PUBLICATION

Kinesin-mediated transport of smad2 is required for signaling in response to tgf-Beta ligands

Authors
Batut, J., Howell, M., and Hill, C.S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-070212-30
Date
2007
Source
Developmental Cell   12(2): 261-274 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Batut, Julie, Hill, Caroline
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Activins/pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus/drug effects
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/cytology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Mice
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins/chemistry
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins/metabolism*
  • Microtubules/drug effects
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Nodal Protein
  • Phosphorylation/drug effects
  • Protein Binding/drug effects
  • Protein Transport/drug effects
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
  • Signal Transduction/drug effects*
  • Smad2 Protein/metabolism*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology*
  • Xenopus/embryology
  • Xenopus/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
17276343 Full text @ Dev. Cell
Abstract
During vertebrate development, Activin/Nodal-related ligands signal through Smad2, leading to its activation and accumulation in the nucleus. Here, we demonstrate that Smad2 constantly shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus both in early Xenopus embryo explants and in living zebrafish embryos, providing a mechanism whereby the intracellular components of the pathway constantly monitor receptor activity. We have gone on to demonstrate that an intact microtubule network and kinesin ATPase activity are required for Smad2 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation in response to Activin/Nodal in early vertebrate embryos and TGF-beta in mammalian cells. The kinesin involved is kinesin-1, and Smad2 interacts with the kinesin-1 light chain subunit. Interfering with kinesin activity in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos phenocopies loss of Nodal signaling. Our results reveal that kinesin-mediated transport of Smad2 along microtubules to the receptors is an essential step in ligand-induced Smad2 activation.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping