Promoting Diversity in the Cytoskeleton through STEM-Structural Transitions and Energetics of Microtubule Subunits

Ryoma Ohi; Kristen J Verhey

doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2018.10.008

Promoting Diversity in the Cytoskeleton through STEM-Structural Transitions and Energetics of Microtubule Subunits

Dev Cell. 2018 Oct 22;47(2):137-139. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.10.008.

Authors

Ryoma Ohi¹, Kristen J Verhey²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: oryoma@umich.edu.
² Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: kjverhey@umich.edu.

Abstract

All microtubules assemble from tubulin subunits, but the functional impact of tubulin isotypes has been unclear. Reporting in Developmental Cell, Chaaban et al. (2018) and Ti et al. (2018) show that tubulin isotypes differ in their conformational flexibility, which alters microtubule dynamics and architecture, yet maintain "lock-and-key" interactions with neighbors.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Cytoskeleton
Humans
Microtubules*
Tubulin*

Substances

Tubulin

Grants and funding

R01 GM086610/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States