kif1a head-microtubule complex structure in atp-form
Identifiers
Symbol
Tubulin
Pfam
PF00091
Pfam clan
CL0442
InterPro
IPR003008
PROSITE
PDOC00201
SCOP2
1tub / SCOPe / SUPFAM
Available protein structures:
Pfam
structures / ECOD
PDB
RCSB PDB; PDBe; PDBj
PDBsum
structure summary
Tubulin in molecular biology can refer either to the tubulin protein superfamily of globular proteins, or one of the member proteins of that superfamily. α- and β-tubulins polymerize into microtubules, a major component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton.[1] Microtubules function in many essential cellular processes, including mitosis. Tubulin-binding drugs kill cancerous cells by inhibiting microtubule dynamics, which are required for DNA segregation and therefore cell division.
In eukaryotes, there are six members of the tubulin superfamily, although not all are present in all species.[2][3] Both α and β tubulins have a mass of around 50 kDa and are thus in a similar range compared to actin (with a mass of ~42 kDa). In contrast, tubulin polymers (microtubules) tend to be much bigger than actin filaments due to their cylindrical nature.
Tubulin was long thought to be specific to eukaryotes. More recently, however, several prokaryotic proteins have been shown to be related to tubulin.[4][5][6][7]
^Gunning PW, Ghoshdastider U, Whitaker S, Popp D, Robinson RC (June 2015). "The evolution of compositionally and functionally distinct actin filaments". Journal of Cell Science. 128 (11): 2009–19. doi:10.1242/jcs.165563. PMID 25788699.
^Findeisen P, Mühlhausen S, Dempewolf S, Hertzog J, Zietlow A, Carlomagno T, Kollmar M "Six subgroups and extensive recent duplications characterize the evolution of the eukaryotic tubulin protein family" Genome Biol Evol (2014) 6:2274-2288.
^Turk E, Wills AA, Kwon T, Sedzinski J, Wallingford JB, Stearns T "Zeta-Tubulin Is a Member of a Conserved Tubulin Module and Is a Component of the Centriolar Basal Foot in Multiciliated Cells" Current Biology (2015) 25:2177-2183.
^Nogales E, Downing KH, Amos LA, Löwe J (June 1998). "Tubulin and FtsZ form a distinct family of GTPases". Nature Structural Biology. 5 (6): 451–8. doi:10.1038/nsb0698-451. PMID 9628483. S2CID 5945125.
^Jenkins C, Samudrala R, Anderson I, Hedlund BP, Petroni G, Michailova N, et al. (December 2002). "Genes for the cytoskeletal protein tubulin in the bacterial genus Prosthecobacter". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 99 (26): 17049–54. Bibcode:2002PNAS...9917049J. doi:10.1073/pnas.012516899. PMC 139267. PMID 12486237.
^Yutin N, Koonin EV (March 2012). "Archaeal origin of tubulin". Biology Direct. 7: 10. doi:10.1186/1745-6150-7-10. PMC 3349469. PMID 22458654.
^Larsen RA, Cusumano C, Fujioka A, Lim-Fong G, Patterson P, Pogliano J (June 2007). "Treadmilling of a prokaryotic tubulin-like protein, TubZ, required for plasmid stability in Bacillus thuringiensis". Genes & Development. 21 (11): 1340–52. doi:10.1101/gad.1546107. PMC 1877747. PMID 17510284.
Tubulin in molecular biology can refer either to the tubulin protein superfamily of globular proteins, or one of the member proteins of that superfamily...
A mitotic inhibitor, microtubule inhibitor, or tubulin inhibitor, is a drug that inhibits mitosis, or cell division, and is used in treating cancer, gout...
Microtubules are polymers of tubulin that form part of the cytoskeleton and provide structure and shape to eukaryotic cells. Microtubules can be as long...
Tubulin GTPase (EC 3.6.5.6) is an enzyme with systematic name GTP phosphohydrolase (microtubule-releasing). This enzyme catalyses the following chemical...
Tubulin/FtsZ family, GTPase domain is an evolutionary conserved protein domain. This domain is found in all tubulin chains, as well as the bacterial FtsZ...
Tubulin, epsilon 1 is a protein in humans that is encoded by the TUBE1 gene. This gene encodes a member of the tubulin superfamily. This protein localizes...
classes. Tubulin-like, actin-like, Walker A cytoskeletal ATPases (WACA-proteins), and intermediate filaments. Tubulin-like proteins are tubulin in eukaryotes...
third type of tubulin, γ-tubulin, which is distinct from the α and β subunits that compose the microtubules themselves. The γ-tubulin combines with several...
formed by an alpha and a beta tubulin molecule carries two GTP molecules, and the GTP is hydrolyzed to GDP when the tubulin dimers are added to the plus...
involved in movement, feeding, and sensation. They are composed mainly of tubulin, and are entirely distinct from prokaryotic flagella. They are supported...
Tubulin polymerization promoting protein family member 3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TPPP3 gene. GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000159713...
Tubulin, gamma complex associated protein 4 is a protein in humans that is encoded by the TUBGCP4 gene. It is part of the gamma tubulin complex, which...
tubulin protein subunits. The tubulin protein dimers of the microtubules have hydrophobic pockets that may contain delocalized π electrons. Tubulin has...
post-translational modification of proteins, for example, histones, p53, and tubulins. Among these proteins, chromatin proteins and metabolic enzymes are highly...
Tau tubulin kinase 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TTBK1 gene. GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000146216 – Ensembl, May 2017 GRCm38:...
Tubulin beta chain is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TUBB gene. TUBB has been shown to interact with NCOA6 and SYT9. Tubulin ENSG00000232421...
occurs on alpha-tubulin. It consists of the removal of the C-terminal tyrosine to expose a glutamate at the newly formed C-terminus. Tubulin polymers, called...
Tubulin alpha 4b is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TUBA4B gene. GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000243910 – Ensembl, May 2017 "Human PubMed...
nucleation and can be visualized in cells by immunohistochemical detection of γ-tubulin. The morphological characteristics of MTOCs vary between the different...
structural composition, the microtubules are made up of tubulin (e.g., α-tubulin and β-tubulin whereas intermediate filaments are made up of fibrous proteins...
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