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Requirement For The Betai And Betaiv Tubulin Isotypes In Mammalian Cilia., Heather C Jensen-Smith, Richard F Ludueña, Richard Hallworth

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

Nielsen et al., [2001: Curr Biol 11:529-533], based on studies in Drosophila, have proposed that beta tubulin in axonemal microtubules must contain a specific acidic seven amino acid sequence in its carboxyl terminus. In mammals, the two betaIV isotypes (betaIVa and betaIVb) contain that sequence. In order to test the application of this hypothesis to mammals, we have examined the expression of beta tubulin isotypes in four different ciliated tissues (trachea, ependyma, uterine tube, and testis) using isotype-specific antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence. We find that betaIV tubulin is present in all ciliated cell types examined, but so is betaI tubulin. …