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Pseudo-repeats in doublecortin make distinct mechanistic contributions to microtubule regulation

Manka, SW; Moores, CA; (2020) Pseudo-repeats in doublecortin make distinct mechanistic contributions to microtubule regulation. EMBO Reports , Article e51534. 10.15252/embr.202051534. Green open access

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Abstract

Doublecortin (DCX) is a neuronal microtubule-associated protein (MAP) indispensable for brain development. Its flexibly linked doublecortin (DC) domains-NDC and CDC-mediate microtubule (MT) nucleation and stabilization, but it is unclear how. Using high-resolution time-resolved cryo-EM, we mapped NDC and CDC interactions with tubulin at different MT polymerization stages and studied their functional effects on MT dynamics using TIRF microscopy. Although coupled, each DC repeat within DCX appears to have a distinct role in MT nucleation and stabilization: CDC is a conformationally plastic module that appears to facilitate MT nucleation and stabilize tubulin-tubulin contacts in the nascent MT lattice, while NDC appears to be favored along the mature lattice, providing MT stabilization. Our structures of MT-bound DC domains also explain in unprecedented detail the DCX mutation-related brain defects observed in the clinic. This modular composition of DCX reflects a common design principle among MAPs where pseudo-repeats of tubulin/MT binding elements chaperone or stabilize distinct conformational transitions to regulate distinct stages of MT dynamic instability.

Type: Article
Title: Pseudo-repeats in doublecortin make distinct mechanistic contributions to microtubule regulation
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051534
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202051534
Language: English
Additional information: © 2020 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: DCX domain, cryo-EM, doublecortin, microtubule-associated protein, pseudo-repeat
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Institute of Prion Diseases
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Institute of Prion Diseases > MRC Prion Unit at UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Structural and Molecular Biology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10113172
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