Proteomic analysis of microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) in Rib72 null Tetrahymena cells reveals functional MIPs.

The core structure of motile cilia and flagella, the axoneme, is built from a stable population of doublet microtubules. This unique stability is brought about, at least in part, by a network of microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) that are bound to the luminal side of the microtubule walls. Rib72A and Rib72B were identified as MIPs in the motile cilia of the protist Tetrahymena thermophila. Loss of these proteins leads to ciliary defects and loss of additional MIPs. We performed mass spectrometry coupled with proteomic analysis and bioinformatics to identify the MIPs lost in RIB72A/B knockout Tetrahymena axonemes. We identified a number of candidate MIPs and pursued one, Fap115, for functional characterization. We find that loss of Fap115 results in disrupted cell swimming and aberrant ciliary beating. Cryo-electron tomography reveals that Fap115 localizes to MIP6a in the A-tubule of the doublet microtubules. Overall, our results highlight the complex relationship between MIPs, ciliary structure, and ciliary function.

CEP164 is essential for efferent duct multiciliogenesis and male fertility.

Cilia are evolutionarily conserved microtubule-based structures that perform diverse biological functions. Cilia are assembled on basal bodies and anchored to the plasma membrane via distal appendages. In the male reproductive tract, multicilia in efferent ducts (EDs) move in a whip-like motion to prevent sperm agglutination. Previously, we demonstrated that the distal appendage protein CEP164 recruits Chibby1 (Cby1) to basal bodies to facilitate basal body docking and ciliogenesis. Mice lacking CEP164 in multiciliated cells (MCCs) (FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl) show a significant loss of multicilia in the trachea, oviduct, and ependyma. In addition, we observed male sterility; however, the precise role of CEP164 in male fertility remained unknown. Here, we report that the seminiferous tubules and rete testis of FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl mice exhibit substantial dilation, indicative of dysfunctional multicilia in the EDs. We found that multicilia were hardly detectable in the EDs of FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl mice although FoxJ1-positive immature cells were present. Sperm aggregation and agglutination were commonly noticeable in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules and EDs of FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl mice. In FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl mice, the apical localization of Cby1 and the transition zone marker NPHP1 was severely diminished, suggesting basal body docking defects. TEM analysis of EDs further confirmed basal body accumulation in the cytoplasm of MCCs. Collectively, we conclude that male infertility in FoxJ1-Cre;CEP164fl/fl mice is caused by sperm agglutination and obstruction of EDs due to loss of multicilia. Our study, therefore, unravels an essential role of the distal appendage protein CEP164 in male fertility.

Bidirectional role of microtubule dynamics in the acquisition and maintenance of temporal information in dorsolateral striatum.

Accurate and precise timing is crucial for complex and purposeful behaviors, such as foraging for food or playing a musical instrument. The brain is capable of processing temporal information in a coordinated manner, as if it contains an 'internal clock'. Similar to the need for the brain to orient itself in space in order to understand its surroundings, temporal orientation and tracking is an essential component of cognition as well. While there have been multiple models explaining the neural correlates of timing, independent lines of research appear to converge on the conclusion that populations of neurons in the dorsal striatum encode information relating to where a subject is in time relative to an anticipated goal. Similar to other learning processes, acquisition and maintenance of this temporal information is dependent on synaptic plasticity. Microtubules are cytoskeletal proteins that have been implicated in synaptic plasticity mechanisms and therefore are considered key elements in learning and memory. In this study, we investigated the role of microtubule dynamics in temporal learning by local infusions of microtubule stabilizing and destabilizing agents into the dorsolateral striatum. Our results suggested a bidirectional role for microtubules in timing, such that microtubule stabilization improves the maintenance of learned target durations, but impairs the acquisition of a novel duration. On the other hand, microtubule destabilization enhances the acquisition of novel target durations, while compromising the maintenance of previously learned durations. These findings suggest that microtubule dynamics plays an important role in synaptic plasticity mechanisms in the dorsolateral striatum, which in turn modulates temporal learning and time perception.

