Abstract
Microtubules are found in all eukaryotes and are built from αβ-tubulin heterodimers. The α-tubulins and β-tubulins are among the most highly conserved eukaryotic proteins. Other members of the tubulin family have come to light recently and, like γ-tubulin, appear to play roles in microtubule nucleation and assembly. Microtubule assembly is accompanied by hydrolysis of GTP associated with β-tubulin so that microtubules consist principally of “GDP-tubulin” stabilized by a short “GTP cap.” Microtubules are polar, cylindrical structures some 25 nm in diameter. Protofilaments made from tubulin heterodimers run lengthwise along the microtubule wall with the β-tubulin subunit at the microtubule plus end. The crystallographic structures of tubulins are essential to understand in detail microtubule architecture and interactions with stabilizing and destabilizing drugs and proteins.
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Wade, R.H. (2007). Microtubules. In: Zhou, J. (eds) Microtubule Protocols. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 137. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-442-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-442-1_1
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