Atomic Model of Tubulin by Electron Crystallography

Abstract

Abstract The structure of tubulin, the major protein component of microtubules, has been obtained by electron crystallography of zinc-induced 2-D crystals. The atomic model of the tubulin dimer, built into a 3.7 Å density map, shows that α- and β-tubulin have basically identical structures. Each monomer is very compact and is formed by two interacting beta sheets surrounded by helices. The structure can be divided into three sequential domains that are functionally distinctive. The N-terminal domain forms a Rossmann fold that binds the nucleotide. Connected to the nucleotide-binding domain by the core helix is a second domain that in β-tubulin contains the binding site of taxol. The C-terminal region is formed by two long helices that constitute most of the interactive, outside surface of the microtubule. The nucleotide-binding and second domains are common with FtsZ, a bacterial homologue of tubulin essential for cell division. The bacterial protein, which lacks the C-terminal helices of tubulin, has generally shorter loops and contains an extra helix at the N-terminus.