Microtubule Destabilizer KIF2A Undergoes Distinct Site-Specific Phosphorylation Cascades that Differentially Affect Neuronal Morphogenesis.
Neurons exhibit dynamic structural changes in response to extracellular stimuli. Microtubules (MTs) provide rapid and dramatic cytoskeletal changes within the structural framework. However, the molecular mechanisms and signaling networks underlying MT dynamics remain unknown. Here, we have applied a comprehensive and quantitative phospho-analysis of the MT destabilizer KIF2A to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of MT dynamics within neurons in response to extracellular signals. Interestingly, we identified two different sets of KIF2A phosphorylation profiles that accelerate (A-type) and brake (B-type) the MT depolymerization activity of KIF2A. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) stimulates PAK1 and CDK5 kinases, which decrease the MT depolymerizing activity of KIF2A through B-type phosphorylation, resulting in enhanced outgrowth of neural processes. In contrast, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induces ROCK2 kinase, which suppresses neurite outgrowth from round cells via A-type phosphorylation. We propose that these two mutually exclusive forms of KIF2A phosphorylation differentially regulate neuronal morphogenesis during development.
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Tadayuki
T
Ogawa
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Center of Excellence in Genome Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: hirokawa@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Nobutaka
N
Hirokawa
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D012097:Repressor Proteins; C477238:KIF2A protein, mouse; D016547:Kinesins