Anchorage of microtubule minus ends to adherens junctions regulates epithelial cell-cell contacts.
Epithelial cells contain noncentrosomal microtubules (MTs), whose minus ends are oriented apically. In contrast with the well-known interactions of the minus ends with the centrosome, little is known about the termination site of the noncentrosomal minus ends. Here we show that a population of MT minus ends is anchored at the zonula adherens (ZA), the apical-most part of the cadherin-based adherens junction, via a protein that we have termed Nezha. We initially identified PLEKHA7 as a ZA component and subsequently detected Nezha as a partner for PLEKHA7. Nezha bound MTs at their minus ends and tethered them to the ZA. Furthermore, we found that a minus end-directed motor, KIFC3, was concentrated at the ZA in a PLEKHA7/Nezha/MT-dependent manner; and depletion of any of these proteins resulted in disorganization of the ZA. We propose that the PLEKHA7/Nezha/MT complex regulates the ZA integrity by recruiting KIFC3 to this junctional site.
Meng
Wenxiang
W
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
Mushika
Yoshimi
Y
Ichii
Tetsuo
T
Takeichi
Masatoshi
M
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D000095002:Delta Catenin
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C419428:Kifc3 protein, mouse; C533786:PLEKHA7 protein, human; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D016547:Kinesins; D000095002:Delta Catenin