6tis | pdb_00006tis
DROSOPHILA GDP-TUBULIN
Structural highlights
FunctionTBA1_DROME Tubulin is the major constituent of microtubules. It binds two moles of GTP, one at an exchangeable site on the beta chain and one at a non-exchangeable site on the alpha chain. Publication Abstract from PubMedNucleation of microtubules (MTs) is essential for cellular activities, but its mechanism is unknown because of the difficulty involved in capturing rare stochastic events in the early stage of polymerization. Here, combining rapid flush negative stain electron microscopy (EM) and kinetic analysis, we demonstrate that the formation of straight oligomers of critical size is essential for nucleation. Both GDP and GTP tubulin form single-stranded oligomers with a broad range of curvatures, but upon nucleation, the curvature distribution of GTP oligomers is shifted to produce a minor population of straight oligomers. With tubulin having the Y222F mutation in the beta subunit, the proportion of straight oligomers increases and nucleation accelerates. Our results support a model in which GTP binding generates a minor population of straight oligomers compatible with lateral association and further growth to MTs. This study suggests that cellular factors involved in nucleation promote it via stabilization of straight oligomers. GTP-dependent formation of straight tubulin oligomers leads to microtubule nucleation.,Ayukawa R, Iwata S, Imai H, Kamimura S, Hayashi M, Ngo KX, Minoura I, Uchimura S, Makino T, Shirouzu M, Shigematsu H, Sekimoto K, Gigant B, Muto E J Cell Biol. 2021 Apr 5;220(4):e202007033. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202007033. PMID:33544140[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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