Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1988 Jun 1;106(6):2011–2022. doi: 10.1083/jcb.106.6.2011

Generation of antisera that discriminate among mammalian alpha- tubulins: introduction of specialized isotypes into cultured cells results in their coassembly without disruption of normal microtubule function

PMCID: PMC2115118  PMID: 3290224

Abstract

To assay the functional significance of the multiple but closely related alpha-tubulin polypeptides that are expressed in mammalian cells, we generated three specific immune sera, each of which uniquely recognizes a distinct alpha-tubulin isotype. All three isotypes are expressed in a tissue-restricted manner: one (M alpha 3/7) only in mature testis, one (M alpha 4) mainly in muscle and brain, and the third (M alpha 6) in several tissues at a very low level. A fourth specific antiserum was also generated that distinguishes between the tyrosinated and nontyrosinated form of a single alpha-tubulin isotype. Because individual tubulin isotypes cannot be purified biochemically, these sera were raised using cloned fusion proteins purified from host Escherichia coli cells. To suppress the immune response to shared epitopes, animals were first rendered tolerant to fusion proteins encoding all but one of the known mammalian alpha-tubulin isotypes. Subsequent challenge with the remaining fusion protein then resulted in the elicitation of an immune response to unique epitopes. Three criteria were used to establish the specificity of the resulting sera: (a) their ability to discriminate among cloned fusion proteins representing all the known mammalian alpha-tubulin isotypes; (b) their ability to uniquely detect alpha-tubulin in whole extracts of tissues; and (c) their capacity to stain microtubules in fixed preparations of cells transfected with sequences encoding the corresponding isotype. The transfection experiments served to demonstrate (a) the coassembly of M alpha 3/7, M alpha 4, and M alpha 6 into both interphase and spindle microtubules in HeLa cells and NIH 3T3 cells, and (b) that the M alpha 4 isotype, which is unique among mammalian alpha-tubulins in that it lacks an encoded carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue, behaves like other alpha-tubulin isotypes with respect to the cycle of tyrosination/detyrosination that occurs in most cultured cells.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (4.6 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adachi Y., Toda T., Niwa O., Yanagida M. Differential expressions of essential and nonessential alpha-tubulin genes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Jun;6(6):2168–2178. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.6.2168. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Argaraña C. E., Barra H. S., Caputto R. Release of [14C]tyrosine from tubulinyl-[14C]tyrosine by brain extract. Separation of a carboxypeptidase from tubulin-tyrosine ligase. Mol Cell Biochem. 1978 Feb 24;19(1):17–21. doi: 10.1007/BF00231230. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barra H. S., Arce C. A., Rodríguez J. A., Caputto R. Some common properties of the protein that incorporates tyrosine as a single unit and the microtubule proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1974 Oct 23;60(4):1384–1390. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(74)90351-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Binder L. I., Frankfurter A., Rebhun L. I. The distribution of tau in the mammalian central nervous system. J Cell Biol. 1985 Oct;101(4):1371–1378. doi: 10.1083/jcb.101.4.1371. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bloom G. S., Luca F. C., Vallee R. B. Widespread cellular distribution of MAP-1A (microtubule-associated protein 1A) in the mitotic spindle and on interphase microtubules. J Cell Biol. 1984 Jan;98(1):331–340. doi: 10.1083/jcb.98.1.331. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bond J. F., Fridovich-Keil J. L., Pillus L., Mulligan R. C., Solomon F. A chicken-yeast chimeric beta-tubulin protein is incorporated into mouse microtubules in vivo. Cell. 1986 Feb 14;44(3):461–468. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90467-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cambray-Deakin M. A., Burgoyne R. D. Posttranslational modifications of alpha-tubulin: acetylated and detyrosinated forms in axons of rat cerebellum. J Cell Biol. 1987 Jun;104(6):1569–1574. doi: 10.1083/jcb.104.6.1569. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cleveland D. W., Lopata M. A., MacDonald R. J., Cowan N. J., Rutter W. J., Kirschner M. W. Number and evolutionary conservation of alpha- and beta-tubulin and cytoplasmic beta- and gamma-actin genes using specific cloned cDNA probes. Cell. 1980 May;20(1):95–105. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90238-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cowan N. J., Dobner P. R., Fuchs E. V., Cleveland D. W. Expression of human alpha-tubulin genes: interspecies conservation of 3' untranslated regions. Mol Cell Biol. 1983 Oct;3(10):1738–1745. doi: 10.1128/mcb.3.10.1738. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Deanin G. G., Thompson W. C., Gordon M. W. Tyrosyltubulin ligase activity in brain, skeletal muscle, and liver of the developing chick. Dev Biol. 1977 May;57(1):230–233. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(77)90370-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Elliott E. M., Henderson G., Sarangi F., Ling V. Complete sequence of three alpha-tubulin cDNAs in Chinese hamster ovary cells: each encodes a distinct alpha-tubulin isoprotein. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Mar;6(3):906–913. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.3.906. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fridovich-Keil J. L., Bond J. F., Solomon F. Domains of beta-tubulin essential for conserved functions in vivo. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Oct;7(10):3792–3798. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.10.3792. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fuller M. T., Caulton J. H., Hutchens J. A., Kaufman T. C., Raff E. C. Genetic analysis of microtubule structure: a beta-tubulin mutation causes the formation of aberrant microtubules in vivo and in vitro. J Cell Biol. 1987 Mar;104(3):385–394. doi: 10.1083/jcb.104.3.385. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gundersen G. G., Bulinski J. C. Distribution of tyrosinated and nontyrosinated alpha-tubulin during mitosis. J Cell Biol. 1986 Mar;102(3):1118–1126. doi: 10.1083/jcb.102.3.1118. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gundersen G. G., Kalnoski M. H., Bulinski J. C. Distinct populations of microtubules: tyrosinated and nontyrosinated alpha tubulin are distributed differently in vivo. Cell. 1984 Oct;38(3):779–789. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90273-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gundersen G. G., Khawaja S., Bulinski J. C. Postpolymerization detyrosination of alpha-tubulin: a mechanism for subcellular differentiation of microtubules. J Cell Biol. 1987 Jul;105(1):251–264. doi: 10.1083/jcb.105.1.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hall J. L., Dudley L., Dobner P. R., Lewis S. A., Cowan N. J. Identification of two human beta-tubulin isotypes. Mol Cell Biol. 1983 May;3(5):854–862. doi: 10.1128/mcb.3.5.854. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Huber G., Matus A. Differences in the cellular distributions of two microtubule-associated proteins, MAP1 and MAP2, in rat brain. J Neurosci. 1984 Jan;4(1):151–160. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.04-01-00151.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kemphues K. J., Kaufman T. C., Raff R. A., Raff E. C. The testis-specific beta-tubulin subunit in Drosophila melanogaster has multiple functions in spermatogenesis. Cell. 1982 Dec;31(3 Pt 2):655–670. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90321-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kumar N., Flavin M. Modulation of some parameters of assembly of microtubules in vitro by tyrosinolation of tubulin. Eur J Biochem. 1982 Nov;128(1):215–222. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1982.tb06954.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kumar N., Flavin M. Preferential action of a brain detyrosinolating carboxypeptidase on polymerized tubulin. J Biol Chem. 1981 Jul 25;256(14):7678–7686. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kunkel T. A. Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jan;82(2):488–492. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.2.488. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. L'Hernault S. W., Rosenbaum J. L. Chlamydomonas alpha-tubulin is posttranslationally modified by acetylation on the epsilon-amino group of a lysine. Biochemistry. 1985 Jan 15;24(2):473–478. doi: 10.1021/bi00323a034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. L'Hernault S. W., Rosenbaum J. L. Chlamydomonas alpha-tubulin is posttranslationally modified in the flagella during flagellar assembly. J Cell Biol. 1983 Jul;97(1):258–263. doi: 10.1083/jcb.97.1.258. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. L'Hernault S. W., Rosenbaum J. L. Reversal of the posttranslational modification on Chlamydomonas flagellar alpha-tubulin occurs during flagellar resorption. J Cell Biol. 1985 Feb;100(2):457–462. doi: 10.1083/jcb.100.2.457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. LeDizet M., Piperno G. Cytoplasmic microtubules containing acetylated alpha-tubulin in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: spatial arrangement and properties. J Cell Biol. 1986 Jul;103(1):13–22. doi: 10.1083/jcb.103.1.13. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Lee M. G., Lewis S. A., Wilde C. D., Cowan N. J. Evolutionary history of a multigene family: an expressed human beta-tubulin gene and three processed pseudogenes. Cell. 1983 Jun;33(2):477–487. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90429-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Lee M. G., Loomis C., Cowan N. J. Sequence of an expressed human beta-tubulin gene containing ten Alu family members. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Jul 25;12(14):5823–5836. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.14.5823. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Lewis S. A., Gilmartin M. E., Hall J. L., Cowan N. J. Three expressed sequences within the human beta-tubulin multigene family each define a distinct isotype. J Mol Biol. 1985 Mar 5;182(1):11–20. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90023-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Lewis S. A., Gu W., Cowan N. J. Free intermingling of mammalian beta-tubulin isotypes among functionally distinct microtubules. Cell. 1987 May 22;49(4):539–548. