Alpha- tubulin tails regulate axoneme differentiation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Li, Ming; Chen, Zhe; Guo, Zhengyang; Wang, Yang; Chai, Yongping; Li, Wei; Ou, Guangshuo
• 署名单位: Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University; Tsinghua University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-14786
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2414731122
• 发表日期: 2025-04-15
• 关键词: intraflagellar transport; sensory cilia; beta-tubulin; isotypes; motors; microtubules; gui

摘要

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 ofA-tubule. Using recombinant tubulins, we demonstrated that removing the alpha-tubulin tail efficiently promoted doublet MTs formation in vitro. These results reveal the vital and unique contributions of tubulin tails to the structural integrity and accuracy of axoneme MT organization.