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Identification of MINUS, a small polypeptide that functions as a microtubule nucleation suppressor
Author(s) -
Fanara Patrizia,
Oback Björn,
Ashman Keith,
Podtelejnikov Alexandre,
Brandt Roland
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/18.3.565
Subject(s) - biology , microtubule , identification (biology) , microtubule nucleation , suppressor , microbiology and biotechnology , tubulin , nucleation , computational biology , genetics , centrosome , cell , physics , gene , cell cycle , ecology , thermodynamics
In eukaryotic cells, tubulin polymerization must be regulated precisely during cell division and differentiation. To identify new mechanisms involved in cellular microtubule formation, we isolated an activity that suppresses microtubule nucleation in vitro . The activity was due to a small acidic polypeptide of 4.7 kDa which we named MINUS ( mi crotubule nu cleation s uppressor). MINUS inhibited tau‐ and taxol‐mediated microtubule assembly in vitro and was inactivated by dephosphorylation. The protein was purified to homogeneity from cultured neural (PC12) cells and bovine brain. Microinjection of MINUS caused a transient loss of dynamic microtubules in Vero cells. The results suggest that MINUS acts with a novel mechanism on tubulin polymerization, thus regulating microtubule formation in living cells.