title: Assembly of gamma-tubulin ring complexes: implications for cell biology and disease.
abstract: Microtubules are among the main constituents of the cytoskeleton. They are assembled from dimers of alpha- and beta-tubulin. This assembly occurs preferentially at organizing centers such as the centrosomes, catalyzed by multiprotein complexes of gamma-tubulin. At the beginning of mitosis, the amount of gamma-tubulin complexes at the centrosomes increases sharply, supporting the sudden formation of numerous spindle microtubules. Recent studies on the structure of gamma-tubulin complex proteins have advanced our understanding of the assembly process of gamma-tubulin complexes, and have pointed toward putative mechanisms of microtubule nucleation. Moreover, the discovery of novel proteins associated with gamma-tubulin complexes has illustrated the possibilities of how gamma-tubulin might be recruited and regulated at specific sites of microtubule organization. This chapter highlights recent developments in the field and discusses the potential of the gamma-tubulin complex as a pharmacological target, to control proliferation of cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Biologie du Développement, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Remy
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merdes
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gregory-Pauron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D014404:Tubulin