Alpha-tubulin tails regulate axoneme differentiation.

ABSTRACT: The tubulin tail is a key element for microtubule (MT) functionality, but the functional redundancy of tubulin genes complicates the genetic determination of their physiological functions. Here, we removed the C-terminal tail of five alpha- and four beta-tubulin genes in the C. elegans genome. Sensory cilia typically exhibit an axoneme that longitudinally differentiates into a middle segment with doublet MTs and a distal segment with singlet MTs. However, the excision of the alpha-tubulin tail, but not the beta-tubulin tail, resulted in the ectopic formation of doublet MTs in the distal segments. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the alpha-tubulin tail could prevent the B-tubule from docking on the surface of A-tubule. Using recombinant tubulins, we demonstrated that remov

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12012489 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature