title: Nemitin, a novel Map8/Map1s interacting protein with Wd40 repeats.
abstract: In neurons, a highly regulated microtubule cytoskeleton is essential for many cellular functions. These include axonal transport, regional specialization and synaptic function. Given the critical roles of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in maintaining and regulating microtubule stability and dynamics, we sought to understand how this regulation is achieved. Here, we identify a novel LisH/WD40 repeat protein, tentatively named nemitin (neuronal enriched MAP interacting protein), as a potential regulator of MAP8-associated microtubule function. Based on expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, nemitin is enriched in the nervous system. Its protein expression is detected as early as embryonic day 11 and continues through adulthood. Interestingly, when expressed in non-neuronal cells, nemitin displays a diffuse pattern with puncta, although at the ultrastructural level it localizes along the microtubule network in vivo in sciatic nerves. These results suggest that the association of nemitin to microtubules may require an intermediary protein. Indeed, co-expression of nemitin with microtubule-associated protein 8 (MAP8) results in nemitin losing its diffuse pattern, instead decorating microtubules uniformly along with MAP8. Together, these results imply that nemitin may play an important role in regulating the neuronal cytoskeleton through an interaction with MAP8.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Victor F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Millan
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Ningna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.forename: Mridu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapur
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C512416:MAP8 protein, mouse; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C514981:NEMO protein, mouse; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C574040:WDR47 protein, human; C524014:Wdr1 protein, mouse