End-binding proteins sensitize microtubules to the action of microtubule-targeting agents.

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) are widely used for treatment of cancer and other diseases, and a detailed understanding of the mechanism of their action is important for the development of improved microtubule-directed therapies. Although there is a large body of data on the interactions of different MTAs with purified tubulin and microtubules, much less is known about how the effects of MTAs are modulated by microtubule-associated proteins. Among the regulatory factors with a potential to have a strong impact on MTA activity are the microtubule plus end-tracking proteins, which control multiple aspects of microtubule dynamic instability. Here, we reconstituted microtubule dynamics in vitro to investigate the influence of end-binding proteins (EBs), the core components of the microtubule plus end-tracking protein machinery, on the effects that MTAs exert on microtubule plus-end growth. We found that EBs promote microtubule catastrophe induction in the presence of all MTAs tested. Analysis of microtubule growth times supported the view that catastrophes are microtubule age dependent. This analysis indicated that MTAs affect microtubule aging in multiple ways: destabilizing MTAs, such as colchicine and vinblastine, accelerate aging in an EB-dependent manner, whereas stabilizing MTAs, such as paclitaxel and peloruside A, induce not only catastrophes but also rescues and can reverse the aging process.

Microtubule-associated proteins as direct crosslinkers of actin filaments and microtubules.

The cytoskeletal polymers--actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments--are interlinked by coordinated protein interactions to form a complex three-dimensional cytoskeletal network. Association of actin filaments with microtubules is important for various cellular processes such as cell division, migration, vesicle and organelle transport, and axonal growth. Several proteins including signaling molecules, motor proteins, and proteins directly or indirectly associated with microtubules and actin are involved in bridging the cytoskeletal components. Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) belonging to the MAP1, 2, 4 family and Tau proteins have been identified as key players that directly crosslink the two cytoskeletons. This review summarizes the current understanding of the interactions of these MAPs with actin filaments and their role in forming the actin-microtubule network and further discusses how the in vitro reconstitution assays can be used to study the dynamics of coordinated networks. Understanding the mechanisms by which actin and microtubules interact is key to decipher cancer, wound healing, and neuronal regeneration.

Inhibition of HDAC6 deacetylase activity increases its binding with microtubules and suppresses microtubule dynamic instability in MCF-7 cells.

The post-translational modification of tubulin appears to be a highly controlled mechanism that regulates microtubule functioning. Acetylation of the ε-amino group of Lys-40 of α-tubulin marks stable microtubules, although the causal relationship between tubulin acetylation and microtubule stability has remained poorly understood. HDAC6, the tubulin deacetylase, plays a key role in maintaining typical distribution of acetylated microtubules in cells. Here, by using tubastatin A, an HDAC6-specific inhibitor, and siRNA-mediated depletion of HDAC6, we have explored whether tubulin acetylation has a role in regulating microtubule stability. We found that whereas both pharmacological inhibition of HDAC6 as well as its depletion enhance microtubule acetylation, only pharmacological inhibition of HDAC6 activity leads to an increase in microtubule stability against cold and nocodazole-induced depolymerizing conditions. Tubastatin A treatment suppressed the dynamics of individual microtubules in MCF-7 cells and delayed the reassembly of depolymerized microtubules. Interestingly, both the localization of HDAC6 on microtubules and the amount of HDAC6 associated with polymeric fraction of tubulin were found to increase in the tubastatin A-treated cells compared with the control cells, suggesting that the pharmacological inhibition of HDAC6 enhances the binding of HDAC6 to microtubules. The evidence presented in this study indicated that the increased binding of HDAC6, rather than the acetylation per se, causes microtubule stability. The results are in support of a hypothesis that in addition to its deacetylase function, HDAC6 might function as a MAP that regulates microtubule dynamics under certain conditions.

Sequence determinants of a microtubule tip localization signal (MtLS).

