. 2010 Apr 27;10:113. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-113

Table 2.

Insect alpha tubulin sequence features.

Isoform	Function	Average and maximum pairwise distances			-COOH terminus sequence	Post-translational modification sites/Conserved sequence features

		Drosophila	Mosquito	All Insects
`α1`	`Major` `isoform` `α1a:` `Somatic` `and Testis` `function` `in Dm,` `somatic` `only in Bm` `α1b: low` `level somatic` `in Dm`	`0.000` `+/-` `0.000` `(n = 17)`	`0.004` `+/-` `0.002` `(n = 4)`	`Average` `0.010` `+/-` `0.003` `(n = 9)` `Maximum` `0.086` `(n = 18)`	`Haα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGVDSADA EGEEEGEEY` `Haα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSADG EDIEGGDEY` `Haα1c DLATLEKDY EEVGIDTADG EDDEEANDY` `Dmα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGDG EGEGAEEY` `Dmα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGDG EGEGAEEY` `Aeα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGEG EGEGAEEY` `Aeα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGEG EGEGAEEY` `Agα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGEG EGEGAEEY` `Agα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGDG EGEGAEEY` `Bmα1 DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSAEG EGEGAEEY` `Tcc1 DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSGEG EGEGGEEY` `Amα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSAEG EGEGAEEY` `Amα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSAEG EGEGAEEY` `Nvα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSVEG EGEGAEEY` `Nvα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSTEG EGEGAEEY` `Nvα1c DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSTEG EGEGAEEY` `Apα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSVEG EGEGGEEY` `Apα1b DLAALEKDY EEVGLDSVEG QFDEGVEDF` `Apα1c DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSTEG DGEAGEEEI` `Phα1a DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSVEG EGEGGDEY`	PTM sites Polyglutamylation -- yes, except Apα1a Polyglycylation - yes, except Apα1a Acetylation -- yes, except Tcα1 Detyrosination -- yes, except Apα1a, Apα1c, Phα1a Phosphorylation - no Palmitoylation - yes

`α2`	`Minor` `isoform often co-` `expressed with β3 in` `variety of` `pre-adult` `mesodermal` `and neural` `domains in` `Dm and Bm`	`0.014` `+/-` `0.004` `(n = 10)` `Absent` `in Dp` `and Du`	`-`	`Average` `0.069` `+/-` `0.008` `(n = 6)` `Maximum` `0.170` `(n = 6)`	`Dmα2 DLAALEKDY EEVGIDSTTE LGEDEEY` `Aeα2 DLAALEKDY EEVGVDSTEE VGEGDEY` `Bmα2 DLAALEKDY EEVGVDSTEG ELDEENEY` `Tcα2 DLAALEKDY EEVAVDSIEG EGDEGDEY` `Amα2 DLAALELDY REVQEDATNT DDEEEY` `Phα2 DLAALEKDY EEVGIDSVEE VGEGDEY`	PTM sites Polyglutamylation - ? Polyglycylation - ? Acetylation - yes Detyrosination - yes Phosphorylation - no Palmitoylation - yes

`α3`	`Testis-` `specific` `isoform in` `Bm, absent` `in Dm`	`-`	`-`	`Average` `0.231` `+/-` `0.003` `(n = 2)` `Maximum` `0.231` `(n = 2)`	`Bmα3 DLAALERDY DEVAIETSDM QPGADDEL` `Tcα3 DLAMLEKDY EEVSIDDIE`	PTM sites Polyglutamylation - ? Polyglycylation - ? Acetylation - no Detyrosination - no Phosphorylation - no Palmitoylation -- yes Tcα3, no Bmα3

`α4`	`Ovary-` `specific` `isoform in` `Dm, absent` `in Bm`	`0.087` `+/-` `0.009` `(n = 12)`	`0.650` `+/-` `0.043` `(n = 2)`	`Average` `0.560` `+/-` `0.028` `(n = 4)` `Maximum` `0.707` `(n = 5)`	`Dmα4 NIAVLERDF EEVGLDNAEE GGDEDFDEF` `Agα4a DLACLERDY EEVAGDTVAS GEEYYDDDEY` `Agα4b NIRTLIKDY EEI` `Tcα4 DLTALVLDY KEVDSD` `Amα4 DMMTLINDY KEIEK` `Phα4 DLAALEKDY EEVGMDSVEG EGEGGEEM`	PTM sites Polyglutamylation -? Polyglycylation -? Acetylation - no Detyrosination -- yes, except Agα4a, Agα4b, Dyα4, Dvα4, Dsα4, Doα4, Dmα4, Dgα4, Deα4, Daα4, Tcα4, Am c4, Ph c4 Phosphorylation -- yes except Tcα4 Palmitoylation -- yes except Tcα4, Amα4

Features of the four alpha tubulin isoforms identified in insects are presented. The function and/or expression domain of each sequence in D. melanogaster [16,17] and B. mori [35], the two insects in which tubulin expression and function have been studied, are presented in Column 2. Average and maximum pairwise ("All Insects" only) distance calculations in Column 3 refer to the average # amino acid differences/site among conserved isoforms, and the maximum pairwise distance between any two orthologs, including divergent duplication products, respectively. For "all insects", the only Drosophila species included is Dm, to avoid a Dipteran skew in the results. CTT sequences are presented in Column 4, for purposes of inspection as they constitute ~50% of the differences among tubulins. Tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs) occur on sequence motifs whose presence and absence are presented in the Column 5. Polyglutamylation and polyglycylation sequence motifs are degenerate, the "?" indicates that a potentially modifiable, but experimentally uncharacterized residue(s) is present for these PTMs. Unusual sequence features or motifs known to mediate specific tubulin functional specializations are also noted. The full-length sequences for Nvβ1, Phβ3, Dpβ3, Dsβ3 were not available. Key: Pediculus humanus corporisPh, Acyrthosiphon pisum Ap, Apis millifera Am, Nasonia vitripennis Nv, Tribolium castenatum Tc, Bombyx mori Bm, Aedes aegypti Ae, Anopheles gambiae Ag, Drosophila melanogaster Dm, D. sechellia Dc, D. yakuba Dy, D. erecta De, D. simulans Ds, D. mojavensis Do, D. grimshawi Dg, D. ananassae Da, D. persimilis Dp, D. psuedoobscura Du, D. virilis Dv, D. willistoni Dw).