title: Gamma-tubulin is a highly conserved component of the centrosome.
abstract: We have cloned and characterized gamma-tubulin genes from both X. laevis and S. pombe, and partial genes from maize, diatom, and a budding yeast. The proteins encoded by these genes are very similar to each other and to the original Aspergillus protein, indicating that gamma-tubulins are an ubiquitous and highly conserved subfamily of the tubulin family. A null mutation of the S. pombe gene is lethal. gamma-tubulin is a minor protein, present at less than 1% the level of alpha- and beta-tubulin, and is limited to the centrosome. In particular, gamma-tubulin is associated with the pericentriolar material, the microtubule-nucleating material of the centrosome. gamma-Tubulin remains associated with the centrosome when microtubules are depolymerized, suggesting that it is an integral component that might play a role in microtubule organization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California Medical School, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stearns
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirschner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002460:Cell Line; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005796:Genes; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014404:Tubulin