AAN 2021 | The roles of spastin and katanin in microtubule severing

Antonina Roll-Mecak, PhD, Unit of Cell Biology and Biophysics, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, talks on spastin and katanin, microtubule-severing enzymes implicated in several rare neurological conditions. Both enzymes are ATPases Associated with diverse cellular Activities (AAA ATPases), which can severe microtubules along their length by ATP hydrolysis. Mutations in spastin and katanin severely impair their severing ability, leading to fewer and more disorganized microtubules. This interview took place during the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2021 Annual Meeting.