Control of microtubule dynamics underlies several fundamental processes such as cell polarity, cell division, and cell motility. To gain insights into the mechanisms that control microtubule dynamics during cell motility, we investigated the interactome of the microtubule plus-end-binding protein end-binding 1 (EB1). Via molecular mapping and cross-linking mass spectrometry we identified and ch...

Concerted actions of various ion channels that are precisely targeted along axons are crucial for action potential initiation and propagation, and neurotransmitter release. However, the dynamics of channel protein transport in axons remain unknown. Here, using time-lapse imaging, we found fluorescently tagged Kv1.2 voltage-gated K(+) channels (YFP-Kv1.2) moved bi-directionally in discrete punct...

The major target tissues for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection are B lymphocytes and epithelial cells of the oropharyngeal zone. The product of the EBV BZLF1 early gene, EB1, a member of the basic leucine-zipper family of transcription factors, interacts with both viral and cellular promoters and transcription factors, modulating the reactivation of latent EBV infection. Here, we characterize ...

The cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells is thought to adopt discrete "states" corresponding to different steady states of protein networks that govern changes in subcellular organization. For example, in Xenopus eggs, the interphase to mitosis transition is induced solely by activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) that phosphorylates many proteins leading to a reorganization of the nucleus and...

Dynamic microtubule plus-ends interact with various intracellular target regions such as the cell cortex and the kinetochore. Two conserved families of microtubule plus-end-tracking proteins, the XMAP215, ch-TOG or CKAP5 family and the end-binding 1 (EB1, also known as MAPRE1) family, play pivotal roles in regulating microtubule dynamics. Here, we study the functional interplay between fission ...

Microtubules (MTs) play critical roles in various cellular events, including cell migration. End-binding proteins (EBs) accumulate at the ends of growing MTs and regulate MT end dynamics by recruiting other plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs). However, how EBs contribute to MT dynamics through +TIPs remains elusive. We focused on tau-tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2) as an EB1/3-binding kinase and confir...

Polymeric micelles that are composed of synthetic polymers are generally size controllable and can be easily modified for various applications. Lactosomes (A3B-type) are biodegradable polymeric micelles composed of an amphipathic polymer, including three poly(sarcosine) blocks and a poly(l-lactic acid) block. Lactosomes accumulate in tumors in vivo through the enhanced permeability and retentio...

BACKGROUND Microtubule ends have distinct biochemical and structural features from those of the lattice. Several proteins that control microtubule behavior can distinguish the end of a microtubule from the lattice. The end-binding protein EB1, for example, recognizes the nucleotide state of microtubule ends, which are enriched in GTP-tubulin. EB1 shares its binding site with Doublecortin (DCX),...

Enterobacter cancerogenus CR-Eb1 and Enterococcus sp. CR-Ec1 were isolated from the larval gut of Galleria mellonella, the greater wax moth. Here, we report the completed and annotated genome sequences of insect gut-dwelling bacteria.

CLIP-associating protein (CLASP) 1 and CLASP2 are mammalian microtubule (MT) plus-end binding proteins, which associate with CLIP-170 and CLIP-115. Using RNA interference in HeLa cells, we show that the two CLASPs play redundant roles in regulating the density, length distribution and stability of interphase MTs. In HeLa cells, both CLASPs concentrate on the distal MT ends in a narrow region at...