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Nucleation of microtubule assembly by a γ-tubulin-containing ring complex

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Abstract

The highly conserved protein γ-tubulin is required for microtubule nucleation in vivo. When viewed in the electron microscope, a highly purified γtubulin complex from Xenopus consisting of at least seven different proteins is seen to have an open ring structure. This complex acts as an active microtubulenucleating unit which can cap the minus ends of microtubules in vitro.

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Author notes

  1. Bruce Alberts

    Present address: National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20418, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143-0448, USA

    Yixian Zheng, Mei Lie Wong & Bruce Alberts

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94143-0448, USA

    Tim Mitchison

Authors
  1. Yixian Zheng
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  2. Mei Lie Wong
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  3. Bruce Alberts
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  4. Tim Mitchison
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Zheng, Y., Wong, M., Alberts, B. et al. Nucleation of microtubule assembly by a γ-tubulin-containing ring complex. Nature 378, 578–583 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/378578a0

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