Cytoplasmic microtubules in tissue culture cells appear to grow from an organizing structure towards the plasma membrane
- PMID: 1062799
- PMCID: PMC336020
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.73.3.867
Cytoplasmic microtubules in tissue culture cells appear to grow from an organizing structure towards the plasma membrane
Abstract
A structure which appears to organize cytoplasmic microtubules in interphase mouse 3T3 cells can be visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. Purified monospecific antibody against homogeneous tubulin from brain visualizes, in addition to cytoplasmic microtubules, a cytoplasmic polar structure as the focal point from which the microtubules seem to radiate. The structure is preserved after treatments that depolymerize cytoplasmic microtubules, i.e., exposure of cells to mitotic drugs or to low temperature. When cells recover from these treatments one end of each microtubule organizing structure acts as a nucleating center from which cytoplasmic microtubules grow toward the plasma membrane. Thus cytoplasmic microtubules assemble in vivo in an ordered unidirectional manner, and therefore the cell must be able to avoid the assembly of unwanted, unoriented, and disconnected microtubules. These results suggest that the assembly of tubulin into microtubules is regulated in vivo.
Similar articles
-
Cytoplasmic microtubules containing acetylated alpha-tubulin in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: spatial arrangement and properties.J Cell Biol. 1986 Jul;103(1):13-22. doi: 10.1083/jcb.103.1.13. J Cell Biol. 1986. PMID: 3722261 Free PMC article.
-
Combined immunofluorescence and high-voltage electron microscopy of cultured mammalian cells, using an antibody that binds to glutaraldehyde-treated tubulin.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jan;75(1):334-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.1.334. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978. PMID: 415307 Free PMC article.
-
Multiple sites for the initiation of microtubule assembly in mammalian cells.Cell. 1979 Feb;16(2):239-52. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90002-3. Cell. 1979. PMID: 455434
-
Tubulin assembly protein: immunochemical and immunofluorescent studies on its function and distribution in microtubules and cultured cells.Cell. 1978 Apr;13(4):613-27. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90212-x. Cell. 1978. PMID: 350414
-
A ring for all: γ-tubulin-containing nucleation complexes in acentrosomal plant microtubule arrays.Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2013 Dec;16(6):698-703. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2013.09.002. Epub 2013 Sep 25. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2013. PMID: 24075308 Review.
Cited by
-
Development of a differentiated microtubule structure: formation of the chicken erythrocyte marginal band in vivo.J Cell Biol. 1987 Jan;104(1):51-9. doi: 10.1083/jcb.104.1.51. J Cell Biol. 1987. PMID: 3793761 Free PMC article.
-
Relationship between movement and aggregation of centrioles in syncytia and formation of microtubule bundles.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Nov;76(11):5719-23. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.11.5719. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979. PMID: 293675 Free PMC article.
-
Postpolymerization detyrosination of alpha-tubulin: a mechanism for subcellular differentiation of microtubules.J Cell Biol. 1987 Jul;105(1):251-64. doi: 10.1083/jcb.105.1.251. J Cell Biol. 1987. PMID: 2886509 Free PMC article.
-
Role of microtubules in the organization and localization of the Golgi apparatus.J Cell Biol. 1984 Jul;99(1 Pt 2):113s-118s. doi: 10.1083/jcb.99.1.113s. J Cell Biol. 1984. PMID: 6146626 Free PMC article.
-
Fasciola hepatica: localization and partial characterization of tubulin.Parasitol Res. 1992;78(2):103-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00931649. Parasitol Res. 1992. PMID: 1557320
References
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
