRMP2 is downregulated or PTP4A3 is expressed. Our results suggest that PTP4A3 acts upstream of CRMP2 in UM cells to enhance their migration and invasiveness and that a low level of CRMP2 in tumors is predictive of poor patient survival.

Microtubules are involved in plant development and adaptation to their environment, but the sustaining molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Microtubule-end-binding 1 (EB1) proteins participate in directional root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, a connection to the underlying microtubule array has not been established yet. We show here that EB1 proteins contribute to the organization of cortical microtubules in growing epidermal plant cells, without significant modulation of microtubule dynamics. Using super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and an original quantification approach, we also demonstrate a significant reduction of apparent microtubule bundling in cytoplasmic-EB1-deficient plants, suggesting a function for EB1 in the interaction between adjacent microtubules. Furthermore, we observed root growth defects in EB1-deficient plants, which are not related to cell division impairment. Altogether, our results support a role for EB1 proteins in root development, in part by maintaining the organization of cortical microtubules. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Cryo-electron tomography of vitrified specimens allows visualization of thin biological samples in three-dimensions. This method can be applied to study the interaction of proteins that show disorder and/or bind in a nonregular fashion to microtubules. Here, we describe the protocols we use to observe microtubules assembled in vitro in the presence of XMAP215, a large and flexible protein that binds to discrete sites on the microtubule lattice. Gold particles are added to the mix before vitrification to facilitate image acquisition in low-dose mode and their subsequent alignment before tomographic reconstruction. Three-dimensional reconstructions are performed using the IMOD software, processed with ImageJ and visualized in UCSF Chimera. Extraction of features of interest is performed using a patch-based algorithm (CryoSeg) developed in the laboratory. All the software used in this procedure is freely available or can be obtained on request, and run on most operating systems.

The use of the semiconductor quantum dots (QD) as biolabels for both ensemble and single-molecule tracking requires the development of simple and versatile methods to target individual proteins in a controlled manner, ideally in living cells. To address this challenge, we have prepared small and stable QDs (QD-ND) using a surface coating based on a peptide sequence containing a tricysteine, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and an aspartic acid ligand. These QDs, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 9 ± 1.5 nm, can selectively bind to polyhistidine-tagged (histag) proteins in vitro or in living cells. We show that the small and monodisperse size of QD-ND allows for the formation of QD-ND/histag protein complexes of well-defined stoichiometry and that the 1:1 QD/protein complex can be isolated and purified by gel electrophoresis without any destabilization in the nanomolar concentration range. We also demonstrate that QD-ND can be used to specifically label a membrane receptor with an extracellular histag expressed in living HeLa cells. Here, cytotoxicity tests reveal that cell viability remains high under the conditions required for cellular labeling with QD-ND. Finally, we apply QD-ND complexed with histag end binding protein-1 (EB1), a microtubule associated protein, to single-molecule tracking in Xenopus extracts. Specific colocalization of QD-ND/EB1 with microtubules during the mitotic spindle formation demonstrates that QD-ND and our labeling strategy provide an efficient approach to monitor the dynamic behavior of proteins involved in complex biological functions.

+TIPs (plus-end tracking proteins) are an increasing group of molecules that localize preferentially to the end of growing microtubules. +TIPs regulate microtubule dynamics and contribute to the organization of the microtubular network within the cell. Thus they participate in a wide range of cellular processes including cell division, motility and morphogenesis. EB1 (end-binding 1) is a highly conserved key member of the +TIP group that has been shown to modulate microtubule dynamics both in vitro and in cells. EB1 is involved in accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis and in the polarization of the microtubule cytoskeleton in migrating cells. Here, we review recent in vitro studies that have started to reveal a regulating activity of EB1, and its yeast orthologue Mal3p, on microtubule structure. In particular, we examine how EB1-mediated changes in the microtubule architecture may explain its effects on microtubule dynamics.

Doublecortin (DCX) domains serve as protein-interaction platforms. Mutations in members of this protein superfamily are linked to several genetic diseases. Mutations in the human DCX gene result in abnormal neuronal migration, epilepsy, and mental retardation; mutations in RP1 are associated with a form of inherited blindness, and DCDC2 has been associated with dyslectic reading disabilities. The DCX-repeat gene family is composed of eleven paralogs in human and in mouse. Its evolution was followed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and was traced to unicellular organisms, thus enabling following evolutionary additions and losses of genes or domains. The N-terminal and C-terminal DCX domains have undergone sub-specialization and divergence. Developmental in situ hybridization data for nine genes was generated. In addition, a novel co-expression analysis for most human and mouse DCX superfamily-genes was performed using high-throughput expression data extracted from Unigene. We performed an in-depth study of a complete gene superfamily using several complimentary methods. This study reveals the existence and conservation of multiple members of the DCX superfamily in different species. Sequence analysis combined with expression analysis is likely to be a useful tool to predict correlations between human disease and mouse models. The sub-specialization of some members due to restricted expression patterns and sequence divergence may explain the successful addition of genes to this family throughout evolution.

The doublecortin-like (DCX) domains serve as protein-interaction platforms. DCX tandem domains appear in the product of the X-linked doublecortin (DCX) gene, in retinitis pigmentosa-1 (RP1), as well as in other gene products. Mutations in the human DCX gene are associated with abnormal neuronal migration, epilepsy, and mental retardation; mutations in RP1 are associated with a form of inherited blindness, while DCDC2 has been associated with dyslectic reading disabilities. Motivated by the possible importance of this gene family, a thorough analysis to detect all family members in the mouse was conducted. The DCX-repeat gene superfamily is composed of eleven paralogs, and we cloned the DCX domains from nine different genes. Our study questioned which functions attributed to the DCX domain, are conserved among the different members. Our results suggest that the proteins with the DCX-domain have conserved and unique roles in microtubule regulation and signal transduction. All the tested proteins stimulated microtubule assembly in vitro. Proteins with tandem repeats stabilized the microtubule cytoskeleton in transfected cells, while those with single repeats localized to actin-rich subcellular structures, or the nucleus. All tested proteins interacted with components of the JNK/MAP-kinase pathway, while only a subset interacted with Neurabin 2, and a nonoverlapping group demonstrated actin association. The sub-specialization of some members due to confined intracellular localization, and protein interactions may explain the success of this superfamily.