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. 1979 Mar;76(3):1318–1322. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.3.1318

Intact microtubules are required for rapid turnover of carboxyl-terminal tyrosine of alpha-tubulin in cell cultures.

W C Thompson, G G Deanin, M W Gordon
PMCID: PMC383242  PMID: 286314

Abstract

In cultured muscle cells the carboxyl-terminal tyrosine of alpha-tubulin was shown to exchange rapidly with free tyrosine. The rapid turnover of this residue was dependent upon the presence of intact microtubules. Half-life determinations were made by two methods: (i) the cells were pulse-labeled in hypertonic medium, in which the major tyrosine incorporation was post-translational, and then chased with isotonic medium; and (ii) the cells were pulsed and chased in isotonic medium, and the post-translational component of the radioactivity of purified alpha-tubulin was calculated. Both methods yielded a half-life of 37 min or less for the terminal tyrosine residue, whereas the half-life of tubulin itself was shown to be greater than 48 hr.

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Selected References

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