CP60: a microtubule-associated protein that is localized to the centrosome in a cell cycle-specific manner

DMAP190 is a microtubule-associated protein from Drosophila that is localized to the centrosome. In a previous study, we used affinity chromatography to identify proteins that interact with DMAP190, and identified a 60-kDa protein that we named DMAP60 (Kellogg and Alberts, 1992). Like DMAP190, DMAP60 interacts with microtubules and is localized to the centrosome, and the two proteins associate as part of a multiprotein complex. We now report the cloning and sequencing of the cDNA encoding DMAP60. The amino acid sequence of DMAP60 is not homologous to any protein in the database, although it contains six consensus sites for phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases. As judged by in situ hybridization, the gene for DMAP60 maps to chromosomal region 46A. In agreement with others working on Drosophila centrosomal proteins, we have changed the names for DMAP190 and DMAP60 to CP190 and CP60, respectively, to give these proteins a consistent nomenclature. Antibodies that recognize CP60 reveal that it is localized to the centrosome in a cell cycle-dependent manner. The amount of CP60 at the centrosome is maximal during anaphase and telophase, and then drops dramatically during late telophase or early interphase. This dramatic disappearance of CP60 may be due to specific proteolysis, because CP60 contains a sequence of amino acids similar to the "destruction box" that targets cyclins for proteolysis at the end of mitosis. Starting with nuclear cycle 12, CP60 and CP190 are both found in the nucleus during interphase. CP60 isolated from Drosophila embryos is highly phosphorylated, and dephosphorylated CP60 is a good substrate for cyclin B/p34cdc2 kinase complexes. A second kinase activity capable of phosphorylating CP60 is present in the CP60/CP190 multiprotein complex. We find that bacterially expressed CP60 binds to purified microtubules, and this binding is blocked by CP60 phosphorylation.