Microtubule organizing centers and gamma-tubulin.
The polar assembly of cellular microtubules is organized by microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). Eukaryotic cells across different species, and different cell types within single species, have morphologically diverse MTOCs, which have the common function of organizing microtubule arrays by initiating microtubule assembly and anchoring microtubules by their slow-growing 'minus' ends, thus ensuring that the rapidly growing 'plus' ends extend distally. The past few years have witnessed a variety of approaches aimed at defining the molecular components of the MTOC that are responsible for regulating microtubule assembly by defining molecules common to all MTOCs.
Joshi
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Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
D000818:Animals; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008322:Mammals; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D014404:Tubulin / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D014404:Tubulin