Ase1 domains dynamically slow anaphase spindle elongation and recruit Bim1 to the midzone.

How cells regulate microtubule cross-linking activity to control the rate and duration of spindle elongation during anaphase is poorly understood. In this study, we test the hypothesis that PRC1/Ase1 proteins use distinct microtubule-binding domains to control the spindle elongation rate. Using the budding yeast Ase1, we identify unique contributions for the spectrin and carboxy-terminal domains during different phases of spindle elongation. We show that the spectrin domain uses conserved basic residues to promote the recruitment of Ase1 to the midzone before anaphase onset and slow spindle elongation during early anaphase. In contrast, a partial Ase1 carboxy-terminal truncation fails to form a stable midzone in late anaphase, produces higher elongation rates after early anaphase, and exhibits frequent spindle collapses. We find that the carboxy-terminal domain interacts with the plus-end tracking protein EB1/Bim1 and recruits Bim1 to the midzone to maintain midzone length. Overall, our results suggest that the Ase1 domains provide cells with a modular system to tune midzone activity and control elongation rates.

The small GTPase RSG1 controls a final step in primary cilia initiation.

Primary cilia, which are essential for normal development and tissue homeostasis, are extensions of the mother centriole, but the mechanisms that remodel the centriole to promote cilia initiation are poorly understood. Here we show that mouse embryos that lack the small guanosine triphosphatase RSG1 die at embryonic day 12.5, with developmental abnormalities characteristic of decreased cilia-dependent Hedgehog signaling. Rsg1 mutant embryos have fewer primary cilia than wild-type embryos, but the cilia that form are of normal length and traffic Hedgehog pathway proteins within the cilium correctly. Rsg1 mother centrioles recruit proteins required for cilia initiation and dock onto ciliary vesicles, but axonemal microtubules fail to elongate normally. RSG1 localizes to the mother centriole in a process that depends on tau tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2), the CPLANE complex protein Inturned (INTU), and its own GTPase activity. The data suggest a specific role for RSG1 in the final maturation of the mother centriole and ciliary vesicle that allows extension of the ciliary axoneme.

Conditional knockout mice for the distal appendage protein CEP164 reveal its essential roles in airway multiciliated cell differentiation.

Multiciliated cells of the airways, brain ventricles, and female reproductive tract provide the motive force for mucociliary clearance, cerebrospinal fluid circulation, and ovum transport. Despite their clear importance to human biology and health, the molecular mechanisms underlying multiciliated cell differentiation are poorly understood. Prior studies implicate the distal appendage/transition fiber protein CEP164 as a central regulator of primary ciliogenesis; however, its role in multiciliogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we have generated a novel conditional mouse model that lacks CEP164 in multiciliated tissues and the testis. These mice show a profound loss of airway, ependymal, and oviduct multicilia and develop hydrocephalus and male infertility. Using primary cultures of tracheal multiciliated cells as a model system, we found that CEP164 is critical for multiciliogenesis, at least in part, via its regulation of small vesicle recruitment, ciliary vesicle formation, and basal body docking. In addition, CEP164 is necessary for the proper recruitment of another distal appendage/transition fiber protein Chibby1 (Cby1) and its binding partners FAM92A and FAM92B to the ciliary base in multiciliated cells. In contrast to primary ciliogenesis, CEP164 is dispensable for the recruitment of intraflagellar transport (IFT) components to multicilia. Finally, we provide evidence that CEP164 differentially controls the ciliary targeting of membrane-associated proteins, including the small GTPases Rab8, Rab11, and Arl13b, in multiciliated cells. Altogether, our studies unravel unique requirements for CEP164 in primary versus multiciliogenesis and suggest that CEP164 modulates the selective transport of membrane vesicles and their cargoes into the ciliary compartment in multiciliated cells. Furthermore, our mouse model provides a useful tool to gain physiological insight into diseases associated with defective multicilia.

