UniProt ID: Q7ZW01 |
FUNCTION: Tubulin is the major constituent of microtubules, a cylinder consisting of laterally associated linear protofilaments composed of alpha- and beta-tubulin heterodimers. Microtubules grow by the addition of GTP-tubulin dimers to the microtubule end, where a stabilizing cap forms. Below the cap, tubulin dimers are in GDP-bound state, owing to GTPase activity of alpha-tubulin. {ECO:0000256|RuleBase:RU000352}. COFACTOR: Name=Mg(2+); Xref=ChEBI:CHEBI:18420; Evidence={ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00001946}; SUBUNIT: Dimer of alpha and beta chains. A typical microtubule is a hollow water-filled tube with an outer diameter of 25 nm and an inner diameter of 15 nM. Alpha-beta heterodimers associate head-to-tail to form protofilaments running lengthwise along the microtubule wall with the beta-tubulin subunit facing the microtubule plus end conferring a structural polarity. Microtubules usually have 13 protofilaments but different protofilament numbers can be found in some organisms and specialized cells. {ECO:0000256|RuleBase:RU000352}. SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00004245}. SIMILARITY: Belongs to the tubulin family. {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00009636, ECO:0000256|RuleBase:RU000352}. |
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