title: The Drosophila microtubule-associated protein mars stabilizes mitotic spindles by crosslinking microtubules through its N-terminal region.
abstract: Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Biology, Dept. of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hamze
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beati
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wodarz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001756:Blastoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D055550:Protein Stability; D021381:Protein Transport; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000074407:SAP90-PSD95 Associated Proteins; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000614192:Mars protein, Drosophila; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000074407:SAP90-PSD95 Associated Proteins