@article {Parkere201800059, author = {Amelia L Parker and Wee Siang Teo and Elvis Pandzic and Juan Jesus Vicente and Joshua A McCarroll and Linda Wordeman and Maria Kavallaris}, title = {β-Tubulin carboxy-terminal tails exhibit isotype-specific effects on microtubule dynamics in human gene-edited cells}, volume = {1}, number = {2}, elocation-id = {e201800059}, year = {2018}, doi = {10.26508/lsa.201800059}, publisher = {Life Science Alliance}, abstract = {Microtubules are highly dynamic structures that play an integral role in fundamental cellular functions. Different α- and β-tubulin isotypes are thought to confer unique dynamic properties to microtubules. The tubulin isotypes have highly conserved structures, differing mainly in their carboxy-terminal (C-terminal) tail sequences. However, little is known about the importance of the C-terminal tail in regulating and coordinating microtubule dynamics. We developed syngeneic human cell models using gene editing to precisely modify the β-tubulin C-terminal tail region while preserving the endogenous microtubule network. Fluorescent microscopy of live cells, coupled with advanced image analysis, revealed that the β-tubulin C-terminal tails differentially coordinate the collective and individual dynamic behavior of microtubules by affecting microtubule growth rates and explorative microtubule assembly in an isotype-specific manner. Furthermore, βI- and βIII-tubulin C-terminal tails differentially regulate the sensitivity of microtubules to tubulin-binding agents and the microtubule depolymerizing protein mitotic centromere-associated kinesin. The sequence of the β-tubulin tail encodes regulatory information that instructs and coordinates microtubule dynamics, thereby fine-tuning microtubule dynamics to support cellular functions.}, URL = {https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/1/2/e201800059}, eprint = {https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/1/2/e201800059.full.pdf}, journal = {Life Science Alliance} }