On the Interactions of Augmin with Microtubules and the Mechanics of the Cross-Linker PRC1

<p>Cell division in eukaryotes requires the assembly and maintenance of a structure, the bipolar spindle, self-organized from microtubules and their associated proteins. A multitude of components have been identified to be involved in this organization, and solving the combinatorial of the conditions that lead to the specific set of configurations present in vivo remains an open question. This thesis presents reconstitutions from purified components used to study aspects of microtubule self-organization: first, the microtubule-nucleation-related augmin octameric complex was assessed at a single-molecule interaction level with microtubules; second, the cross-linker PRC1's frictional response resisting motion between two microtubule filaments was analyzed to determine the dependence of the frictional force on the binding conditions of the cross-linker. For the augmin complexes studied sub-second interaction times were observed, yielding diffusive tracks on the lattice of microtubules. Microtubule bundles driven to slide showed GFP-PRC1 accumulation with a near-contant frictional force recorded. From the data, a theoretical model was produced linking the accumulation of GFP-PRC1 to the time evolution of the force trace. The observations on the reconstituted augmin complex establish constrains (diffusive and short lived) on an entity proposed to anchor newly-nucleated microtubules to pre-existing microtubules at a given branching angle. The observations on PRC1 mechanics lead to the hypothesis of a changing mechanical behavior of the cross-linker to its exchange kinetics, potentially modulated by external factors.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Year

2019

Author dc:creator

• Dottore, Alejandro

Contributors dc:contributor

• Tarun Kapoor

• microtubules
• spindle assembly
• augmin complex
• PRC1
• self-organization
• cross-linker mechanics
• Life Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/student_theses_and_dissertations/507

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu:student_theses_and_dissertations-1506