TKRP125, a kinesin-related protein involved in the centrosome-independent organization of the cytokinetic apparatus in tobacco BY-2 cells.

Analysis of a cDNA for a 125 kDa polypeptide, previously isolated from phragmoplasts of tobacco BY-2 cells as a candidate for a plus end-directed microtubule motor, revealed this polypeptide to be a novel member of the kinesin superfamily. We named this protein TKRP125 (tobacco kinesin-related polypeptide of 125 kDa). The strong similarity between TKRP125 and members of the bimC subfamily in terms of the amino acid sequence of the amino-terminal motor domain indicated that TKRP125 belonged to the bimC subfamily. An antibody against a short peptide from the motor domain of TKRP125 inhibited the GTP- or ATP-dependent translocation of phragmoplast microtubules in membrane-permeabilized BY-2 cells, suggesting a role for TKRP125 in microtubule translocation, which is considered to be involved in the formation and/or maintenance of the bipolar structure of the phragmoplast. The expression of TKRP125 was found to be cell cycle-dependent. TKRP125 was not present in cells at the G1 phase. It began to appear at the S phase and accumulated during the G2 phase. The distribution of TKRP125 changed as the arrangement of microtubules changed with the progression of the cell cycle. TKRP125 was distributed along cortical microtubules during the S phase and along microtubules in the preprophase band and perinuclear microtubules in premitotic cells. It was also present in the nucleus in premitotic cells. In cells in M phase, TKRP125 was distributed along spindle microtubules. It accumulated at the equatorial plane of the spindle as the spindle elongated. In cytokinetic cells, TKRP125 was colocalized with phragmoplast microtubules. These observations suggest the possible involvement of TKRP125 in the cell cycle-dependent changes in arrays of microtubules, including the organization of the phragmoplast, and in the movement of chromosomes in anaphase cells.