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D L Shurland

Publications and source records attributed to D L Shurland.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Dynamin-related protein Drp1 is required for mitochondrial division in mammalian cells.

Mutations in the human dynamin-related protein Drp1 cause mitochondria to form perinuclear clusters. We show here that these mitochondrial clusters consist of highly interconnected mitochondrial tubules. The increased connectivity between mitochondria indicates that the balance between mitochondrial division and fusion is shifted toward fusion. Such a shift is consistent with a block in mitochondrial division. Immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation show that endogenous Drp1 is localized to mitochondria, which is also consistent with a role in mitochondrial division. A direct role in mitochondrial division is suggested by time-lapse photography of transfected cells, in which green fluorescent protein fused to Drp1 is concentrated in spots that mark actual mitochondrial division events. We find that purified human Drp1 can self-assemble into multimeric ring-like structures with dimensions similar to those of dynamin multimers. The structural and functional similarities between dynamin and Drp1 suggest that Drp1 wraps around the constriction points of dividing mitochondria, analogous to dynamin collars at the necks of budding vesicles. We conclude that Drp1 contributes to mitochondrial division in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

A model for dynamin self-assembly based on binding between three different protein domains.

Dynamin is a 100-kDa GTPase that assembles into multimeric spirals at the necks of budding clathrin-coated vesicles. We describe three different intramolecular binding interactions that may account for the process of dynamin self-assembly. The first binding interaction is the dimerization of a 100-amino acid segment in the C-terminal half of dynamin. We call this segment the assembly domain, because it appears to be critical for multimerization. The second binding interaction occurs between the assembly domain and the N-terminal GTPase domain. The strength of this interaction is controlled by the nucleotide-bound state of the GTPase domain, as shown with mutations in GTP binding motifs and in vitro binding experiments. The third binding interaction occurs between the assembly domain and a segment that we call the middle domain. This is the segment between the N-terminal GTPase domain and the pleckstrin homology domain. The three different binding interactions suggest a model in which dynamin molecules first dimerize. The dimers are then linked into a chain by a second binding reaction. The third binding interaction might connect adjacent rungs of the spiral.

Dynamins↗

A human dynamin-related protein controls the distribution of mitochondria.

Mitochondria exist as a dynamic tubular network with projections that move, break, and reseal in response to local environmental changes. We present evidence that a human dynamin-related protein (Drp1) is specifically required to establish this morphology. Drp1 is a GTPase with a domain structure similar to that of other dynamin family members. To identify the function of Drp1, we transiently transfected cells with mutant Drp1. A mutation in the GTPase domain caused profound alterations in mitochondrial morphology. The tubular projections normally present in wild-type cells were retracted into large perinuclear aggregates in cells expressing mutant Drp1. The morphology of other organelles was unaffected by mutant Drp1. There was also no effect of mutant Drp1 on the transport functions of the secretory and endocytic pathways. By EM, the mitochondrial aggregates found in cells that were transfected with mutant Drp1 appear as clusters of tubules rather than a large mass of coalescing membrane. We propose that Drp1 is important for distributing mitochondrial tubules throughout the cell. The function of this new dynamin-related protein in organelle morphology represents a novel role for a member of the dynamin family of proteins.

Animals↗

Contribution of the GTPase domain to the subcellular localization of dynamin in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans dynamin is expressed at high levels in neurons and at lower levels in other cell types, consistent with the important role that dynamin plays in the recycling of synaptic vesicles. Indirect immunofluorescence showed that dynamin is concentrated along the dorsal and ventral nerve cords and in the synapse-rich nerve ring. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the N terminus of dynamin is localized to synapse-rich regions. Furthermore, this chimera was detected along the apical membrane of intestinal cells, in spermathecae, and in coelomocytes. Dynamin localization was not affected by disrupting axonal transport of synaptic vesicles in the unc-104 (kinesin) mutant. To investigate the alternative mechanisms that dynamin might use for translocation to the synapse, we systematically tested the localization of different protein domains by fusion to GFP. Localization of each chimera was measured in one specific neuron, the ALM. The GTPase, a middle domain, and the putative coiled coil each contribute to synaptic localization. Surprisingly, the pleckstrin homology domain and the proline-rich domain, which are known to bind to coated-pit constituents, did not contribute to synaptic localization. The GFP-GTPase chimera was most strongly localized, although the GTPase domain has no known interactions with proteins other than with dynamin itself. Our results suggest that different dynamin domains contribute to axonal transport and the sequestration of a pool of dynamin molecules in synaptic cytosol.