Microtubule plus-end-tracking proteins (+TIPs) specifically localize to the growing plus-ends of microtubules to regulate microtubule dynamics and functions. A large group of +TIPs contain a short linear motif, SXIP, which is essential for them to bind to end-binding proteins (EBs) and target microtubule ends. The SXIP sequence site thus acts as a widespread microtubule tip localization signal (MtLS). Here we have analyzed the sequence-function relationship of a canonical MtLS. Using synthetic peptide arrays on membrane supports, we identified the residue preferences at each amino acid position of the SXIP motif and its surrounding sequence with respect to EB binding. We further developed an assay based on fluorescence polarization to assess the mechanism of the EB-SXIP interaction and to correlate EB binding and microtubule tip tracking of MtLS sequences from different +TIPs. Finally, we investigated the role of phosphorylation in regulating the EB-SXIP interaction. Together, our results define the sequence determinants of a canonical MtLS and provide the experimental data for bioinformatics approaches to carry out genome-wide predictions of novel +TIPs in multiple organisms.

Microtubule assembly dynamics: an attractive target for anticancer drugs.

Microtubules, composed of alphabeta tubulin dimers, are dynamic polymers of eukaryotic cells. They play important roles in various cellular functions including mitosis. Microtubules exhibit differential dynamic behaviors during different phases of the cell cycle. Inhibition of the microtubule assembly dynamics causes cell cycle arrest leading to apoptosis; thus, qualifying them as important drug targets for treating several diseases including cancer, neuronal, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Although several microtubule-targeted drugs are successfully being used in cancer chemotherapy, the development of resistance against these drugs and their inherent toxicities warrant the development of new agents with improved efficacy. Several antimicrotubule agents are currently being evaluated for their possible uses in cancer chemotherapy. Benomyl, griseofulvin, and sulfonamides have been used as antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Recent reports have shown that these drugs have potent antitumor potential. These agents are shown to inhibit proliferation of different types of tumor cells and induce apoptosis by targeting microtubule assembly dynamics. However, unlike vincas and taxanes, which inhibit cancer cell proliferation in nanomolar concentration range, these agents act in micromolar range and are considered to have limited toxicities. Here, we suggest that these drugs may have a significant use in cancer chemotherapy when used in combination with other anticancer drugs.

Hyaluronic Acid Dictates Chondrocyte Morphology and Migration in Composite Gels.

Tissue equivalent collagen-hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels are widely used for cartilage tissue engineering; however, not much importance has been given to investigate how cellular responses are altered with varying concentrations of hyaluronic acid in gels. In this study, different concentrations of hyaluronic acid dialdehyde (HAD) were combined with collagen to fabricate collagen-HAD composite (CH) gels, and the influence of HAD on cell shape, migration, viability, cytoskeletal organization, and gel contraction was examined. The microstructure and the mechanical strength of the composite gels were altered by varying HAD concentrations. Morphology of chondrocytes cultured on CH gels showed a significant increase in their aspect ratio and decrease in number of cell protrusions with increase in concentration of HAD. The organization of the cytoskeleton at the cellular protrusions was vimentin localized at the base, microtubules at the tip, and actin localized throughout the cell body. Changes in HAD concentrations altered hydrogel mechanical strength, cytoskeletal organization, and formation of cellular protrusions, all of which contributed to changes in cell morphology and migration. These changes were more evident in 3D cell-encapsulated gels than chondrocytes cultured over the 2D gels. However, viability of cells and matrix contraction, staining for adhesion protein vinculin, and hyaluronic acid receptor CD44 remained similar in all CH compositions. The changes in cell responses further influenced extracellular matrix deposition during in vitro culture. Cell responses in low HAD gels mimic the cellular behavior in damaged cartilage, whereas those in high HAD gels resembled the behavior in healthy cartilage tissue. Our study illustrates the importance of careful formulations of hydrogel compositions in designing biomimetic matrices that are used as in vitro models to study chondrocyte behavior.