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90456-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Lewis S. A., Lee M. G., Cowan N. J. Five mouse tubulin isotypes and their regulated expression during development. J Cell Biol. 1985 Sep;101(3):852–861. doi: 10.1083/jcb.101.3.852. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Lopata M. A., Cleveland D. W. In vivo microtubules are copolymers of available beta-tubulin isotypes: localization of each of six vertebrate beta-tubulin isotypes using polyclonal antibodies elicited by synthetic peptide antigens. J Cell Biol. 1987 Oct;105(4):1707–1720. doi: 10.1083/jcb.105.4.1707. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Matthew W. D., Patterson P. H. The production of a monoclonal antibody that blocks the action of a neurite outgrowth-promoting factor. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1983;48(Pt 2):625–631. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1983.048.01.066. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. May G. S., Gambino J., Weatherbee J. A., Morris N. R. Identification and functional analysis of beta-tubulin genes by site specific integrative transformation in Aspergillus nidulans. J Cell Biol. 1985 Sep;101(3):712–719. doi: 10.1083/jcb.101.3.712. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. May G. S., Gambino J., Weatherbee J. A., Morris N. R. Identification and functional analysis of beta-tubulin genes by site specific integrative transformation in Aspergillus nidulans. J Cell Biol. 1985 Sep;101(3):712–719. doi: 10.1083/jcb.101.3.712. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Mulligan R. C., Berg P. Selection for animal cells that express the Escherichia coli gene coding for xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Apr;78(4):2072–2076. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.4.2072. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Parysek L. M., Asnes C. F., Olmsted J. B. MAP 4: occurrence in mouse tissues. J Cell Biol. 1984 Oct;99(4 Pt 1):1309–1315. doi: 10.1083/jcb.99.4.1309. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Piperno G., LeDizet M., Chang X. J. Microtubules containing acetylated alpha-tubulin in mammalian cells in culture. J Cell Biol. 1987 Feb;104(2):289–302. doi: 10.1083/jcb.104.2.289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Raybin D., Flavin M. Enzyme which specifically adds tyrosine to the alpha chain of tubulin. Biochemistry. 1977 May 17;16(10):2189–2194. doi: 10.1021/bi00629a023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Sanger F., Coulson A. R., Barrell B. G., Smith A. J., Roe B. A. Cloning in single-stranded bacteriophage as an aid to rapid DNA sequencing. J Mol Biol. 1980 Oct 25;143(2):161–178. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(80)90196-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Schatz P. J., Solomon F., Botstein D. Genetically essential and nonessential alpha-tubulin genes specify functionally interchangeable proteins. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Nov;6(11):3722–3733. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.11.3722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Schatz P. J., Solomon F., Botstein D. Genetically essential and nonessential alpha-tubulin genes specify functionally interchangeable proteins. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Nov;6(11):3722–3733. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.11.3722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Schulze E., Kirschner M. Dynamic and stable populations of microtubules in cells. J Cell Biol. 1987 Feb;104(2):277–288. doi: 10.1083/jcb.104.2.277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Sullivan K. F., Cleveland D. W. Identification of conserved isotype-defining variable region sequences for four vertebrate beta tubulin polypeptide classes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(12):4327–4331. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.12.4327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Thompson W. C., Deanin G. G., Gordon M. W. Intact microtubules are required for rapid turnover of carboxyl-terminal tyrosine of alpha-tubulin in cell cultures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Mar;76(3):1318–1322. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.3.1318. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Villasante A., Wang D., Dobner P., Dolph P., Lewis S. A., Cowan N. J. Six mouse alpha-tubulin mRNAs encode five distinct isotypes: testis-specific expression of two sister genes. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Jul;6(7):2409–2419. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.7.2409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Wang D., Villasante A., Lewis S. A., Cowan N. J. The mammalian beta-tubulin repertoire: hematopoietic expression of a novel, heterologous beta-tubulin isotype. J Cell Biol. 1986 Nov;103(5):1903–1910. doi: 10.1083/jcb.103.5.1903. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Webster D. R., Gundersen G. G., Bulinski J. C., Borisy G. G. Assembly and turnover of detyrosinated tubulin in vivo. J Cell Biol. 1987 Jul;105(1):265–276. doi: 10.1083/jcb.105.1.265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Wigler M., Sweet R., Sim G. K., Wold B., Pellicer A., Lacy E., Maniatis T., Silverstein S., Axel R. Transformation of mammalian cells with genes from procaryotes and eucaryotes. Cell. 1979 Apr;16(4):777–785. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90093-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES