Structural basis of protein condensation on microtubules underlying branching microtubule nucleation.

Publication Year
2023

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) is a key factor that stimulates branching microtubule nucleation during cell division. Upon binding to microtubules (MTs), TPX2 forms condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation, which facilitates recruitment of microtubule nucleation factors and tubulin. We report the structure of the TPX2 C-terminal minimal active domain (TPX2) on the microtubule lattice determined by magic-angle-spinning NMR. We demonstrate that TPX2 forms a co-condensate with soluble tubulin on microtubules and binds to MTs between two adjacent protofilaments and at the intersection of four tubulin heterodimers. These interactions stabilize the microtubules and promote the recruitment of tubulin. Our results reveal that TPX2 is disordered in solution and adopts a folded structure on MTs, indicating that TPX2 undergoes structural changes from unfolded to folded states upon binding to microtubules. The aromatic residues form dense interactions in the core, which stabilize folding of TPX2 on microtubules. This work informs on how the phase-separated TPX2 behaves on microtubules and represents an atomic-level structural characterization of a protein that is involved in a condensate on cytoskeletal filaments.

Journal
Nature communications
Volume
14
Issue
1
Pages
3682
Date Published
06/2023
ISSN Number
2041-1723
Alternate Journal
Nat Commun
PMCID
PMC10284871
PMID
37344496