title: Two separate 18-amino acid domains of tau promote the polymerization of tubulin.
abstract: Tau is a heat-stable microtubule-associated protein which promotes tubulin polymerization. The assembly promoting region of tau was localized using synthetic peptides modeled after domains found in both human and mouse tau. The design of these synthetic peptides was based on the triple repeat motif found in mouse tau. The first peptide, Tau-(187-204), and the second peptide, Tau-(218-235), are capable of promoting the polymerization of tubulin into microtubules, at concentrations above 100 microM. Two other peptides tested, TauR and Tau-(250-267), were not able to promote the assembly of tubulin over a range of concentrations up to 800 microM. TauR is a random analog of Tau-(187-204). Although TauR is unable to promote polymerization, it can modify Tau-(187-204)-induced tubulin assembly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ennulat
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Liem
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Shelanski
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D007700:Kinetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D014404:Tubulin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016875:tau Proteins
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D014404:Tubulin; D016875:tau Proteins