Doublecortin: a unique microtubule stabiliser
Immature neurons undertake an amazing journey from the centre of the developing mammalian brain to the outer layers of the maturing cerebral cortex. This migration uses the cell's general motility machinery, but also a number of molecules which are involved specifically in neuronal path-finding and movement. Doublecortin, a component of the microtubule cytoskeleton, is one such molecule and was originally identified because its mutation causes disruption of human brain development. We are using cryo-electron microscopy to visualize the binding site of this unique MAP on microtubules.
Joe Atherton and Szymon Manka are working on this project
Publications
Template-free 13-protofilament microtubule-MAP assembly visualized at 8Å resolution. Fourniol FJ, Sindelar CV, Amigues B, Clare DK, Perderiset M, Francis F, Houdusse A, Moores CA (2010) J. Cell Biol. 191, 463-470
Distinct roles of doublecortin modulating the microtubule cytoskeleton. Moores CA, Perderiset M, Kappeler C, Kain S, Drummond D, Perkins SJ, Chelly J, Cross R, Houdusse A, Francis F (2006) EMBO J. 25, 4448-57
Mechanism of microtubule stabilisation by doublecortin. Moores CA, Perderiset M, Francis F, Chelly J, Houdusse A, Milligan RA (2004) Mol Cell 14, 833-9
A double-take on MAPS. Moores CA, Francis F, Perderiset M, Houdusse A (2003) Nat Struct Biol 10, 314-6
Collaborators
Dr Anne Houdusse (Curie Institute Paris, France)
Dr Fiona Francis (Institute du Fer a Moulin Paris, France)
