Premium
The two α‐tubulin isotypes in budding yeast have opposing effects on microtubule dynamics in vitro
Author(s) -
Bode Claudia J,
Gupta Mohan L,
Suprenant Kathy A,
Himes Richard H
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.embor716
Subject(s) - tubulin , microtubule , isotype , biology , saccharomyces cerevisiae , microbiology and biotechnology , yeast , wild type , microtubule associated protein , genetics , gene , antibody , mutant , monoclonal antibody
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two genes for α‐tubulin, TUB1 and TUB3 , and one β‐tubulin gene, TUB2 . The gene product of TUB3 , Tub3, represents ∼10% of α‐tubulin in the cell. We determined the effects of the two α‐tubulin isotypes on microtubule dynamics in vitro. Tubulin was purified from wild‐type and deletion strains lacking either Tub1 or Tub3, and parameters of microtubule dynamics were examined. Microtubules containing Tub3 as the only α‐tubulin isotype were less dynamic than wild‐type microtubules, as shown by a shrinkage rate and catastrophe frequency that were about one‐third of that for wild‐type microtubules. Conversely, microtubules containing Tub1 as the only α‐tubulin isotype were more dynamic than wild‐type microtubules, as shown by a shrinkage rate that was 50% higher and a catastrophe frequency that was 30% higher than those of wild‐type microtubules. The results suggest that a role of Tub3 in budding yeast is to control microtubule dynamics.