VDAC1 Mediated Anticancer Activity of Gallic Acid in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells.

Aims: Gallic acid (GA) is generally distributed in a variety of plants and foods, and possesses cell growth-inhibiting activities in cancer cell lines. In the present study, the impact of GA on cell viability, apoptosis induction and possible molecular mechanisms in cultured A549 lung carcinoma cells was investigated.

Methods: In vitro experiments showed that treating A549 cells with various concentrations of GA inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner.

Insight into microtubule disassembly by kinesin-13s from the structure of Kif2C bound to tubulin.

Kinesin-13s are critical microtubule regulators which induce microtubule disassembly in an ATP dependent manner. To clarify their mechanism, we report here the crystal structure of a functional construct of the kinesin-13 Kif2C/MCAK in an ATP-like state and bound to the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, a complex mimicking the species that dissociates from microtubule ends during catalytic disassembly. Our results picture how Kif2C stabilizes a curved tubulin conformation.

New Insights into the Coupling between Microtubule Depolymerization and ATP Hydrolysis by Kinesin-13 Protein Kif2C.

Kinesin-13 proteins depolymerize microtubules in an ATP hydrolysis-dependent manner. The coupling between these two activities remains unclear. Here, we first studied the role of the kinesin-13 subfamily-specific loop 2 and of the KVD motif at the tip of this loop.