ArticleCell2008
XMAP215 is a processive microtubule polymerase.
Article in Cell, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 325 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
325 citing papers in PubMed, 553 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- The centriculum, a membrane reticulum that surrounds Caenorhabditis elegans centrosomes, might serve as a microtubule filter.Journal of cell science · 2026Article
- Microtubule stiffening by the doublecortin-domain protein ZYG-8 contributes to mitotic spindle orientation during zygote division in Caenorhabditis elegans.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Molecular insight into microtubule nucleation by the XMAP215/γ-TuRC module.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Spindle pole proteins confine chromosomes to ensure their expulsion during female meiosis.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Role of α-tubulin helix 11' in heterodimer conformation and microtubule dynamics.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- To Be or Not to Be an Oocyte: Msps/XMAP215 Controls Oocyte Cell Fate in thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Insights into Microtubule Nucleation at the Golgi Apparatus.Sub-cellular biochemistry · 2026Review
- Article
- An enzymatic cascade enables sensitive and specific proximity labeling proteomics in challenging biological systems.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Stu2 performs an essential kinetochore function independent of its microtubule polymerase activity.The Journal of cell biology · 2025Article
- Manipulation and Analysis of Cell Cycle-Dependent Processes in Budding Yeast.Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE · 2025Article
- Neurons exploit stochastic growth to rapidly and economically build dense dendritic arbors.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Micron-scale protein transport along microtubules by kinesin-driven shepherding.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- A distinct isoform of Msp300 (nesprin) organizes the perinuclear microtubule-organizing center in adipocytes.Molecular biology of the cell · 2025Article
- Structural characterization and inhibition of the interaction between ch-TOG and TACC3.The Journal of cell biology · 2025Article
- Cell state-specific cytoplasmic density controls spindle architecture and scaling.Nature cell biology · 2025Article
- A network of interacting ciliary tip proteins with opposing activities imparts slow and processive microtubule growth.Nature structural & molecular biology · 2025Article
- The kinesin motor POS3 and the microtubule polymerase MOR1 coordinate chromosome congression during mitosis in Arabidopsis.The Plant cell · 2025Article
- Structural insights into the interplay between microtubule polymerases, γ-tubulin complexes and their receptors.Nature communications · 2025Article
265 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Fast growth of microtubules is essential for rapid assembly of the microtubule cytoskeleton during cell proliferation and differentiation. XMAP215 belongs to a conserved family of proteins that promote microtubule growth. To determine how XMAP215 accelerates growth, we developed a single-molecule assay to visualize directly XMAP215-GFP interacting with dynamic microtubules. XMAP215 binds free tubulin in a 1:1 complex that interacts with the microtubule lattice and targets the ends by a diffusion-facilitated mechanism. XMAP215 persists at the plus end for many rounds of tubulin subunit addition in a form of "tip tracking." These results show that XMAP215 is a processive polymerase that directly catalyzes the addition of up to 25 tubulin dimers to the growing plus end. Under some circumstances XMAP215 can also catalyze the reverse reaction, namely microtubule shrinkage. The similarities between XMAP215 and formins, actin polymerases, suggest that processive tip tracking is a common mechanism for stimulating the growth of cytoskeletal polymers.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.