Characterization of a minus end-directed kinesin-like motor protein from cultured mammalian cells

Using the CHO2 monoclonal antibody raised against CHO spindles (Sellitto, C., M. Kimble, and R. Kuriyama. 1992. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton. 22:7-24) we identified a 66-kD protein located at the interphase centrosome and mitotic spindle. Isolated cDNAs for the antigen encode a 622-amino acid polypeptide. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of 340-amino acid residues in the COOH terminus, which is homologous to the motor domain conserved among other members of the kinesin superfamily. The protein is composed of a central α- helical portion with globular domains at both NH₂ and COOH termini, and the epitope to the monoclonal antibody resides in the central α-helical stalk. A series of deletion constructs were created for in vitro analysis of microtubule interactions. While the microtubule binding and bundling activities require both the presence of the COOH terminus and the α-helical domain, the NH₂-terminal half of the antigen lacked the ability to interact with microtubules. The full-length as well as deleted proteins consisting of the COOH-terminal motor and the central α-helical stalk supported microtubule gliding, with velocity ranging from 1.0 to 8.4 μm/minute. The speed of microtubule movement decreased with decreasing lengths of the central stalk attached to the COOH-terminal motor. The microtubules moved with their plus end leading, indicating that the antigen is a minus end- directed motor. The CHO2 sequence shows 86% identify to HSET, a gene located at the centromeric end of the human MHC region in chromosome 6 (Ando, A., Y. Y. Kikuti, H. Kawata, N. Okamoto, T. Imai, T. Eki, K. Yokoyama, E. Soeda, T. Ikemura, K. Abe, and H. Inoko. 1994. Immunogenetics. 39:194-200), indicating that HSET might represent a human homologue of the CHO2 antigen.