Anticancer and antimicrobial metallopharmaceutical agents based on palladium, gold, and silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

Complete synthetic, structural, and biomedical studies of two Pd complexes as well as Au and Ag complexes of 1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene are reported. Specifically, trans-[1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]Pd(pyridine)Cl2 (1a) was synthesized from the reaction of 1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazolium chloride (1) with PdCl2 in the presence of K2CO3 as a base. The other palladium complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]2PdCl2 (1b), and a gold complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]AuCl (1c), were synthesized by following a transmetallation route from the silver complex, [1-benzyl-3-tert-butylimidazol-2-ylidene]AgCl (1d), by treatment with (COD)PdCl2 and (SMe2)AuCl, respectively. The silver complex 1d in turn was synthesized by the reaction of 1 with Ag2O. The molecular structures of 1a-d have been determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Biomedical studies revealed that, while the palladium complexes 1a and 1b displayed potent anticancer activity, the gold (1c) and silver (1d) complexes exhibited significant antimicrobial properties. Specifically, 1b showed strong antiproliferative activity against three types of human tumor cells, namely, cervical cancer (HeLa), breast cancer (MCF-7), and colon adenocarcinoma (HCT 116), in culture. The antiproliferative activity of 1b was found to be considerably stronger than that of cisplatin. The 1b complex inhibited tumor cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle progression at the G2 phase, preventing the mitotic entry of the cell. We present evidence suggesting that the treated cells underwent programmed cell death through a p53-dependent pathway. Though both the gold (1c) and silver (1d) complexes showed antimicrobial activity toward Bacillus subtilis, 1c was found to be ca. 2 times more potent than 1d.

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts of beta-aryl nitroethylenes with other activated alkenes: synthesis and anticancer activity studies.

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts of beta-aryl nitroethylenes with methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and acrylate, formed in moderate to good yield when mediated by imidazole/LiCl in THF at room temperature, inhibit HeLa cell proliferation by binding to tubulin.

EB1 interacts with outwardly curved and straight regions of the microtubule lattice.

EB1 is a microtubule plus-end tracking protein that recognizes GTP-tubulin dimers in microtubules and thus represents a unique probe to investigate the architecture of the GTP cap of growing microtubule ends. Here, we conjugated EB1 to gold nanoparticles (EB1-gold) and imaged by cryo-electron tomography its interaction with dynamic microtubules assembled in vitro from purified tubulin. EB1-gold forms comets at the ends of microtubules assembled in the presence of GTP, and interacts with the outer surface of curved and straight tubulin sheets as well as closed regions of the microtubule lattice. Microtubules assembled in the presence of GTP, different GTP analogues or cell extracts display similarly curved sheets at their growing ends, which gradually straighten as their protofilament number increases until they close into a tube. Together, our data provide unique structural information on the interaction of EB1 with growing microtubule ends. They further offer insights into the conformational changes that tubulin dimers undergo during microtubule assembly and the architecture of the GTP-cap region.

Microtubule minus-end stabilization by polymerization-driven CAMSAP deposition.

Microtubules are cytoskeletal polymers with two structurally and functionally distinct ends, the plus- and the minus-end. Here, we focus on the mechanisms underlying the regulation of microtubule minus-ends by the CAMSAP/Nezha/Patronin protein family. We show that CAMSAP2 is required for the proper organization and stabilization of interphase microtubules and directional cell migration. By combining live-cell imaging and in vitro reconstitution of microtubule assembly from purified components with laser microsurgery, we demonstrate that CAMSAPs regulate microtubule minus-end growth and are specifically deposited on the lattice formed by microtubule minus-end polymerization. This process leads to the formation of CAMSAP-decorated microtubule stretches, which are stabilized from both ends and serve as sites of noncentrosomal microtubule outgrowth. The length of the stretches is regulated by the microtubule-severing protein katanin, which interacts with CAMSAPs. Our data thus indicate that microtubule minus-end assembly drives the stabilization of noncentrosomal microtubules and that katanin regulates this process.

Epothilone B inhibits migration of glioblastoma cells by inducing microtubule catastrophes and affecting EB1 accumulation at microtubule plus ends.

Invasion of normal brain tissue by tumor cells is a major contributing factor to the recurrence of glioblastoma and its resistance to therapy. Here, we have assessed the efficacy of the microtubule (MT) targeting agent Epothilone B (patupilone) on glioblastoma cell migration, a prerequisite for invasive tumor cell behavior. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, patupilone inhibited glioblastoma cell movement, as shown by transwell cell migration, random motility and spheroid assays. This anti-migratory effect was associated with a reduced accumulation of EB1 and other MT plus end tracking proteins at MT ends and with the induction of MT catastrophes, while the MT growth rate and other MT dynamic instability parameters remained unaltered. An increase in MT catastrophes led to the reduction of the number of MTs reaching the leading edge. Analysis of the effect of patupilone on MT dynamics in a reconstituted in vitro system demonstrated that the induction of MT catastrophes and an alteration of EB1 accumulation at MT plus end are intrinsic properties of patupilone activity. We have thus demonstrated that patupilone antagonizes glioblastoma cell migration by a novel mechanism, which is distinct from suppression of MT dynamic instability. Taken together, our results suggest that EB proteins may represent a new potential target for anti-cancer therapy in highly invasive tumors.

Insights into EB1 structure and the role of its C-terminal domain for discriminating microtubule tips from the lattice.

End-binding proteins (EBs) comprise a conserved family of microtubule plus end-tracking proteins. The concerted action of calponin homology (CH), linker, and C-terminal domains of EBs is important for their autonomous microtubule tip tracking, regulation of microtubule dynamics, and recruitment of numerous partners to microtubule ends. Here we report the detailed structural and biochemical analysis of mammalian EBs. Small-angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy, and chemical cross-linking in combination with mass spectrometry indicate that EBs are elongated molecules with two interacting CH domains, an arrangement reminiscent of that seen in other microtubule- and actin-binding proteins. Removal of the negatively charged C-terminal tail did not affect the overall conformation of EBs; however, it increased the dwell times of EBs on the microtubule lattice in microtubule tip-tracking reconstitution experiments. An even more stable association with the microtubule lattice was observed when the entire negatively charged C-terminal domain of EBs was replaced by a neutral coiled-coil motif. In contrast, the interaction of EBs with growing microtubule tips was not significantly affected by these C-terminal domain mutations. Our data indicate that long-range electrostatic repulsive interactions between the C-terminus and the microtubule lattice drive the specificity of EBs for growing microtubule ends.

Kinetic stabilization of microtubule dynamics by estramustine is associated with tubulin acetylation, spindle abnormalities, and mitotic arrest.

Estramustine (EM) alone or in combination with other anticancer agents is clinically used for the treatment of hormone refractory prostate cancer. Furthermore, EM has been shown to potently inhibit the proliferation of different types of cancer cells in culture apparently by targeting microtubules; however, the antiproliferative mechanism of action of EM is not clear. In this work, we have shown that EM strongly suppressed the dynamic instability of individual microtubules in MCF-7 cells by reducing the rates of growing and shortening excursions and increasing the time microtubule spent in the pause state. At its half maximal proliferation inhibitory concentration (IC(50)), EM exerted strong suppressive effects on the dynamics of microtubules in MCF-7 cells without detectably affecting either the organization or the polymerized mass of microtubules. At relatively high concentrations (5 x IC(50)), EM significantly depolymerized microtubules in the cells. Furthermore, the microtubules were found highly acetylated, supporting the conclusion that they were stabilized by the drug. EM treatment induced spindle abnormalities in MCF-7 cells, and a major population of the arrested mitotic cells was multipolar. EM also perturbed the microtubule-kinetochore interaction, thereby activating the spindle assembly checkpoint and leading to apoptotic cell death.

Totarol inhibits bacterial cytokinesis by perturbing the assembly dynamics of FtsZ.

Totarol, a diterpenoid phenol, has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of several pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, totarol was found to inhibit the proliferation of Bacillus subtilis cells with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2 microM. It did not detectably perturb the membrane structure of B. subtilis; it strongly induced the filamentation in B. subtilis cells, suggesting that it inhibits bacterial cytokinesis. Totarol (1.5 microM) reduced the frequency of the Z-ring occurrence per micrometer of the bacterial cell length but did not affect the nucleoid frequency, suggesting that it blocks cytokinesis by inhibiting the formation of the Z-ring. The assembly dynamics of FtsZ is thought to play an important role in the formation and functioning of the Z-ring, a machine that engineers cytokinesis in bacteria. Since totarol was shown to inhibit the proliferation of M. tuberculosis, we examined the effects of totarol on the assembly dynamics of M. tuberculosis FtsZ (MtbFtsZ) in vitro. Totarol decreased the assembly of MtbFtsZ protofilaments and potently suppressed the GTPase activity of MtbFtsZ. It bound to MtbFtsZ with a dissociation constant of 11 +/- 2.3 microM. It increased the fluorescence intensity of the MtbFtsZ-1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid complex and inhibited the fluorescence intensity of N-(1-pyrene)maleimide-labeled MtbFtsZ, suggesting that totarol induces conformational changes in MtbFtsZ. The results indicated that totarol can perturb the assembly dynamics of FtsZ protofilaments in the Z-ring. Totarol exhibited extremely weak inhibitory effects on HeLa cell proliferation. It did not affect microtubule organization in HeLa cells. The results suggest that totarol inhibits bacterial proliferation by targeting FtsZ and it may be useful as a lead compound to develop an effective antitubercular drug.

Synthesis and evaluation of alpha-hydroxymethylated conjugated nitroalkenes for their anticancer activity: inhibition of cell proliferation by targeting microtubules.

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) type reaction of a variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic conjugated nitroalkenes with formaldehyde in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of imidazole and catalytic amounts (10 mol %) of anthranilic acid at room temperature provided the corresponding hydroxymethylated derivatives in moderate to good yield. The parent nitroalkenes and their MBH adducts were subsequently screened for their anticancer activity. Some of the MBH adducts were found to inhibit cervical cancer (HeLa) cell proliferation at low micromolar concentrations with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 1-2 microM. The antiproliferative activity of 3-((E)-2-nitrovinyl)furan and three potent MBH adducts, namely, hydroxymethylated derivatives of 3-((E)-2-nitrovinyl)thiophene, 1-methoxy-4-((E)-2-nitrovinyl)benzene, and 1,2-dimethoxy-4-((E)-2-nitrovinyl)benzene was correlated well with their antimicrotubule activity. At their effective concentration range, the tested compounds perturbed the organization of mitotic spindle microtubules and chromosomes. In the presence of hydroxymethylated nitroalkenes, abnormal bipolar or multipolar mitotic spindles were apparent. Interphase microtubules were found to be significantly depolymerized at relatively higher concentrations of the tested compounds. These compounds inhibited tubulin assembly into microtubules in vitro by binding to tubulin at a site distinct from the vinblastine and colchicine binding sites. The compounds reduced the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of tubulin and the fluorescence of tubulin-1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) complex indicating that they induced conformational changes in the tubulin. The results suggest that hydroxymethylated nitroalkenes exert their antiproliferative activity at least in part by depolymerizing cellular microtubules through tubulin binding and indicate that hydroxymethylated nitroalkenes are promising lead compounds for cancer therapy.

Synthesis and anticancer activity studies of alpha-aminoalkylated conjugated nitroalkenes.

Novel alpha-aminoalkylated conjugated nitroalkenes which inhibit human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell proliferation by binding to tubulin were synthesized by imidazole/LiCl-mediated reaction of conjugated nitroalkenes with N-tosylimines.

Antimitotic sulfonamides inhibit microtubule assembly dynamics and cancer cell proliferation.

Several sulfonamides have antitumor activities and are currently undergoing clinical evaluation for the treatment of cancer. In this study, we have elucidated the antiproliferative mechanism of action of five indole sulfonamides. The indole sulfonamides inhibited the polymerization of microtubule protein into microtubules in vitro. In addition, three representative derivatives, ER-68378 (2), ER-68384 (4) and ER-68394 (5), suppressed the dynamic instability behavior at the plus ends of individual steady-state microtubules in vitro. The analogues inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations in the range of 6-17 microM. The compounds blocked cell cycle progression at mitosis. At their lowest effective antimitotic concentrations, they depolymerized the spindle microtubules and disorganized the chromosomes but did not affect the microtubules in interphase cells. However, at relatively high concentrations, interphase microtubules were also depolymerized by these sulfonamides. Furthermore, all five compounds were found to induce apoptosis in the cells in association with the phosphorylation of bcl-2. The results suggest that the indole sulfonamides inhibit cell proliferation at mitosis by perturbing the assembly dynamics of spindle microtubules and that they can kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis through the bcl-2-dependent pathway.