Figure 1.

The process of γ-TuRC-mediated MT nucleation. The formation of the γ-TuRC ring structure and its interaction with α/β-tubulin dimers are described above. Briefly, the γ-TuRC complex can be recruited to various MTOCs via linking other accessory proteins to form a ring-like structure. Such structure allows the rapid growth of complex MT networks via γ-tubulin molecules interacting longitudinally with the MT minus-ends. It should be noted that MTs have the characteristic of dynamic instability, which allows MTs to spontaneously switch between assembly and disassembly phases. If there are sufficient tubulin dimers, MT polymerization can progress rapidly.