title: Stathmin-tubulin interaction gradients in motile and mitotic cells.
abstract: The spatial organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton is thought to be directed by steady-state activity gradients of diffusible regulatory molecules. We visualized such intracellular gradients by monitoring the interaction between tubulin and a regulator of microtubule dynamics, stathmin, using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor. These gradients were observed both during interphase in motile membrane protrusions and during mitosis around chromosomes, which suggests that a similar mechanism may contribute to the creation of polarized microtubule structures. These interaction patterns are likely to reflect phosphorylation of stathmin in these areas.
authors.affiliation: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niethammer
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bastiaens
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karsenti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007399:Interphase; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008868:Microtubule Proteins; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008938:Mitosis; D009154:Mutation; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D050777:Stathmin; D013552:Swine; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008868:Microtubule Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C493996:STMN1 protein, Xenopus; D050777:Stathmin; D014404:Tubulin; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C434479:citrine protein, bacteria; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate