title: Outer dense fibre protein 2 (ODF2) is a self-interacting centrosomal protein with affinity for microtubules.
abstract: Outer dense fibre protein 2 (ODF2) is a major protein of sperm tail outer dense fibres which are prominent sperm tail-specific cytoskeletal structures. Moreover, ODF2 was also identified as a widespread component of the centrosomal scaffold and was found to associate preferentially with the appendages of the mother centriole [Nakagawa, Y., Yamane, Y., Okanoue, T., Tsukita, S. and Tsukita, S. (2001) Mol. Biol. Cell 12, 1687-1697]. Secondary structure predictions indicated ODF2 as an overall coiled-coil protein with a putative fibre forming capacity. To investigate its potential functions in generating the centrosomal scaffold and in microtubule nucleation we asked whether ODF2 is able to form a fibrillar structure by self-association in vivo and if it interacts with microtubules. By cytological investigation of transfected mammalian cells expressing ODF2-GFP fusion proteins and in vitro coprecipitation assays we could demonstrate that ODF2 is a self-interacting protein that forms a fibrillar structure partially linked to the microtubule network. Microtubule cosedimentation and coprecipitation assays indicated ODF2 as a microtubule-associated protein. However, we could not demonstrate a direct interaction of ODF2 with tubulin, suggesting that binding of endogenous ODF2 to the axonemal as well as to centrosomal microtubules may be mediated by, as yet, unknown proteins.
authors.affiliation: Göttinger Zentrum für Molekulare Biowissenschaften, Entwicklungsbiologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Fatima F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Donkor
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mönnich
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Czirr
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hollemann
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoyer-Fender
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C490105:Odf2 protein, rat; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins