Highly acetylated tubulin permits enhanced interactions with and trafficking of plasmids along microtubules.

ABSTRACT: Microtubule-based transport is required for plasmid translocation to the nucleus during transfections, and having stable structures could enhance this movement. In previous studies, in which the cytoskeleton was disrupted, we found that populations of microtubules remain that are stable and highly acetylated. By increasing the levels of acetylated tubulin through inhibition of the tubulin deacetylase HDAC6, we observe more rapid plasmid nuclear localization of transfected plasmids and greater levels of gene transfer. In this study, we sought to understand plasmid movement in cells with enhanced tubulin acetylation. Using variations of a microtubule spin-down assay, we found that plasmids bound to hyper-acetylated microtubules to a greater degree than they did to unmodified microtubules. To

SUBMITTER: Badding MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3587030 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature