Cell complexity: tubulin activity and microtubules (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, January 01, 2015, 21:40 (3615 days ago) @ David Turell

Learning all of the intricacies of cellular function and the role of microtubules:-"The flexibility of tubulin and the consequent versatility of its self-assembly can hardly be an accident. We propose that the polymorphism of assembly unique to tubulin reflects an exquisite tuning mechanism for the complex interaction of different microtubule intermediates with cellular factors that need to detect or make direct use of the growing or shortening state of microtubules to play functional roles at the right time and place in the cell. The characterization of the molecular interplay between tubulin polymers and cellular factors that affect tubulin assembly and/or are able to select tubulin polymerization states has only just begun, and promises to create new paradigms of microtubule cellular function, where tubulin polymers are not seen as passive platforms but as molecular machines capable of work by switching conformational and polymerization states." (my bold)-http://cryoem.berkeley.edu/microtubules-Of course designed by chance.