zyg-8, a gene required for spindle positioning in C. elegans, encodes a doublecortin-related kinase that promotes microtubule assembly.

Abstract

Proper spindle positioning is essential for spatial control of cell division. Here, we show that zyg-8 plays a key role in spindle positioning during asymmetric division of one-cell stage C. elegans embryos by promoting microtubule assembly during anaphase. ZYG-8 harbors a kinase domain and a domain related to Doublecortin, a microtubule-associated protein (MAP) affected in patients with neuronal migration disorders. Sequencing of zyg-8 mutant alleles demonstrates that both domains are essential for function. ZYG-8 binds to microtubules in vitro, colocalizes with microtubules in vivo, and promotes stabilization of microtubules to drug or cold depolymerization in COS-7 cells. Our findings demonstrate that ZYG-8 is a MAP crucial for proper spindle positioning in C. elegans, and indicate that the function of the Doublecortin domain in modulating microtubule dynamics is conserved across metazoan evolution.

• Authors: P Gönczy, J M Bellanger, M Kirkham, A Pozniakowski, K Baumer, J B Phillips, A A Hyman
• Journal: Developmental cell (Dev Cell) Vol. 1 Issue 3 Pg. 363-75 (Sep 2001) ISSN: 1534-5807 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11702948 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
• Helminth Proteins
• Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins
• zyg-8 protein, C elegans
• DCLK1 protein, human
• Doublecortin-Like Kinases
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
• Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
• Nocodazole

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Anaphase (physiology)
• Animals
• COS Cells
• Caenorhabditis elegans (drug effects, embryology, genetics)
• Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)
• Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases (genetics, metabolism)
• Cell Polarity
• Doublecortin-Like Kinases
• Female
• Genes, Helminth
• Genes, Reporter (genetics)
• Helminth Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Humans
• Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
• Male
• Microscopy, Fluorescence
• Microtubules (drug effects, metabolism)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Nocodazole (pharmacology)
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
• Protein Structure, Tertiary
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins (metabolism)
• Sequence Alignment
• Spindle Apparatus (drug effects, metabolism)