title: The bioactive Taxol conformation on beta-tubulin: experimental evidence from highly active constrained analogs.
abstract: The important anticancer drug Taxol (paclitaxel) binds to tubulin in a stoichiometric ratio and promotes its assembly into microtubules. The conformation of microtubule-bound drug has been the subject of intense study, and various suggestions have been made. In this work we present experimental and theoretical evidence that Taxol adopts a T-shaped conformation when it is bound to tubulin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, M/C 0212, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Thota
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.forename: Rebecca C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Guza
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bane
authors.forename: Rudravajhala
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravindra
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shanker
authors.forename: Ami S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lakdawala
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: David G I
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kingston
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003461:Crystallography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D017239:Paclitaxel