A variable undecad repeat domain in cavin1 regulates caveola formation and stability

August 13, 2018

Title

A variable undecad repeat domain in cavin1 regulates caveola formation and stability

Author

Vikas A Tillu, Ye‐Wheen Lim, Oleksiy Kovtun, Sergey Mureev, Charles Ferguson, Michele Bastiani, Kerrie‐Ann McMahon, Harriet P Lo, Thomas E Hall, Kirill Alexandrov, Brett M Collins, Robert G Parton

Year

2018

Journal

EMBO Reports

Abstract

Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations involved in transport, signalling and mechanical membrane sensing in metazoans. Their formation depends upon multiple interactions between membrane‐embedded caveolins, lipids and cytosolic cavin proteins. Of the four cavin family members, only cavin1 is strictly required for caveola formation. Here, we demonstrate that an eleven residue (undecad) repeat sequence (UC1) exclusive to cavin1 is essential for caveolar localization and promotes membrane remodelling through binding to phosphatidylserine. In the notochord of mechanically stimulated zebrafish embryos, the UC1 domain is required for caveolar stability and resistance to membrane stress. The number of undecad repeats in the cavin1 UC1 domain varies throughout evolution, and we find that an increased number also correlates with increased caveolar stability. Lastly, we show that the cavin1 UC1 domain induces dramatic remodelling of the plasma membrane when grafted into cavin2 suggesting an important role in membrane sculpting. Overall, our work defines a novel conserved cavin1 modular domain that controls caveolar assembly and stability.

Instrument

J-810

Keywords

Circular dichroism, Secondary structure, Protein folding, Protein denaturation, Chemical stability, Biochemistry