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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
Published on: August 13, 2016
GSK-3beta-regulated interaction of BICD with dynein is involved in microtubule anchorage at centrosome
Katsumi Fumoto1, Casper C Hoogenraad, Akira Kikuchi
1Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
Abstract:
Microtubule arrays direct intracellular organization and define cellular polarity. Here, we show a novel function of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) in the organization of microtubule arrays through the interaction with Bicaudal-D (BICD). BICD is known to form a complex with dynein-dynactin and to function in the intracellular vesicle trafficking. Our data revealed that GSK-3beta is required for the binding of BICD to dynein but not to dynactin. Knockdown of GSK-3beta or BICD reduced centrosomally focused microtubules and induced the mislocalization of centrosomal proteins. The unfocused microtubules in GSK-3beta knockdown cells were rescued by the expression of the dynein intermediate chain-BICD fusion protein. Microtubule regrowth assays showed that GSK-3beta and BICD are required for the anchoring of microtubules to the centrosome. These results imply that GSK-3beta may function in transporting centrosomal proteins to the centrosome by stabilizing the BICD1 and dynein complex, resulting in the regulation of a focused microtubule organization.
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