[Interaction between SPAG6 and TAC1 proteins].

OBJECTIVE: To construct eukaryotic expression plasmids of the Tac1 gene and explore the interaction between TAC1 and sperm-associated antigen 6 (SPAG6). METHODS: RNA was extracted from the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, muscle, and testis of 10 Kunming male mice and, after reverse transcription into cDNA, the expression of Tac1 in the above tissues was observed by RT-PCR. Tac1/pEGFP-N2 and Tac1/pGADT7 recombinant plasmids were constructed and Tac1/pEGFP-N2 was transfected into CHO and COS-1 cells, followed by localization and detection of the protein expression of TAC1 by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. The interaction between TAC1 and SPAG6 was determined by yeast two-hybrid experiment and Western blot. RESULTS: Tac1 was expressed mainly in the testis, brain and heart. The results of restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing indicated successful construction of the recombinant plasmids, with the restriction fragment length of 390 bp. TAC1 was localized in the whole body of the CHO cells when transfected alone, but expressed in the microtubule of the cells when cotransfected with SPAG6, with the molecular weight of 40 000. Yeast two-hybrid experiment showed the colonies of TAC1 and SPAG6 on the culture plate without Leu, Trp and His, both contained in the yeast fusion protein. CONCLUSIONS: The Tac1 recombinant plasmid was constructed successfully and the interaction between TAC1 and SPAG6 was confirmed with the plasmid.

The MID1 protein is a central player during development and in disease.

Loss-of-function mutations in the MID1 gene cause a rare monogenic disorder, Opitz BBB/G syndrome (OS), which is characterized by malformations of the ventral midline. The MID1 gene encodes the MID1 protein, which assembles a large microtubule-associated protein complex. Intensive research over the past several years has shed light on the function of the MID1 protein as a ubiquitin ligase and regulator of mTOR signalling and translational activator. As a central player in the cell MID1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various other disorders in addition to OS including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Influencing the activity of the MID1 protein complex is a promising new strategy for the treatment of these diseases. In this review we will summarize the current knowledge about MID1, its involvement in the pathogenesis of OS and other diseases and possible strategies for therapy development.

[Genetic complexity of ciliopathies and novel genes identification]. / Complexité génétique des ciliopathies et identification de nouveaux gènes.

Ciliopathies are a large group of human disorders caused by dysfunction of primary or motile cilia and unified by their overlapping clinical features (brain malformations, retinal dystrophy, cystic kidney disease, liver fibrosis and skeletal abnormalities). Ciliopathies are mendelian disorders with prominent genetic heterogeneity and marked allelism between different clinical entities, which are in part explained by the recently identified functional modules and multi-protein complexes formed by ciliopathy-associated gene products. The current review provides an updated snapshot of this complex evolving field, highlighting the key phenotypic features and causative genes for commonly-studied ciliopathies and summarizing our emerging understanding of the correlations between the functions of subgroups of genes and clinical sub-types of ciliopathies. Using the example of Joubert syndrome, a ciliopathy characterized by a distinctive hindbrain malformation and caused by mutations in more than 20 different genes, this work also reviews the principal methods used for new gene identification, including candidate gene approaches, homozygosity mapping as well as high throughput next-generation and exome sequencing.

[Non-ciliary functions of cilia proteins]. / De nouvelles fonctions extraciliaires pour les protéines ciliaires - quelles conséquences sur l'apparition de ciliopathies ?

Cilia proteins have long been characterized for their role in cilia formation and function, and their implications in ciliopathies. However, several cellular defects induced by cilia proteins deregulation suggest that they could have non-ciliary roles. Indeed, several non-ciliary functions have been recently characterized for cilia proteins including roles in intra-cellular and in vesicular transport, in spindle orientation or in the maintenance of genomic stability. These observations thus raise the crucial question of the contribution of non-ciliary functions of cilia proteins to the pathological manifestations associated with ciliopathies such as polycystic kidney disease.

