Die vorliegende Arbeit erforscht die Regulation der Expression von Drebrin; DBN (Developmentally Regulated Brain Protein) in Neuronen. DBN ist ein Protein das Actin bindet und Actin-Filamente bündeln kann. Änderungen der Morphologie der Spines verändern die synaptische Aktivität und Plastizität – wichtigen Prozessen bei der Gedächtnisbildung und Alterung des Gehirns, sowie bei geistigen Störungen bzw. Behinderungen. DBN-Expression im Alter und in einigen neurodegenerativen Krankheiten reduziert ist. Eine schwächere Expression von DBN in Spines geht außerdem mit einem Verlust an synaptischen Verbindungen einher, einem gemeinsamen Merkmal von Alterung und neurologischen Störungen wie der Alzheimer Krankheit. Diese Befunde bildeten die Motivation und Grundlage für meine Erforschung der Produktion und Lokalisierung von DBN. In meinem Projekt, habe ich den Effekt der sequenzspezifischen S647-Phosphorylierung von DBN untersucht. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass diese post-translatorische Modifikation die Stabilität von DBN reguliert. Ich habe FUNCAT-PLA und Puro-PLA für die Visualisierung von de novo synthetisierten Proteinen in situ benutzt. Mittels hochauflösender Fluoreszenz-Hybridisierung konnte ich zeigen, dass DBN nicht nur im Zellkörper sondern auch lokal in den Spines translatiert wird. Meine Resultate bieten eine Grundlage für das Verständnis der Regulierung de DBN-Konzentration in Zellen und ermöglichen die weitere Erforschung der Rolle der S647-Phosphorylierung von DBN für die Morphologie von Spines. Die Arbeit bildet außerdem eine experimentelle Plattform für weitere Studien der Rolle von DBN für Spines, sowohl in Bezug auf Stabilität als auch der synaptischen Funktion und Stabilität. / This thesis studies the abundance of the protein Drebrin; DBN (Developmentally Regulated Brain Protein) in neurons, which is an actin-binding protein capable of bundling actin filaments. Synapses in the mammalian brain are formed on tiny protrusions, called dendritic spines. Changes in spine morphology affect synaptic activity and plasticity, which are processes underlying memory formation. DBN abundance plays an important role in regulating dendritic spine morphology. Cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions have been shown to be linked with a decrease in DBN levels. A weakening in the expression of this protein in spines is associated with the loss of synaptic connections, a common feature of ageing and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer''s disease. This evidence was the underlying motivation for studying the localization and turnover of DBN. I studied the effect of the site-specific S647 phosphorylation of DBN and found that such post-translational modification regulates protein stability. For the project, I established several novel techniques in our laboratory, including state-of-the-art methods such as FUNCAT-PLA and Puro-PLA for the visualization of de novo synthesized proteins in situ. My results show that DBN translation occurs not only in somata but also locally in the dendrites and spines. The same observation is true for DBN transcripts, which are present both in the soma and dendrites of neurons. These observations suggest that DBN could play an important role during synaptic plasticity. My results allow the future investigation of the potential role of site-specific phosphorylation of DBN in spine morphology. This PhD thesis represents a contribution to better understanding the regulation of DBN abundance. It also provides an experimental platform for additional investigation about the role of DBN in spine morphology, regarding its stability and its correlation with synaptic maintenance and function.

