Macromolecular Crowding Tailors the Microtubule Cytoskeleton Through Tubulin Modifications and Microtubule-Associated Proteins.

ABSTRACT: Cells remodel their cytoskeletal networks to adapt to their environment. Here, we analyze the mechanisms utilized by the cell to tailor its microtubule landscape in response to changes in osmolarity that alter macromolecular crowding. By integrating live cell imaging, ex vivo enzymatic assays, and in vitro reconstitution, we probe the impact of acute perturbations in cytoplasmic density on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and tubulin posttranslational modifications (PTMs), unraveling the molecular underpinnings of cellular adaptation via the microtubule cytoskeleton. We find that cells respond to fluctuations in cytoplasmic density by modulating microtubule acetylation, detyrosination, or MAP7 association, without differentially affecting polyglutamylation, tyrosination

SUBMITTER: Shen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10312695 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature