Microtubules articles within Nature

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The endoplasmic reticulum proteins CLIMP63, kinectin and p180 bind preferentially to subsets of microtubules with different post-translational modifications, thereby linking the ‘tubulin code’ to the intracellular distribution of membrane organelles.

    • Pengli Zheng
    • , Christopher J. Obara
    •  & Craig Blackstone

  • Article |

    MARK4 regulates cardiomyocyte contractility by promoting MAP4 phosphorylation, which facilitates the access of VASH2 to microtubules for the detyrosination of α-tubulin; MARK4 deficiency after acute myocardial infarction limits the reduction in the left ventricular ejection fraction.

    • Xian Yu
    • , Xiao Chen
    •  & Xuan Li

  • Article |

    The cryo-EM structure of the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) from Xenopus laevis provides insights into the molecular organization of the complex, and shows that actin is a structural component that is functionally relevant to microtubule nucleation.

    • Peng Liu
    • , Erik Zupa
    •  & Elmar Schiebel

  • Letter |

    Cancer cells often have extra centrosomes, a paradox considering the detrimental effect extra centrosomes usually have on cell division; a study of human cells reveals that extra centrosomes can promote cancer cell invasion phenotypes through a pathway involving increased microtubule nucleation and Rac1 activity.

    • Susana A. Godinho
    • , Remigio Picone
    •  & David Pellman

  • Letter |

    Structural and functional analysis of the centralspindlin complex shows that it connects the mitotic spindle to the plasma membrane during cytokinesis through interactions of the C1 domain of centralspindlin’s MgcRacGAP subunit with phosphoinositide lipids.

    • Sergey Lekomtsev
    • , Kuan-Chung Su
    •  & Mark Petronczki

  • News & Views |

    An artificial system of microtubules propelled by dynein motor proteins self-organizes into a pattern of whirling rings. This observation may provide insight into collective motion in biological systems. See Letter p.448

    • Tamás Vicsek

  • Letter |

    The kinetochore is a large protein complex that assembles on centromeric DNA and captures microtubules to mediate chromosome separation. These authors report the first purification of functional kinetochores. They also show that kinetochore particles maintain load-bearing associations with assembling and disassembling ends of single microtubules and that tension increases the lifetimes of the attachments directly. These results provide evidence that tension selectively stabilises kinetochore–microtubule interactions.

    • Bungo Akiyoshi
    • , Krishna K. Sarangapani
    •  & Sue Biggins

  • Letter |

    Centrioles are essential for the formation of centrosomes, cilia and flagella. The centriolar protein Polo-like-kinase 4 (Plk4) is a key regulator of centriole biogenesis and for maintaining constant centriole number in cells. These authors show that the centriolar protein Asterless (CEP152 in humans) interacts with Plk4 and Sas-4. They find that Asl functions as a scaffold for Plk4 and Sas-4 that facilitates self-assembly and duplication of the centriole, and organization of pericentriolar material.

    • Nikola S. Dzhindzhev
    • , Quan D. Yu
    •  & David M. Glover

  • Letter |

    In eukaryotic cells, a subset of microtubules undergo post-translational modifications such as acetylation, which alters microtubule dynamics and trafficking of motors. These authors identify MEC-17 as the enzyme that directly acetylates α-tubulin in vitro and in vivo and in both invertebrates and vertebrates. This is the identification of the long-sought enzyme that acetylates microtubules.

    • Jyothi S. Akella
    • , Dorota Wloga
    •  & Jacek Gaertig

  • Letter |

    XXXMicrotubules are nucleated in vivo by γ-tubulin complexes and comprise 13 protofilaments. How this precise geometry is controlled remains unclear. These authors report the cryo-electron microscopic structure of the universally conserved, core microtubule nucleating complex, γ-tubulin small complex. The structure provides insight into how this complex establishes thirteen-fold tubulin symmetry.

    • Justin M. Kollman
    • , Jessica K. Polka
    •  & David A. Agard

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