The activity of katanin is tightly regulated to ensure that microtubule severing occurs only when necessary. This regulation can occur through several mechanisms:
- Phosphorylation: The activity of the p60 subunit can be modulated by phosphorylation, which can either activate or inhibit its function. - Binding Proteins: Various proteins can bind to katanin and modulate its activity, either enhancing or suppressing its microtubule-severing function. - Cell Cycle-Dependent Regulation: Katanin activity can be regulated depending on the phase of the cell cycle, ensuring that microtubule severing is synchronized with cell division.
