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Motor proteins regulate force interactions between microtubules and microfilaments in the axon

Nature Cell Biology volume 2, pages 276–280 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

It has long been known that microtubule depletion causes axons to retract in a microfilament-dependent manner, although it was not known whether these effects are the result of motor-generated forces on these cytoskeletal elements. Here we show that inhibition of the motor activity of cytoplasmic dynein causes the axon to retract in the presence of microtubules. This response is obliterated if microfilaments are depleted or if myosin motors are inhibited. We conclude that axonal retraction results from myosin-mediated forces on the microfilament array, and that these forces are counterbalanced or attenuated by dynein-mediated forces between the microfilament and microtubule arrays.

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Figure 1: Effect of nocodazole, nocodazole and latrunculin, or nocodazole and NEM-modified-S1 on axonal retraction.
Figure 2: Effect of recombinant dynamitin on axonal retraction.
Figure 3: Quantitative immunofluorescence analysis of microtubule concentration and distribution in retracting axons.
Figure 4: Effects on axons of dynamitin in combination with latrunculin or with NEM-modified S1.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Warren for help in preparing NEM-S1, and A. Brown and E. Dent for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.W.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Fridoon J. Ahmad, Jessica Hughey, Marion Greaser & Peter W. Baas

  2. EMBL Cell Biology Program, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, D-69117, Germany

    Torsten Wittmann & Anthony Hyman

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  1. Fridoon J. Ahmad
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Correspondence to Peter W. Baas.

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Ahmad, F., Hughey, J., Wittmann, T. et al. Motor proteins regulate force interactions between microtubules and microfilaments in the axon. Nat Cell Biol 2, 276–280 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35010544

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