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Cell biology

The first microtubules

Nature volume 480, page 416 (2011)Cite this article

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Bacteria make long protein chains that may be similar to the ancestors of microtubules, structures found in the cells of more complex organisms. Microtubules perform crucial cellular tasks, including pulling chromosomes apart during cell division.

Grant Jensen and Martin Pilhofer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and their team captured cryo-electron micrographs of several species of Prosthecobacter bacteria, which contain multi-protein chains reminiscent of microtubules. These are forged from repeated spiral arrangements of proteins that are evolutionarily related to those in the microtubules of other organisms.

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The first microtubules. Nature 480, 416 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/480416d

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  1. Misia marek

    Grant Jensen and Martin Pilhofer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and their team captured cryo-electron micrographs of several species of Prosthecobacter bacteria, which contain multi-protein chains reminiscent of microtubules. These are e-papierosy forged from repeated spiral arrangements of proteins that are evolutionarily related to those in the microtubules of other organisms.

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