Identification of katanin, an ATPase that severs and disassembles stable microtubules.
Eukaryotic cells rapidly reorganize their microtubule cytoskeleton during the cell cycle, differentiation, and cell migration. In this study, we have purified a heterodimeric protein, katanin, that severs and disassembles microtubules to tubulin dimers. The disassembled tubulin can repolymerize, indicating that it is not irreversibly modified or denatured in the reaction. Katanin is a microtubule-stimulated ATPase and requires ATP hydrolysis to sever microtubules. Katanin represents a novel type of enzyme that utilizes energy from nucleotide hydrolysis to break tubulin-tubulin bonds within a microtubule polymer, a process that may aid in disassembling complex microtubule arrays within cells.
McNally
F J
FJ
Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Vale
R D
RD
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D000074201:Katanin; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010063:Ovum; D012617:Sea Urchins; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014741:Video Recording; D014981:Xenopus
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000074201:Katanin