INCENP Binds Directly to Tubulin and Requires Dynamic Microtubules to Target to the Cleavage Furrow

Inner centromere protein (INCENP) is a chromosomal passenger protein with an essential role in mitosis. At the metaphase/anaphase transition, some INCENP transfers from the centromeres to the central spindle; the remainder then transfers to the equatorial cortex prior to cleavage furrow formation. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental cell research 2001-01, Vol.262 (2), p.122-127
Main Authors: Wheatley, Sally P., Kandels-Lewis, Stefanie E., Adams, Richard R., Ainsztein, Alexandra M., Earnshaw, William C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actins - metabolism
Amino Acid Motifs - physiology
Anaphase - physiology
Animals
Binding Sites
Cell Line
Chickens
Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - genetics
Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - metabolism
Conserved Sequence
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
Humans
Metaphase - physiology
Microtubules - metabolism
Mitosis - drug effects
Mitosis - physiology
Paclitaxel - pharmacology
Protein Binding - physiology
Protein Structure, Tertiary - genetics
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism
Tubulin - genetics
Tubulin - metabolism
Two-Hybrid System Techniques
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Summary:Inner centromere protein (INCENP) is a chromosomal passenger protein with an essential role in mitosis. At the metaphase/anaphase transition, some INCENP transfers from the centromeres to the central spindle; the remainder then transfers to the equatorial cortex prior to cleavage furrow formation. The molecular associations dictating INCENP behavior during mitosis are currently unknown. Here we show that targeting INCENP to the cleavage plane requires dynamic microtubules, but not F-actin. When microtubules are eliminated, INCENP is dispersed across the entire cell cortex. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding data demonstrate that INCENP binds directly to β-tubulin via a conserved domain encompassing residues 48–85. Furthermore, INCENP binds to microtubules polymerized from purified tubulin in vitro and appears to bundle microtubules when expressed in the interphase cytoplasm. These data indicate that INCENP is a microtubule-binding protein that targets to the equatorial cortex through interactions requiring microtubules.
ISSN:0014-4827
1090-2422
DOI:10.1006/excr.2000.5088