RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Microtubules Regulate Signaling
JF Science's STKE
JO Sci. STKE
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP tw2
OP tw2
DO 10.1126/stke.2000.18.tw2
VO 2000
IS 18
YR 2000
UL http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/2000/18/tw2.abstract
AB Signaling by transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) through the TGF-β2/ TGF-β1 receptor heteroligomer leads to phosphorylation of Smad proteins 2 and 3, which then bind to Smad4 and are translocated to the nucleus and regulate transcription. Dong et al. demonstrated that endogenous Smad2, 3, and 4 colocalize and coimmunoprecipitate with microtubules. Further characterization of the Smad2 interaction showed that TGF-β caused dissociation of Smad2 from microtubules. Drugs that disrupt microtubules caused release of Smad2 from microtubules, increased phosphorylation of Smad2, and increased activation of reporter genes with TGF-β-responsive promoters in both TGF-β-treated and untreated cells. Microtubules may serve as negative regulators of TGF-β signaling by controlling the availability of Smad proteins for interaction with the TGF-β receptor. Dong, C., Li, Z., Alvarez Jr., R., Feng, X.-H., Goldschmidt-Clermont, P.J. (2000) Microtubule binding to Smads may regulate TGFβ activity. Mol. Cell 5: 27-34. [Online Journal]