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Microtubules are a part of the cell cytoskeleton that performs different functions, such as providing the mechanical support for the shape of a cell, acting as tracks along which the motor protein move organelles from one part of the cell to another, or the forming mitotic spindle during the cell division. The microtubules are dynamic structures, namely they can grow and shrink. The phase of microtubule growth alternates with the phase of shrinkage that results in the dynamic microtubule network in the cell. However, to form stable and spatially well-defined structures, such as a mitotic spindle, the cell needs to control this stochastic process. This is done by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). One class of MAPs is the proteins of XMAP216/Dis1 family, which are microtubule polymerases. The founding member of this family is X. laevis XMAP215. XMAP215 is a processive polymerase acting on the microtubule plus end. XMAP215 binds either directly or reaches the microtubule plus end by the diffusion along the microtubule lattice. Being at the microtubule plus-end XMAP215 stays there transiently and helps to incorporate up to 25 tubulin dimers into microtubule lattice before it dissociates and, therefore, it processively tracks the growing microtubule end during polymerization. There are two hypothesis of microtubule assembly promotion: (i) XMAP215 repeatedly releases an associated tubulin dimer into the microtubule growing plus end or (ii) structurally stabilizes a polymerized tubulin intermediate at the growing plus end and, therefore, preventing depolymerization events. The first way results into the increase of on-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end, whereas the second way results into the decrease of off-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end. Here, I show the study of the mechanism of microtubule growth acceleration by XMAP215 and the dependence of XMAP215 polymerization activity on the applied force. To answer these questions, I investigated the addition of tubulin dimers to the plus end of the microtubule by XMAP215 and how this addition depends on the applied force. XMAP215 remains at the microtubule end for several rounds of tubulin addition surfing both growing and shrinking microtubule ends. Therefore, if one could track the position of the XMAP215 molecules at the very tip of a microtubule with sufficient resolution, it would provide the information about the dynamics of the microtubule end. The technique, which can detect the position of the object of interest with high spatial and temporal resolution in addition to being able to exert a force, is an optical trap. A calibrated optical trap not only provides a good measure of displacement but also enables force measurements. To monitor the position of the molecules of interest, the molecules of interest are usually attached to a microsphere. Hence, I tethered XMAP215 to a microsphere held by an optical trap, and used XMAP215 as a handle to interact with the microtubule tip. When the microtubule grows, the XMAP215 coated microsphere will move in the optical trap and this movement can be detected with high temporal and spatial resolution. My work demonstrates that cooperatively working XMAP215 molecules can not only polymerize microtubule but also harness the energy of microtubule polymerization or depolymerization to transport some cargo. There is an evidence that orthologues of XMAP215 in budding yeasts, fission yeasts and Drosophila localize on the kinetochores. Therefore, the ability of the bearing some load during microtubule polymerization could be potentially important for the XMAP215 functioning during cell division. I also showed the influence of external force applied to the XMAP215 molecules. Pointing toward microtubule growth, a force of 0.5 pN applied to the microtubule tip-coupled XMAP215-coated microsphere increases XMAP215 polymerization activity. However, the force of the same magnitude but applied against microtubule growth does not affect XMAP215 polymerization activity. This result can be explained by the fact, that the force acting in the direction of microtubule growth constrains XMAP215 to be at the very microtubule tip. Hence, XMAP215 can not diffuse away from plus-end and there is higher chance to incorporate tubulin dimers into the microtubule plus-end. The on- and off-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end are both decreased when the external force applied either in direction of microtubule growth or opposite to it. The external force affects the off-rate slightly stronger than on-rate of tubulin dimer. Taking together, my study gives new insights into the mechanism of microtubule polymerization by XMAP215 and shows some novel properties of this protein.

Microtubules are a part of the cell cytoskeleton that performs different functions, such as providing the mechanical support for the shape of a cell, acting as tracks along which the motor protein move organelles from one part of the cell to another, or the forming mitotic spindle during the cell division. The microtubules are dynamic structures, namely they can grow and shrink. The phase of microtubule growth alternates with the phase of shrinkage that results in the dynamic microtubule network in the cell. However, to form stable and spatially well-defined structures, such as a mitotic spindle, the cell needs to control this stochastic process. This is done by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). One class of MAPs is the proteins of XMAP216/Dis1 family, which are microtubule polymerases. The founding member of this family is X. laevis XMAP215. XMAP215 is a processive polymerase acting on the microtubule plus end. XMAP215 binds either directly or reaches the microtubule plus end by the diffusion along the microtubule lattice. Being at the microtubule plus-end XMAP215 stays there transiently and helps to incorporate up to 25 tubulin dimers into microtubule lattice before it dissociates and, therefore, it processively tracks the growing microtubule end during polymerization. There are two hypothesis of microtubule assembly promotion: (i) XMAP215 repeatedly releases an associated tubulin dimer into the microtubule growing plus end or (ii) structurally stabilizes a polymerized tubulin intermediate at the growing plus end and, therefore, preventing depolymerization events. The first way results into the increase of on-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end, whereas the second way results into the decrease of off-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end. Here, I show the study of the mechanism of microtubule growth acceleration by XMAP215 and the dependence of XMAP215 polymerization activity on the applied force. To answer these questions, I investigated the addition of tubulin dimers to the plus end of the microtubule by XMAP215 and how this addition depends on the applied force. XMAP215 remains at the microtubule end for several rounds of tubulin addition surfing both growing and shrinking microtubule ends. Therefore, if one could track the position of the XMAP215 molecules at the very tip of a microtubule with sufficient resolution, it would provide the information about the dynamics of the microtubule end. The technique, which can detect the position of the object of interest with high spatial and temporal resolution in addition to being able to exert a force, is an optical trap. A calibrated optical trap not only provides a good measure of displacement but also enables force measurements. To monitor the position of the molecules of interest, the molecules of interest are usually attached to a microsphere. Hence, I tethered XMAP215 to a microsphere held by an optical trap, and used XMAP215 as a handle to interact with the microtubule tip. When the microtubule grows, the XMAP215 coated microsphere will move in the optical trap and this movement can be detected with high temporal and spatial resolution. My work demonstrates that cooperatively working XMAP215 molecules can not only polymerize microtubule but also harness the energy of microtubule polymerization or depolymerization to transport some cargo. There is an evidence that orthologues of XMAP215 in budding yeasts, fission yeasts and Drosophila localize on the kinetochores. Therefore, the ability of the bearing some load during microtubule polymerization could be potentially important for the XMAP215 functioning during cell division. I also showed the influence of external force applied to the XMAP215 molecules. Pointing toward microtubule growth, a force of 0.5 pN applied to the microtubule tip-coupled XMAP215-coated microsphere increases XMAP215 polymerization activity. However, the force of the same magnitude but applied against microtubule growth does not affect XMAP215 polymerization activity. This result can be explained by the fact, that the force acting in the direction of microtubule growth constrains XMAP215 to be at the very microtubule tip. Hence, XMAP215 can not diffuse away from plus-end and there is higher chance to incorporate tubulin dimers into the microtubule plus-end. The on- and off-rate of tubulin dimers at the microtubule end are both decreased when the external force applied either in direction of microtubule growth or opposite to it. The external force affects the off-rate slightly stronger than on-rate of tubulin dimer. Taking together, my study gives new insights into the mechanism of microtubule polymerization by XMAP215 and shows some novel properties of this protein.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit verschiedenen Aspekten der Assoziation von Saccharose-Synthase (SUS) mit subzellulären Strukturen. Durch cDNA-Durchmusterungen konnten proteinogene Bindepartner von SUS sowie Aktin identifiziert und zum Teil verifiziert werden. Die dritte Isoform SuS3 aus Mais wurde auf molekularer Ebene identifiziert und das rekombinante Protein biochemisch charakterisiert. Trotz signifikanter Sequenzunterschiede zwischen den SUS-Isoformen, wurden ähnliche katalytische Eigenschaften und mögliche posttranslationale Modifikationen der Enzyme nachgewiesen, darunter die Redox-Modifikation der Enzymaktivität und das Potential zur reversiblen Phosphorylierung. Der Einfluss der Phoshorylierung von SUS auf dessen enzymatische und assoziative Aktivität wurde mittels mutagenisiertem Protein untersucht und zeigte kein stark verändertes Verhalten infolge der Mutationen. Eine metabolische Regulation der SUS-Aktin-Wechselwirkung durch Zucker konnte bestätigt und die katalytische Aktivität von SUS in Gegenwart von Aktin gezeigt werden. Assoziationsstudien von Aktin mit synthetischen Peptiden sowie immunologische Untersuchungen lieferten Hinweise für die Aktinbindedomäne in SUS. Co-Pelletierungsexperimente zeigten die Assoziation von SUS mit Mikrotubuli aus Rinderhirn. In vitro konkurriert SUS mit Aldolase um die Bindung an Miktotubuli. Als proteinogene Bindepartner von SUS wurden einige im Kohlenhydratstoffwechsel sowie im 26S-Proteasom-Komplex involvierte Proteine identifiziert. Ebenso wurde eine Glutathion-Peroxidase identifiziert, die ubiquitäre Transkriptakkumulation dokumentiert und die katalytische Aktivität des rekombinanten Proteins gezeigt. Eine weitere cDNA-Durchmusterung führte zur Identifikation verschiedener glykolytischer Enzyme als potentielle Interaktionspartner von Mais-Aktin sowie zu Bindepartnern, die nach Sequenzanalyse Domänen mit Homologien zu bekannten ABPs aus tierischen Organismen zeigten.