title: Location of a single beta-tubulin gene product in both cytoskeletal and mitotic-spindle microtubules in Physarum polycephalum.
abstract: In the mutant BEN210 of Physarum polycephalum several beta-tubulins are detectable. beta 1-tubulin is unique to the myxamoeba, beta 2-tubulin is unique to the plasmodium, and the mutant beta 1-210 tubulin encoded by the benD210 allele is present in both cell types. In order to analyse the subcellular distribution of the beta 1-210 polypeptide, we prepared cytoskeletons from myxamoebae and mitotic spindles from plasmodia, and examined the tubulin polypeptide composition of these microtubular organelles by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The results show that the beta 1-210 tubulin is present in microtubules of both the cytoskeleton and the intranuclear mitotic spindle. Thus a single beta-tubulin gene product can participate in multiple microtubular organelles in distinct cellular compartments.
authors.affiliation: Biological Laboratory, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Burland
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gull
mesh_terms: D003599:Cytoskeleton; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008870:Microtubules; D009154:Mutation; D010804:Physarum / Q000235:genetics*; D008941:Spindle Apparatus; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin