Lecture 12 Flashcards
What is spectrin?
Spectrin is another major component found in the cytoskeleton.
It is found on the inner surface of the plasma membrane.
It can attach to many integral membrane proteins (membrane transporters, channels, receptors).
It was first identified lining the inner memrbane surface of mammalian red blood cells.
Found in all animal tissues (so probably in all metazoan cells)
What is spectrin responsible for?
Thought to be responsible for maintaining plasma membrane integrity and contributes to its elasticity and limits extensibility.
Where is spectrin found?
Spectrin is found in the Golgi, vesicle, ER and the nucleus.
What is spectrin made of?
Made of anti-parallel alpha-(290kDa) and beta-(240kDa) heterodimers
How many dimers form the spectrin tetramer?
2 dimers
How many major spectrin alpha-subunits are there?
There are 2 major spectrin alpha-subunits.
2 alpha-spectrin genes
Alternative splicing gives rise to 8 alpha-spectrin isoforms
How many beta genes are there?
5 beta genes.
Some can be alternatively spliced.
This give large isoform variability.
All of regulated in a time and tissue-specific manner
What is at the end of the spectrin molecule?
Has actin-binding domains (ABDs) at the end of the spectrin molecule.
What are actin-binding domains (ABDs)?
These ABDs are really 2 calponon-homology (CH) binding domains arranged in tandem
What is calponin?
Calponin in smooth muscle has 1 calponin binding domain and cannot bind actin, but that’s where the domain was first described.
What is the binding affinity of CH1 and CH2?
CH1 can bind actin alone, CH2 cannot. Both together bind actin even better.
What does spectrin have that is used for signaling?
Spectrin has a pleckstrin homology domain that is used by many proteins for signaling.
What are some general spectrin problems?
If the spectrin-actin network is partially eliminated, red blood cells fragment into 50nm inverted vesicles.
Mutations to spectrin cytoskeletal components lead to hemolytic anaemias.
(eg. spherocytic [round red blood cells] anaemia [less red blood cells])
What happens when you mutate a spectrin component?
Not every gene has been mutated, but some have, with serious consequences.
Where is Beta4 Spectrin found?
It is mostly found in neurons. Localizes to the nodes of Ranvier.
What does Beta2 Spectrin localize to?
Axons
What does Beta3 Spectrin localize to?
Cell body and dendrites of neurons
What happens to Beta4 Spectrin null mice?
Mice have tremors.
Contraction of their hindlimbs.
Ankyrin-3 (AKA Ankyrin-G) and Voltage gated sodium channels are not correctly localized in the neurons of the mutant mice.
What happens in Akyrin-3 null neurons?
Beta4 Spectrin is not localized propoerly and actin potentials do not fire normally.
Who was the “quivering mouse”?
There was naother mouse that already existed (in 1957) called the “quivering mouse”. It has a naturally occuring Beta4 Spectrin mutation. They have tremors and hearing defects, due to the voltage gated channel mis-localizations.
What are spectrin repeats?
Helical repeating units within spectrin and many other proteins
How many repeats are in alpha-spectrin?
20 repeats
How many repeats are in beta-spectrin?
16 repeats
How many repeats do other proteins have?
Between 2 and 74 repeats