title: HSPB1 facilitates the formation of non-centrosomal microtubules.
abstract: The remodeling capacity of microtubules (MT) is essential for their proper function. In mammals, MTs are predominantly formed at the centrosome, but can also originate from non-centrosomal sites, a process that is still poorly understood. We here show that the small heat shock protein HSPB1 plays a role in the control of non-centrosomal MT formation. The HSPB1 expression level regulates the balance between centrosomal and non-centrosomal MTs. The HSPB1 protein can be detected specifically at sites of de novo forming non-centrosomal MTs, while it is absent from the centrosomes. In addition, we show that HSPB1 binds preferentially to the lattice of newly formed MTs in vitro, suggesting that its function occurs by stabilizing MT seeds. Our findings open new avenues for the understanding of the role of HSPB1 in the development, maintenance and protection of cells with specialized non-centrosomal MT arrays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB and University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almeida-Souza
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asselbergh
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Winter
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goethals
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Timmerman
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janssens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D018385:Centrosome; D003412:Cricetulus; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones