Microtubules represent one of the three essential cytoskeleton types in cells. Important for a variety of physiological functions, encompassing cell migration, mitosis, neuronal differentiation and transport of cargo, microtubule-associated motor proteins have been implicated in numerous diseases, ranging from motor neuron and degenerative disorders, to neoplasia and viral infections. Microtubule-binding CAP-Gly domains are conserved in organisms from human to yeast, play central roles in many proteins, and their mutations lead to various disorders. CAP-Gly domain of the p150glued subunit of dynactin interacts with microtubules, and its mutations are associated with several motor neuron disorders. The atomic-level structure and dynamics of CAP-Gly/microtubule assemblies are not known because of their inherent insolubility and lack of long-range order. Lack of such insight hampers further research and impedes design of effective therapies against diseases associated with cytoskeleton dysfunction. Our long-term goal is to understand the structural and dynamic basis of cargo transport regulation along microtubules by microtubule-associated proteins, in healthy and disease states. The objectives of this application are to determine three-dimensional structures and dynamics of CAP-Gly domain of dynactin and of its macromolecular assemblies with the microtubules and with EB1 protein. We will employ multidimensional high-resolution magic angle spinning solid-state NMR methods in conjunction with biophysical and biochemical techniques. In the specific aims designed to accomplish the objectives of this application, we will: 1) determine the structure of CAP-Gly alone and CAP-Gly assembled on the microtubule, and identify the CAP-Gly/microtubule interface at atomic resolution;2) characterize the energetics and dynamics of the CAP-Gly/microtubule interaction;3) characterize the dynamics of CAP-Gly mutants related to neurological pathologies;4) characterize biochemically and structurally the regulation of the CAP- Gly/EB1/microtubule interaction. The proposed work has important implications for human health as it will shed light on the structure of CAP-Gly:microtubule complexes that are not amenable to structural characterization by X-ray crystallography or solution NMR spectroscopy, and will enable structural characterization of macromolecular assemblies consisting of microtubule-associated proteins in complexes with microtubules.

Public Health Relevance

Microtubules represent one of the three essential types of cytoskeleton in cells and, together with their associated proteins, play important roles in a broad range of physiological functions, encompassing cell migration, mitosis, polarization and differentiation, and vesicle and organelle transport. Microtubule-associated proteins have been implicated in numerous diseases ranging from motor neuron and degenerative disorders, to neoplasia and viral infections. Atomic-resolution structures and dynamics of microtubule assemblies with their associated proteins are not known due to their intrinsic insolubility and lack of long range order. Lack of such insight hampers further research and impedes design of effective therapies against diseases associated with cytoskeleton dysfunction. The research proposed in this application will fill this knowledge gap by providing the atomic-resolution structure and dynamics of the microtubule-associated CAP-Gly domain of the p150Glued subunit of dynactin bound to the microtubules. State-of-the-art solid-state NMR spectroscopy will be introduced as a novel technique to probe the intrinsically insoluble and non-crystalline assemblies of microtubules with their associated proteins.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM085306-03
Application #
8231419
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BCMB-B (02))
Program Officer
Wehrle, Janna P
Project Start
2010-04-01
Project End
2015-02-28
Budget Start
2012-03-01
Budget End
2013-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$306,618
Indirect Cost
$68,356
Name
University of Delaware
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
059007500
City
Newark
State
DE
Country
United States
Zip Code
19716
Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin; Lu, Xingyu et al. (2017) Mapping protein-protein interactions by double-REDOR-filtered magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. J Biomol NMR 67:95-108
Lu, Xingyu; Zhang, Huilan; Lu, Manman et al. (2016) Improving dipolar recoupling for site-specific structural and dynamics studies in biosolids NMR: windowed RN-symmetry sequences. Phys Chem Chem Phys 18:4035-44
Yan, Si; Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin et al. (2015) Atomic-resolution structure of the CAP-Gly domain of dynactin on polymeric microtubules determined by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:14611-6
Yan, Si; Zhang, Huilan; Hou, Guangjin et al. (2015) Internal dynamics of dynactin CAP-Gly is regulated by microtubules and plus end tracking protein EB1. J Biol Chem 290:1607-22
Lu, Xingyu; Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin et al. (2015) Combined zero-quantum and spin-diffusion mixing for efficient homonuclear correlation spectroscopy under fast MAS: broadband recoupling and detection of long-range correlations. J Biomol NMR 61:7-20
Paluch, Piotr; Pawlak, Tomasz; Jeziorna, Agata et al. (2015) Analysis of local molecular motions of aromatic sidechains in proteins by 2D and 3D fast MAS NMR spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 17:28789-801
Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin; Lu, Xingyu et al. (2014) Fast magic angle spinning NMR with heteronucleus detection for resonance assignments and structural characterization of fully protonated proteins. J Biomol NMR 60:219-29
Hou, Guangjin; Lu, Xingyu; Vega, Alexander J et al. (2014) Accurate measurement of heteronuclear dipolar couplings by phase-alternating R-symmetry (PARS) sequences in magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. J Chem Phys 141:104202
Suiter, Christopher L; Paramasivam, Sivakumar; Hou, Guangjin et al. (2014) Sensitivity gains, linearity, and spectral reproducibility in nonuniformly sampled multidimensional MAS NMR spectra of high dynamic range. J Biomol NMR 59:57-73
Hou, Guangjin; Yan, Si; Trébosc, Julien et al. (2013) Broadband homonuclear correlation spectroscopy driven by combined R2(n)(v) sequences under fast magic angle spinning for NMR structural analysis of organic and biological solids. J Magn Reson 232:18-30

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