A role for epsin N-terminal homology/AP180 N-terminal homology (ENTH/ANTH) domains in tubulin binding

J Biol Chem. 2003 Aug 1;278(31):28823-30. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M300995200. Epub 2003 May 15.

Abstract

The epsin N-terminal homology (ENTH) domain is a protein module of approximately 150 amino acids found at the N terminus of a variety of proteins identified in yeast, plants, nematode, frog, and mammals. ENTH domains comprise multiple alpha-helices folded upon each other to form a compact globular structure that has been implicated in interactions with lipids and proteins. In characterizing this evolutionarily conserved domain, we isolated and identified tubulin as an ENTH domain-binding partner. The interaction, which is direct and has a dissociation constant of approximately 1 microm, was observed with ENTH domains of proteins present in various species. Tubulin is co-immunoprecipitated from rat brain extracts with the ENTH domain-containing proteins, epsins 1 and 2, and punctate epsin staining is observed along the microtubule cytoskeleton of dissociated cortical neurons. Consistent with a role in microtubule processes, the over-expression of epsin ENTH domain in PC12 cells stimulates neurite outgrowth. These data demonstrate an evolutionarily conserved property of ENTH domains to interact with tubulin and microtubules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Brain Chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Humans
  • Immunosorbent Techniques
  • Microtubules / chemistry
  • Microtubules / metabolism
  • Monomeric Clathrin Assembly Proteins / chemistry*
  • Monomeric Clathrin Assembly Proteins / metabolism
  • Neurites / physiology
  • Neurons / chemistry
  • Neurons / ultrastructure
  • Neuropeptides / chemistry*
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Structural Homology, Protein
  • Tubulin / analysis
  • Tubulin / metabolism*
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Monomeric Clathrin Assembly Proteins
  • Neuropeptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Tubulin
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • clathrin assembly protein AP180
  • epsin