ArticleCurrent biology : CB2012
Posttranslational acetylation of α-tubulin constrains protofilament number in native microtubules.
Article in Current biology : CB, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 109 papers.
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109 citing papers in PubMed, 175 citations in OpenAlex.
- Gain-of-function suppressors restore microtubule dynamics and rescue dominant-negative tubulinopathies.Nature cell biology · 2026Article
- Dissecting Structural and Functional Determinants of Microtubules Stabilization through Guided Chemical Modulation.Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2026Article
- Worm orthologues of cytokinesis-associated proteins CIT and ASPM regulate neuronal microtubule dynamics and polarity in C. elegans.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Emerging Roles of Tubulin Isoforms and Their Post-Translational Modifications in Microtubule-Based Transport and Cellular Functions.Biomolecules · 2026Review
- HDAC6 Inhibition Drives Synaptic Protein Acetylation and Enhances Long-Term Memory in Mice.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Article
- Molecular architectures of centrosomes in C. elegans embryos visualized by cryo-electron tomography.Developmental cell · 2025Article
- Doublecortin restricts neuronal branching by regulating tubulin polyglutamylation.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Functional genetics reveals modulators of antimicrotubule drug sensitivity.The Journal of cell biology · 2025Article
- The alpha tubulin acetyltransferasemicroPublication biology · 2025Article
- Tubulin Acetylation: A Critical Regulator of Microtubule Function.Results and problems in cell differentiation · 2025Review
- TUBB4B is essential for the cytoskeletal architecture of cochlear supporting cells and motile cilia development.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Pathologically relevant aldoses and environmental aldehydes cause cilium disassembly via formyl group-mediated mechanisms.Journal of molecular cell biology · 2024Article
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- The α-tubulin acetyltransferase ATAT1: structure, cellular functions, and its emerging role in human diseases.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2024Review
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- Native molecular architectures of centrosomes inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Functional genetics reveals modulators of anti-microtubule drug sensitivity.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- β-II tubulin isotype directs stiffness and differentiation of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2023Article
- Review
- Variable microtubule architecture in the malaria parasite.Nature communications · 2023Article
49 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMicrotubules are built from linear polymers of α-β tubulin dimers (protofilaments) that form a tubular quinary structure. Microtubules assembled from purified tubulin in vitro contain between 10 and 16 protofilaments; however, such structural polymorphisms are not found in cells. This discrepancy implies that factors other than tubulin constrain microtubule protofilament number, but the nature of these constraints is unknown.
resultsHere, we show that acetylation of MEC-12 α-tubulin constrains protofilament number in C. elegans touch receptor neurons (TRNs). Whereas the sensory dendrite of wild-type TRNs is packed with a cross-linked bundle of long, 15-protofilament microtubules, mec-17;atat-2 mutants lacking α-tubulin acetyltransferase activity have short microtubules, rampant lattice defects, and variable protofilament number both between and within microtubules. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations suggest a model in which acetylation of lysine 40 promotes the formation of interprotofilament salt bridges, stabilizing lateral interactions between protofilaments and constraining quinary structure to produce stable, structurally uniform microtubules in vivo.
conclusionsAcetylation of α-tubulin is an essential constraint on protofilament number in vivo. We propose a structural model in which this posttranslational modification promotes the formation of lateral salt bridges that fine-tune the association between adjacent protofilaments and enable the formation of uniform microtubule populations in vivo.
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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.