The deubiquitinating enzyme CYLD controls apical docking of basal bodies in ciliated epithelial cells.

CYLD is a tumour suppressor gene mutated in familial cylindromatosis, a genetic disorder leading to the development of skin appendage tumours. It encodes a deubiquitinating enzyme that removes Lys63- or linear-linked ubiquitin chains. CYLD was shown to regulate cell proliferation, cell survival and inflammatory responses, through various signalling pathways. Here we show that CYLD localizes at centrosomes and basal bodies via interaction with the centrosomal protein CAP350 and demonstrate that CYLD must be both at the centrosome and catalytically active to promote ciliogenesis independently of NF-κB. In transgenic mice engineered to mimic the smallest truncation found in cylindromatosis patients, CYLD interaction with CAP350 is lost disrupting CYLD centrosome localization, which results in cilia formation defects due to impairment of basal body migration and docking. These results point to an undiscovered regulation of ciliogenesis by Lys63 ubiquitination and provide new perspectives regarding CYLD function that should be considered in the context of cylindromatosis.

Learning-induced and stathmin-dependent changes in microtubule stability are critical for memory and disrupted in ageing.

Changes in the stability of microtubules regulate many biological processes, but their role in memory remains unclear. Here we show that learning causes biphasic changes in the microtubule-associated network in the hippocampus. In the early phase, stathmin is dephosphorylated, enhancing its microtubule-destabilizing activity by promoting stathmin-tubulin binding, whereas in the late phase these processes are reversed leading to an increase in microtubule/KIF5-mediated localization of the GluA2 subunit of AMPA receptors at synaptic sites. A microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel decreases or increases memory when applied at the early or late phases, respectively. Stathmin mutations disrupt changes in microtubule stability, GluA2 localization, synaptic plasticity and memory. Aged wild-type mice show impairments in stathmin levels, changes in microtubule stability and GluA2 localization. Blocking GluA2 endocytosis rescues memory deficits in stathmin mutant and aged wild-type mice. These findings demonstrate a role for microtubules in memory in young adult and aged individuals.

Cep126 is required for pericentriolar satellite localisation to the centrosome and for primary cilium formation.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The centrosome is the primary microtubule-organising centre of animal cells and it has crucial roles in several fundamental cellular functions, including cell division, cell polarity, and intracellular transport. The mechanisms responsible for this are not completely understood. RESULTS: The poorly characterised protein CEP126 localises to the centrosome, pericentriolar satellites and the base of the primary cilium. Suppression of CEP126 expression results in dispersion of the pericentriolar satellites and disruption of the radial organisation of the microtubules, and induces disorganisation of the mitotic spindle. Moreover, CEP126 depletion or the transfection of a CEP126 truncation mutant in hTERT-RPE-1 and IMCD3 cells impairs the formation of the primary cilium. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that CEP126 is a regulator of microtubule organisation at the centrosome that acts through modulation of the transport of pericentriolar satellites, and consequently, of the organisation of cell structure.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase midline 1 promotes allergen and rhinovirus-induced asthma by inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A activity.

Allergic airway inflammation is associated with activation of innate immune pathways by allergens. Acute exacerbations of asthma are commonly associated with rhinovirus infection. Here we show that, after exposure to house dust mite (HDM) or rhinovirus infection, the E3 ubiquitin ligase midline 1 (MID1) is upregulated in mouse bronchial epithelium. HDM regulates MID1 expression in a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)- and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-dependent manner. MID1 decreases protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity through association with its catalytic subunit PP2Ac. siRNA-mediated knockdown of MID1 or pharmacological activation of PP2A using a nonphosphorylatable FTY720 analog in mice exposed to HDM reduces airway hyperreactivity and inflammation, including the expression of interleukin-25 (IL-25), IL-33 and CCL20, IL-5 and IL-13 release, nuclear factor (NF)κB activity, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, accumulation of eosinophils, T lymphocytes and myeloid dendritic cells, and the number of mucus-producing cells. MID1 inhibition also limited rhinovirus-induced exacerbation of allergic airway disease. We found that MID1 was upregulated in primary human bronchial epithelial cells upon HDM or rhinovirus exposure, and this correlated with TRAIL and CCL20 expression. Together, these findings identify a key role of MID1 in allergic airway inflammation and links innate immune pathway activation to the development and exacerbation of asthma.

The Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the Opitz syndrome gene, madd-2/Mid1, regulates anchor cell invasion during vulval development.

Mutations in the human Mid1 gene cause Opitz G/BBB syndrome, which is characterized by various midline closure defects. The Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of Mid1, madd-2, positively regulates signaling by the unc-40 Netrin receptor during the extension of muscle arms to the midline and in axon guidance and branching. During uterine development, a specialized cell called anchor cell (AC) breaches the basal laminae separating the uterus from the epidermis and invades the underlying vulval tissue. AC invasion is guided by an UNC-6 Netrin signal from the ventral nerve cord and an unknown guidance signal from the vulval cells. Using genetic epistasis analysis, we show that madd-2 regulates AC invasion downstream of or in parallel with the Netrin signaling pathway. Measurements of AC shape, polarity and dynamics indicate that MADD-2 prevents the formation of ectopic AC protrusions in the absence of guidance signals. We propose that MADD-2 represses the intrinsic invasive capacity of the AC, while the Netrin and vulval guidance cues locally overcome this inhibitory activity of MADD-2 to guide the AC ventrally into the vulval tissue. Therefore, developmental cell invasion depends on a precise balance between pro- and anti-invasive factors.

Cep164 mediates vesicular docking to the mother centriole during early steps of ciliogenesis.

Cilia formation is a multi-step process that starts with the docking of a vesicle at the distal part of the mother centriole. This step marks the conversion of the mother centriole into the basal body, from which axonemal microtubules extend to form the ciliary compartment. How vesicles are stably attached to the mother centriole to initiate ciliary membrane biogenesis is unknown. Here, we investigate the molecular role of the mother centriolar component Cep164 in ciliogenesis. We show that Cep164 was indispensable for the docking of vesicles at the mother centriole. Using biochemical and functional assays, we identified the components of the vesicular transport machinery, the GEF Rabin8 and the GTPase Rab8, as interacting partners of Cep164. We propose that Cep164 is targeted to the apical domain of the mother centriole to provide the molecular link between the mother centriole and the membrane biogenesis machinery that initiates cilia formation.

ARL13B, PDE6D, and CEP164 form a functional network for INPP5E ciliary targeting.

Mutations affecting ciliary components cause a series of related genetic disorders in humans, including nephronophthisis (NPHP), Joubert syndrome (JBTS), Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS), and Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), which are collectively termed "ciliopathies." Recent protein-protein interaction studies combined with genetic analyses revealed that ciliopathy-related proteins form several functional networks/modules that build and maintain the primary cilium. However, the precise function of many ciliopathy-related proteins and the mechanisms by which these proteins are targeted to primary cilia are still not well understood. Here, we describe a protein-protein interaction network of inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase E (INPP5E), a prenylated protein associated with JBTS, and its ciliary targeting mechanisms. INPP5E is targeted to the primary cilium through a motif near the C terminus and prenyl-binding protein phosphodiesterase 6D (PDE6D)-dependent mechanisms. Ciliary targeting of INPP5E is facilitated by another JBTS protein, ADP-ribosylation factor-like 13B (ARL13B), but not by ARL2 or ARL3. ARL13B missense mutations that cause JBTS in humans disrupt the ARL13B-INPP5E interaction. We further demonstrate interactions of INPP5E with several ciliary and centrosomal proteins, including a recently identified ciliopathy protein centrosomal protein 164 (CEP164). These findings indicate that ARL13B, INPP5E, PDE6D, and CEP164 form a distinct functional network that is involved in JBTS and NPHP but independent of the ones previously defined by NPHP and MKS proteins.

