• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.673-679
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• 2017

Microtubules are long rods in the cytoplasm of cells that plays a role in cell motility and intracellular transport. Microtubule-based transport by motor proteins is essential in intracellular transport. Kinesin 1 is a molecular motor protein that mediates the intracellular transport of various membranous vesicles, mRNAs, and proteins along microtubules. It is comprised of two heavy chains (KHCs, also called KIF5s) and two light chains (KLCs). KIF5s bear a motor domain in their amino (N)-terminal regions and interact with various cargoes through the cargo-binding domain in their carboxyl (C)-terminal regions. To identify proteins interacting with KIF5B, yeast two-hybrid screening was performed, and a specific interaction with the cytoplasmic linker protein 170 (CLIP-170), a plus end microtubule-binding protein, was found. The coiled-coil domain of CLIP-170 is essential for interactions with KIF5B in the yeast two-hybrid assay. CLIP-170 bound to the cargo-binding domain of KIF5B. Also, other KIF5s, KIF5A and KIF5C, interacted with CLIP-170 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF5s specifically interacted with CLIP-170. An antibody to KIF5B specifically co-immunoprecipitated CLIP-170 associated with KIF5B from mouse brain extracts. These results suggest that kinesin 1 motor protein may transport CLIP-170 in cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2022

Kinesin-2 comprises two subfamilies of the heterotrimeric or homodimeric motors found in mammalian cells. Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 consists of kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) 3A and 3B and kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3), which is a molecular motor protein that moves along microtubules. It plays diverse roles in cargo transport, including anterograde trafficking in cilia, and interacts with many different cargoes and proteins, but their binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. In this study, the yeast two-hybrid assay was used to identify the proteins that interact with the cargo-binding domain (CBD) of KIF3A, and an interaction between KIF3A and brain expressed X-linked 2 (Bex2) was found. Bex2 bound to the CBD-containing C-terminal tail region of KIF3A but did not interact with the same region of KIF3B or KIF5A (a motor protein of kinesin-1). KIF3A interacted with another isoform, Bex1, but did not interact with Bex3. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF3A specifically interacts with GST-Bex1 and GST-Bex2 but not with GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, Bex2 co-localized with KIF3A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF3A and KIF3B but not KIF5B. In combination, these results suggest that Bex2 is capable of binding to heterotrimeric kinesin-2 and may serve as an adaptor protein that links heterotrimeric kinesin-2 with cargo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2020

Kinesin-1 is microtubule-dependent plus-end direct molecular motor protein essential for intracellular transport. It is a member of the kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) which transport cargo, including organelles, vesicles, neurotransmitter receptors, cell-signaling molecules, and protein complexes through interaction between its light chain subunit and the cargo. Kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1) is a non-motor subunit that associates with the kinesin heavy chain (KHC). Although KLC1 interacts with many different adaptor proteins and scaffolding proteins, its binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. We used the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify proteins that interact with the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of KLC1, and found an interaction between KLC1 and EH domain-binding protein 1 like 1 (EHBP1L1). EHBP1L1 bound to the region containing all six TPR repeats of KLC1 and did not interact with KIF5B (a motor protein of kinesin 1) or KIF3A (a motor protein of kinesin 2) in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The carboxyl-terminus of the coiled-coil domain of EHBP1L1 is essential for interaction with KLC1. However, another EHBP1L1 isoform, EHBP1, did not interact with KLC1 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. KLC1 interacted with GST-EHBP1L1 and its coiled-coil domain but not with GST only. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, EHBP1L1 co-localized with KLC1 and co-immunoprecipitated with KLC1 and KIF5B but not KIF3A. These results suggest that kinesin 1 motor protein may transport EHBP1L1-associated cargo in cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2016

Autophagy is a process tightly regulated by various autophagy-related proteins. It is generally classified into non-selective and selective autophagy. Whereas non-selective autophagy is triggered when the cell is under starvation, selective autophagy is involved in eliminating dysfunctional organelles, misfolded and/or ubiquitylated proteins, and intracellular pathogens. These components are recognized by autophagy receptors and delivered to phagophores. Several selective autophagy receptors have been identified and characterized. They usually have some common domains, such as motif, a specific cargo interacting (ubiquitin-dependent or ubiquitin-independent) domain. Recently, structural data of these autophagy receptors has been described, which provides an insight of their function in the selective autophagic process. In this review, we summarize the most up-to-date findings about the structure-function of autophagy receptors that regulates selective autophagy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.868-875
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• 2023

Kinesin-1 is a motor protein identified as the first member of the kinesin superfamily (KIF), which plays a role in intracellular cargo transport by acting as microtubule-dependent motor proteins within cells. Kinesin-1 consists of two heavy chains (KHCs, also known as KIF5s) and two light chains (KLCs). The 93 amino acids in the carboxyl (C)-terminal tail region of KIF5A are not homologous to the C-terminal tail region of KIF5B or the C-terminal tail region of KIF5C. In this study, we used a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify the binding proteins that interacted with the C-terminal region of KIF5A. We found an association between KIF5A and CUE domain containing 2 (CUEDC2), which is proposed to function as an adaptor protein involved in ubiquitination pathways and protein trafficking. CUEDC2 bound to the C-terminal region of KIF5A and did not interact with KIF5B (the motor of kinesin-1), KIF3A (the motor of kinesin-2), or kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1). KIF5A specifically bound to the C-terminal region of CUEDC2. Furthermore, KIF5A did not interact with another isoform: CUEDC1. In addition, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs showed that KIF5A directly bound GST-CUEDC2 but did not interact with GST-CUEDC1 and GST alone. When myc-KIF5A and EGFP-CUEDC2 were co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CUEDC2 co-immunoprecipitated with kinesin-1, and myc-KIF5A and FLAG-CUEDC2 colocalized in the cells. These results suggest that in intracellular cargo transport by kinesin-1, CUEDC2 serves as an adaptor protein connecting kinesin-1 and cargo by binding to KIF5A.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2019

Microtubules form through the polymerization of ${\alpha}-$ and ${\beta}-tubulin$, and tubulin transport plays an important role in defining the rate of microtubule growth inside cellular appendages, such as the cilia and flagella. Heterotrimeric kinesin 2 is a molecular motor member of the kinesin superfamily (KIF) that moves along the microtubules to transport multiple cargoes. It consists of two motor subunits (KIF3A and KIF3B) and a kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3), forming a heterotrimeric complex. Heterotrimeric kinesin 2 interacts with many different binding proteins through the cargo-binding domains of the KIF3s, but these binding proteins have not yet been specified. To identify these proteins for KIF3A, we performed yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening and found a specific interaction with ${\beta}2-tubulin$ (Tubb2), a microtubule component. Tubb2 was found to bind to the cargo-binding domain of KIF3A but did not interact with KIF3B, KIF5B, or kinesin light chain 1 in the Y2H assay. The carboxyl-terminal region of Tubb2 is essential for interaction with KIF3A. Other Tubb isoforms, including Tubb1, Tubb3, Tubb4, and Tubb5, also interacted with KIF3A in the Y2H screening. However, ${\alpha}1-tubulin$ (Tuba1) did not interact with KIF3A. In addition, an antibody to KIF3A specifically co-immunoprecipitated the KIF3B and KAP3 associated with Tubb2 from mouse brain extracts. In combination, these results suggest that a heterotrimeric kinesin 2 motor protein is capable of binding to tubulin and may transport it in cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1608-1613
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• 2012

A conventional kinesin, KIF5/Kinesin-I, transports various cargoes along the microtubule through interaction between its light chain subunit and the cargoes. Kinesin light chains (KLCs) interact with many different cargoes using their tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, but the mechanism underlying recognition and binding of a specific cargo has not yet been completely elucidated. We used the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify proteins that interact with the TPR domain of KLC1. We found an interaction between the TPR domain of KLC1 and an amyloid precursor protein (APP)-binding protein PAT1 (protein interacting with APP tail 1). The yeast two-hybrid assay demonstrated that the TPR domain-containing region of KLC1 mediated binding to the C-terminal tail region of PAT1. PAT1 also bound to KLC2 but not to kinesin heavy chains (KIF5A, KIF5B, and KIF5C) in the yeast two-hybrid assay. These protein-protein interactions were also observed in the glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay and by co-immunoprecipitation. Anti-PAT1 antibody as well as anti-APP anti-body co-immunoprecipitated KLC and KHCs associated with PAT1 from mouse brain extracts. These results suggest that PAT1 could mediate interactions between Kinesin-I and APP containing vesicles.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2021

Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is a molecular motor protein of the kinesin superfamily (KIF) that moves along a microtubule plus-end directed motor protein. It consists of three different motor subunits (KIF3A, KIF3B, and KIF3C) and a kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3) that form a heterotrimeric complex. Heterotrimeric kinesin-2 interacts with many different binding proteins through the cargo-binding domain of the KIF3s. The activity of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is regulated to ensure that the cargo is directed to the right place at the right time. How this regulation occurs, however, remains in question. To identify the regulatory proteins for heterotrimeric kinesin-2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and found a specific interaction with creatine kinase B (CKB), which is the brain isoform of cytosolic creatine kinase enzyme. CKB bound to the cargo-binding domain of KIF3A but did not interact with the KIF3B, KIF5B, or KAP3 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The carboxyl (C)-terminal region of CKB is essential for the interaction with KIF3A. Another protein kinase, CaMKIIa, interacted with KIF3A, but GSK3a did not interact with KIF3A in the yeast two-hybrid assay. KIF3A interacted with GST-CKB-C but not with GSK-CKB-N or GST alone. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CKB co-localized with KIF3A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF3A and KIF3B but not KIF5B. These results suggest that the CKB-KIF3A interaction may regulate the cargo transport of heterotrimeric kinesin-2 under energy-compromised conditions in cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.333-338
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• 2024

Kinesin-1 is a heterotetrameric protein composed of two heavy chains (KHCs, also known as KIF5s) with a motor domain and two light chains (KLCs) without a motor domain. KIF5 has three subtypes, namely, KIF5A, KIF5B, and KIF5C, which share high amino acid homology except in their carboxy (C)-terminal region. KIF5A is responsible for transporting cargo within the cell. The adaptor proteins that bind to the C-terminal region of KIF5A mediate between kinesin-1 and cargo. However, the proteins regulating the intracellular cargo transport of kinesin-1 have not yet been fully identified. In this study, we identified ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein 1 (ArfGAP1), which is involved in the intracellular trafficking of lysosomes, as a binding partner of KIF5A. KIF5A binds to the C-terminal region of ArfGAP1, and ArfGAP1 binds to the C-terminal region of KIF5A but does not interact with KIF5B, KIF5C, kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1), or KIF3A. When co-expressed in mammalian cells, ArfGAP1 co-localized with KIF5A and co-immunoprecipitated with KIF5A, KIF5B, and KLC1, but not with KIF3B. These results suggest that kinesin-1 may be regulated by ArfGAP1 in the intracellular transport of cargo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.698-704
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• 2016

The intracellular transport of organelles and protein complexes is mediated by kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs). The first kinesin, kinesin 1, was identified as a molecular motor protein that moves various organelles and protein complexes along the microtubule rails in cells. Kinesin 1 is a tetramer of two heavy chains (KHCs, also called KIF5s) and two kinesin light chains (KLCs). KIF5s interact with many different proteins through their tail region, but their binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. To identify the interaction proteins for KIF5A, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and found a specific interaction with ferritin heavy chain (Frt-h), which has a role in iron storage and detoxification. Frt-h bound to the amino acid residues between 800 and 940 of KIF5A and to other KIF5s in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The coiled-coil domain of Frt-h is essential for interaction with KIF5A. In addition, ferritin light chain (Frt-l) interacted with KIF5s in the yeast two-hybrid assay. In addition, these proteins showed specific interactions in the glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay. An antibody to KHC specifically co-immunoprecipitated Frt-h and Frt-l from mouse brain extracts. These results suggest the kinesin 1 motor protein may transport the ferritin complex in cells.