An Essential Farnesylated Kinesin in Trypanosoma brucei

Kinesins are a family of motor proteins conserved throughout eukaryotes. In our present study we characterize a novel kinesin, KinesinCaaX, orthologs of which are only found in the kinetoplastids and not other eukaryotes. KinesinCaaX has the CVIM amino acids at the C-terminus, and CVIM was previously shown to be an ideal signal for protein farnesylation in T. brucei. In this study we show KinesinCaaX is farnesylated using radiolabeling studies and that farnesylation is dependent on the CVIM motif. Using RNA interference, we show KinesinCaaX is essential for T. brucei proliferation. Additionally RNAi KinesinCaaX depleted T. brucei are 4 fold more sensitive to the protein farneysltransferase (PFT) inhibitor LN-59, suggesting that KinesinCaaX is a target of PFT inhibitors ’ action to block proliferation of T. brucei. Using tetracycline-induced exogenous tagged KinesinCaaX and KinesinCVIMdeletion (non-farnesylated Kinesin) expression lines in T. brucei, we demonstrate KinesinCaaX is farnesylated in T. brucei cells and this farnesylation has functional effects. In cells expressing a CaaX-deleted version of Kinesin, the localization is more diffuse which suggests correct localization depends on farnesylation. Through our investigation of cell cycle, nucleus and kinetoplast quantitation and immunofluorescence assays an important role is suggested for KinesinCaaX in the separation of nuclei and kinetoplasts during and after they have been replicated. Taken together, our work suggests KinesinCaaX is a target of PFT inhibition of T. brucei cell proliferation and KinesinCaaX function