Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
08:04
Controlling Flow Speeds of Microtubule-Based 3D Active Fluids Using Temperature
Published on: November 26, 2019
MAP6-F is a temperature sensor that directly binds to and protects microtubules from cold-induced depolymerization.
Christian Delphin1, Denis Bouvier2, Maxime Seggio1
1Team 1 Physiopathology of Cytoskeleton; Commissariat à I'Energie Atomique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U836-GIN iRTSV-GPC, Site Santé La Tronche, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|August 21, 2012
Summary
Microtubule-associated protein 6 (MAP6) stabilizes cellular microtubules at low temperatures. This protein acts as a temperature sensor, adapting its conformation to maintain microtubule integrity in organisms experiencing cold.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Microtubules are essential cellular structures known to be unstable at cold temperatures in vitro.
- Microtubule-associated protein 6 (MAP6) protects microtubules from cold-induced depolymerization in vivo.
- The precise mechanism of MAP6-mediated microtubule stabilization at low temperatures and the extent of cold sensitivity across physiological temperature ranges remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism by which MAP6 stabilizes microtubules at 4 °C.
- To determine the temperature-dependent sensitivity of microtubules in vivo.
- To elucidate the role of MAP6 as a potential temperature sensor.
Main Methods:
- Cellular experiments observing microtubule depolymerization at temperatures below 20 °C in the presence and absence of MAP6.
- Analysis of MAP6-F binding dynamics and microtubule stabilization within cells.
- Biochemical assays using purified proteins to study MAP6-F binding to microtubules.
- Circular dichroism spectroscopy to detect conformational changes in the MAP6-F Mc domain.
Main Results:
- In the absence of MAP6, cellular microtubules depolymerize rapidly and in a temperature-dependent manner below 20 °C.
- MAP6 presence stabilizes microtubules against cold-induced depolymerization.
- MAP6-F binding to microtubules is dynamic and temperature-dependent, suggesting temperature directly influences complex formation.
- Purified MAP6-F directly binds microtubules via its Mc domain in a temperature-dependent manner, accompanied by conformational changes.
Conclusions:
- MAP6 is crucial for maintaining microtubule stability at reduced temperatures.
- MAP6 functions as a temperature sensor, altering its conformation to stabilize microtubules.
- This temperature-sensing mechanism is vital for preserving the microtubule network in organisms exposed to decreasing temperatures, such as during hibernation.
Related Concept Videos
01:42Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)
Microtubule function and architecture are regulated by an array of specialized proteins called microtubule-associated proteins or MAPs. These proteins are widespread across different organisms and have conserved protein motifs, like the multi-TOG domain for tubulin binding found in the CLASP family of MAPs. Some MAPs are lineage-specific based on their conserved domains. Their functions depend upon the cytoskeletal architecture and cell type they are located within. In-plant cells, a specific...
01:45Destabilization of Microtubules
The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...
02:17Microtubule Instability
Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
01:15Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo cycles of catastrophe and rescue. The microtubules play a central role in cell division by forming the spindle apparatus for segregating the chromosomes. This makes them ideal targets for regulating dividing cells in tumors and malignant cancer cells. Microtubule stabilizing drugs help stabilize the microtubule formation and promote its polymerization. Paclitaxel was the first microtubule stabilizing agent used as anticancer drug in chemotherapy...