The dynamic behavior of the APC-binding protein EB1 on the distal ends of microtubules

Curr Biol. 2000 Jul 13;10(14):865-8. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(00)00600-x.

Abstract

Adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC) is a well-characterized tumor suppressor protein [1] [2] [3]. We previously showed that APC tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Xenopus A6 epithelial cells moves along a subset of microtubules and accumulates at their growing plus ends in cell extensions [4]. EB1, which was identified as an APC-binding protein by yeast two-hybrid analysis [5], was also reported to be associated with microtubules [6] [7] [8]. To examine the interaction between APC and EB1 within cells, we compared the dynamic behavior of EB1-GFP with that of APC-GFP in A6 transfectants. Time-lapse microscopy of live cells at interphase revealed that EB1-GFP was concentrated at all of the growing microtubule ends throughout the cytoplasm and abruptly disappeared from the ends when microtubules began to shorten. Therefore, EB1 appeared to be co-localized and interact with APC on the growing ends of a subset of microtubules. When APC-GFP was overexpressed, endogenous EB1 was recruited to APC-GFP, which accumulated in large amounts on microtubules. On the other hand, when microtubules were disassembled by nocodazole, EB1 was not co-localized with APC-GFP, which was concentrated along the basal plasma membrane. During mitosis, APC appeared to be dissociated from microtubules, whereas EB1-GFP continued to concentrate at microtubule growing ends. These findings showed that the APC-EB1 interaction is regulated within cells and is allowed near the ends of microtubules only under restricted conditions.

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Genes, APC
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Humans
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microtubules / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Transfection
  • Xenopus

Substances

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • EB1 microtubule binding proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins