Cytoskeletal organization through multivalent interactions

0541339 - BTÚ 2021 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Braun, Marcus - Diez, S. - Lánský, Zdeněk
Cytoskeletal organization through multivalent interactions.
Journal of Cell Science. Roč. 133, č. 12 (2020), č. článku jcs234393. ISSN 0021-9533. E-ISSN 1477-9137
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GX19-27477X; GA ČR(CZ) GA20-04068S; GA MŠMT(CZ) ED2.1.00/19.0390
Institutional support: RVO:86652036
Keywords : Cytoskeletal self-organization * Microtubuleassociated protein * Protein avidity
OECD category: Cell biology
Impact factor: 5.285, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Open access
https://jcs.biologists.org/content/133/12/jcs234393

The cytoskeleton consists of polymeric protein filaments with periodic lattices displaying identical binding sites, which establish a multivalent platform for the binding of a plethora of filament-associated ligand proteins. Multivalent ligand proteins can tether themselves to the filaments through one of their binding sites, resulting in an enhanced reaction kinetics for the remaining binding sites. In this Opinion, we discuss a number of cytoskeletal phenomena underpinned by such multivalent interactions, namely (1) generation of entropic forces by filament crosslinkers, (2) processivity of molecular motors, (3) spatial sorting of proteins, and (4) concentration-dependent unbinding of filament-associated proteins. These examples highlight that cytoskeletal filaments constitute the basis for the formation of microenvironments, which cytoskeletal ligand proteins can associate with and, once engaged, can act within at altered reaction kinetics. We thus argue that multivalency is one of the properties crucial for the functionality of the cytoskeleton.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0318904