TPPP acts downstream of RhoA-ROCK-LIMK2 to regulate astral microtubule organization and spindle orientation.

The actin cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells undergoes drastic rearrangement during mitosis. The changes to the actin cytoskeleton are most obvious in the adherent cells, where the actin stress fibres are disassembled, and the cortical actin network becomes more prominent with concomitant increase in cell rigidity as cells round up and enter mitosis. Although the regulatory connections between the actin cytoskeleton and the early mitotic events are apparent, the mechanisms that govern these links are not well understood. Here, we report that LIMK1 and LIMK2, the downstream effectors of RhoA and ROCK, regulate centrosome integrity and astral microtubule organization, respectively. Surprisingly, LIMK1 and cofilin are not involved downstream of RhoA and ROCK in the regulation of astral microtubule organization. Instead, we find that LIMK2 acts through TPPP in the regulation of astral microtubule organization, whereas both LIMK1 and LIMK2 affect centrosome focusing. Both phenotypes are tightly coupled to spindle orientation in the mitotic cells. Thus, our results reveal a new regulatory link between the actin cytoskeleton and the mitotic spindle during the early stages of mitosis.

Mdp3 is a novel microtubule-binding protein that regulates microtubule assembly and stability.

Microtubule-binding proteins are a group of molecules that associate with microtubules, regulate the structural properties of microtubules, and thereby participate in diverse microtubule-mediated cellular activities. A recent mass spectrometry-based proteomic study has identified microtubule-associated protein 7 (MAP7) domain-containing 3 (Mdp3) as a potential microtubule-binding protein. However, its subcellular localization and functional importance are not characterized. In this study, by GST-pulldown assays, we found that Mdp3 interacted with tubulin both in cells and in vitro. Immunofluorescence microscopy and microtubule cosedimentation assays revealed that Mdp3 also associated with microtubules. Serial deletion experiments showed that the two coiled coil motifs of Mdp3 were critical for its interaction with tubulin and microtubules. Cold recovery and nocodazole washout assays further demonstrated an important role for Mdp3 in regulating cellular microtubule assembly. Our data also showed that Mdp3 significantly enhanced the stability of cellular microtubules. By tubulin turbidity assay, we found that Mdp3 could promote microtubule assembly and stability in the purified system. In addition, we found that Mdp3 expression varied during the cell cycle and in primary tissues. These findings thus establish Mdp3 as a novel microtubule-binding protein that regulates microtubule assembly and stability.

Control of mTORC1 signaling by the Opitz syndrome protein MID1.

Mutations in the MID1 gene are causally linked to X-linked Opitz BBB/G syndrome (OS), a congenital disorder that primarily affects the formation of diverse ventral midline structures. The MID1 protein has been shown to function as an E3 ligase targeting the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A-C) for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. However, the molecular pathways downstream of the MID1/PP2A axis that are dysregulated in OS and that translate dysfunctional MID1 and elevated levels of PP2A-C into the OS phenotype are poorly understood. Here, we show that perturbations in MID1/PP2A affect mTORC1 signaling. Increased PP2A levels, resulting from proteasome inhibition or depletion of MID1, lead to disruption of the mTOR/Raptor complex and down-regulated mTORC1 signaling. Congruously, cells derived from OS patients that carry MID1 mutations exhibit decreased mTORC1 formation, S6K1 phosphorylation, cell size, and cap-dependent translation, all of which is rescued by expression of wild-type MID1 or an activated mTOR allele. Our findings define mTORC1 signaling as a downstream pathway regulated by the MID1/PP2A axis, suggesting that mTORC1 plays a key role in OS pathogenesis.