Structural basis for the cytoskeletal association of Bcr-Abl/c-Abl

Oliver Hantschel, Silke Wiesner, Thomas Güttler, Cameron D. MacKereth, Lily L.Remsing Rix, Zsuzsanna Mikes, Jana Dehne, Dirk Görlich, Michael Sattler, Giulio Superti-Furga

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase causes different forms of leukemia in humans. Depending on its position within the cell, Bcr-Abl differentially affects cellular growth. However, no structural and molecular details for the anticipated localization determinants are available. We present the NMR structure of the F-actin binding domain (FABD) of Bcr-Abl and its cellular counterpart c-Abl. The FABD forms a compact left-handed four-helix bundle in solution. We show that the nuclear export signal (NES) previously reported in this region is part of the hydrophobic core and nonfunctional in the intact protein. In contrast, we could identify the critical residues of helix αIII that are responsible for F-actin binding and cytoskeletal association. We propose that these interactions represent a major determinant for both Bcr-Abl and c-Abl localization.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)461-473
Number of pages13
JournalMolecular Cell
Volume19
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 Aug 2005
Externally publishedYes

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