A role for the karyopherin Kap123p in microtubule stability.

Several components of the nuclear transport machinery play a role in mitotic spindle assembly in higher eukaryotes. To further investigate the role of this family of proteins in microtubule function, we screened for mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that confer sensitivity to microtubule-destabilizing drugs. One mutant exhibiting this phenotype lacked the gene encoding the karyopherin Kap123p. Analysis of kap123Delta cells revealed that the drug sensitivity was caused by a defect in microtubule stability and/or assembly. In support of this idea, we demonstrated genetic interactions between the kap123Delta mutation and mutated alleles of genes encoding alpha-tubulins and factors controlling microtubule dynamics. Moreover, kap123Delta cells exhibit defects in spindle structure and dynamics as well as nuclear positioning defects during mitosis. Cultures of kap123Delta strains are enriched for mononucleated large-budded cells often containing short spindles and nuclei positioned away from the budneck, phenotypes indicative of defects in both cytoplasmic and nuclear microtubules. Finally, we identified a gene, CAJ1, which when deleted in combination with KAP123 exacerbated the microtubule-related defects of the kap123Delta mutants. We propose that Kap123p and Caj1p, a member of the Hsp40 family of proteins, together play an essential role in normal microtubule function.