Animals↗

A dynamin GTPase mutation causes a rapid and reversible temperature-inducible locomotion defect in C. elegans.

Drosophila shibire and its mammalian homologue dynamin regulate an early step in endocytosis. We identified a Caenorhabditis elegans dynamin gene, dyn-1, based upon hybridization to the Drosophila gene. The dyn-1 RNA transcripts are trans-spliced to the spliced leader 1 and undergo alternative splicing to code for either an 830- or 838-amino acid protein. These dyn-1 proteins are highly similar in amino acid sequence, structure, and size to the Drosophila and mammalian dynamins: they contain an N-terminal GTPase, a pleckstrin homology domain, and a C-terminal proline-rich domain. We isolated a recessive temperature-sensitive dyn-1 mutant containing an alteration within the GTPase domain that becomes uncoordinated when shifted to high temperature and that recovers when returned to lower temperatures, similar to D. shibire mutants. When maintained at higher temperatures, dyn-1 mutants become constipated, egg-laying defective, and produce progeny that die during embryogenesis. Using a dyn-1::lacZ gene fusion, a high level of dynamin expression was observed in motor neurons, intestine, and pharyngeal muscle. Our results suggest that dyn-1 function is required during development and for normal locomotion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Assignment of the dynamin-1 gene (DNM1) to human chromosome 9q34 by fluorescence in situ hybridization and somatic cell hybrid analysis.

The dynamins are recently discovered GTP-binding proteins postulated to mediate the scission of clathrin-coated vesicles at the plasma membrane. Of the three known mammalian dynamins, dynamin-1 (DNM1) appears to be particularly important for the formation of synaptic vesicles at presynaptic nerve termini. To investigate the possibility that mutations in the DNM1 gene cause a human disease, we determined the chromosomal localization of human DNM1. We conclude from fluorescence in situ hybridization and from the analysis of somatic cell hybrids that the map position in 9q34. This region has syntenic homology with mouse chromosome 2p, in agreement with the map position of the mouse DNM1 gene [see accompanying article by Klocke et al. (1997, Genomics 41:290-292)]. We discuss the potential relevance of the human DNM1 localization to diseases that were mapped genetically to the same chromosomal region.

Animals↗

Regulation of human immunodeficiency virus enhancer function by PRDII-BF1 and c-rel gene products.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) enhancer element is important in the regulation of HIV gene expression. A number of cellular proteins have been demonstrated to bind to the NF-kappa B motifs in this element. The genes encoding several of these proteins, including members of the rel family and PRDII-BF1, have been cloned. We characterized the binding of proteins encoded by the human c-rel and PRDII-BF1 genes to HIV NF-kappa B motifs and related enhancer elements. Both the human c-rel protein and two proteins derived from the PRDII-BF1 gene by alternative splicing bound specifically to the HIV NF-kappa B motif and related enhancer elements found in the immunoglobulin kappa, class I major histocompatibility complex, and interleukin-2 receptor genes. To determine the role of these factors in regulating HIV gene expression, we fused the cDNAs encoding either of the two proteins derived by alternative splicing of the PRDII-BF1 gene or the c-rel gene to the DNA binding region of the yeast transcription factor GAL4. GAL4 binding sites were inserted in place of the native HIV enhancer sequences in an HIV long terminal repeat chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct. Cotransfection of these constructs revealed that c-rel was a strong activator of basal HIV gene expression but did not result in synergistic effects in the presence of tat. PRDII-BF1-derived cDNAs did not result in stimulation of either basal or tat-induced activated gene expression. These results indicate that multiple enhancer binding proteins may potentially regulate HIV in both a positive and negative manner.

Base Sequence↗