Skip to main content

Microtubule surface lattice and subunit structure and observations on reassembly.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Erickson, HP
Published in: J Cell Biol
January 1974

Neuronal microtubules have been reassembled from brain tissue homogenates and purified. In reassembly from purified preparations, one of the first structures formed was a flat sheet, consisting of up to 13 longitudinal filaments, which was identified as an incomplete microtubule wall. Electron micrographs of these flat sheets and intact microtubules were analyzed by optical diffraction, and the surface lattice on which the subunits are arranged was determined to be a 13 filament, 3-start helix. A similar, and probably identical, lattice was found for outer-doublet microtubules. Finally, a 2-D image of the structure and arrangement of the microtubule subunits was obtained by processing selected images with a computer filtering and averaging system. The 40 x 50 A morphological subunit, which has previously been seen only as a globular particle and identified as the 55,000-dalton tubulin monomer, is seen in this higher resolution reconstructed image to be elongated, and split symmetrically by a longitudinal cleft into two lobes.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Cell Biol

DOI

ISSN

0021-9525

Publication Date

January 1974

Volume

60

Issue

1

Start / End Page

153 / 167

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Swine
  • Protein Conformation
  • Neurons
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Microtubules
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Fourier Analysis
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Developmental Biology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Erickson, H. P. (1974). Microtubule surface lattice and subunit structure and observations on reassembly. J Cell Biol, 60(1), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.60.1.153
Erickson, H. P. “Microtubule surface lattice and subunit structure and observations on reassembly.J Cell Biol 60, no. 1 (January 1974): 153–67. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.60.1.153.
Erickson, H. P. “Microtubule surface lattice and subunit structure and observations on reassembly.J Cell Biol, vol. 60, no. 1, Jan. 1974, pp. 153–67. Pubmed, doi:10.1083/jcb.60.1.153.

Published In

J Cell Biol

DOI

ISSN

0021-9525

Publication Date

January 1974

Volume

60

Issue

1

Start / End Page

153 / 167

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Swine
  • Protein Conformation
  • Neurons
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Microtubules
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Fourier Analysis
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Developmental Biology