title: A motor-driven mechanism for cell-length sensing.
abstract: Size homeostasis is fundamental in cell biology, but it is not clear how large cells such as neurons can assess their own size or length. We examined a role for molecular motors in intracellular length sensing.Computational simulations suggest that spatial information can be encoded by the frequency of an oscillating retrograde signal arising from a composite negative feedback loop between bidirectional motor-dependent signals. The model predicts that decreasing either or both anterograde or retrograde signals should increase cell length, and this prediction was confirmed upon application of siRNAs for specific kinesin and/or dynein heavy chains in adult sensory neurons. Heterozygous dynein heavy chain 1 mutant sensory neurons also exhibited increased lengths both in vitro and during embryonic development.Moreover, similar length increases were observed in mouse embryonic fibroblasts upon partial downregulation of dynein heavy chain 1.Thus, molecular motors critically influence cell length sensing and growth control.
authors: Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
authors: Ida
authors: I
authors: Rishal
authors: Naaman
authors: N
authors: Kam
authors: Rotem Ben-Tov
authors: RB
authors: Perry
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Shinder
authors: Elizabeth M C
authors: EM
authors: Fisher
authors: Giampietro
authors: G
authors: Schiavo
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Fainzilber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D048429:Cell Size; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004398:Dyneins / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006579:Heterozygote; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D004398:Dyneins; D016547:Kinesins