Mitotic kinesins and microtubule dynamics regulation
We discovered that the tetrameric kinesin-5 motor Eg5 is a microtubule polymerase that enhances the microtubule growth rate and suppresses catastrophe frequency. This finding suggests that beyond sliding antiparallel microtubules to form the mitotic spindle, the motor helps to build its track and contributes to poleward microtubule flux.
Video
Microtubule Growth and Shrinkage
Relevant Publications
Aging Gracefully: A New Model of Microtubule Growth and Catastrophe. W.O. Hancock. 2015. Biophysical Journal. 109(12): 2449 – 2451.
Eg5 Inhibitors Have Contrasting Effects on Microtubule Stability and Metaphase Spindle Integrity. Chen GY, Kang YJ, Gayek AS, Youyen W, Tüzel E, Ohi R, Hancock WO. ACS Chem Biol. 2017 Apr 21;12(4):1038-1046. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.6b01040. Epub 2017 Feb 22.
Kinesin-5 is a microtubule polymerase. Y. Chen, W.O. Hancock. 2015. Nature Communications 1 – 10. DOI: 10.1038.
The Kinesin-5 Chemomechanical Cycle Is Dominated by a Two-heads-bound State. 2016. G.Y. Chen, K.J. Mickolajczyk, and W.O. Hancock. J. Biol. Chem. 291(39):20283-94. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.730697. Epub 2016 Jul 11. PMID: 27402829
Mitotic kinesins in action: diffusive searching, directional switching, and ensemble coordination. AM Gicking, W Qiu, WO Hancock. Molecular biology of the cell. 2018. 29(10), 1153-1156.
An EB1-kinesin complex is sufficient to steer microtubule growth in vitro. Chen, Y., Rolls, M.M., Hancock, W.O. 2014. Current Biology. 24(3):316-21.
