This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stargell, L A Articles by Gorovsky, M A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stargell, L A Articles by Gorovsky, M A

Drugs affecting microtubule dynamics increase alpha-tubulin mRNA accumulation via transcription in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Department of Biology, University of Rochester, New York 14627.

ABSTRACT

In cultured mammalian cells, an increase in the amount of tubulin monomer due to treatment with a microtubule-depolymerizing agent results in a rapid decline in tubulin synthesis. This autoregulatory response is mediated through a posttranscriptional mechanism which decreases the stability of tubulin message with no change in transcriptional activity of tubulin genes. Conversely, treatment with a microtubule-polymerizing drug, such as taxol, results in a slight increase in the synthesis of tubulin. Surprisingly, we find that two microtubule-depolymerizing agents, colchicine and oryzalin, actually cause an increase in alpha-tubulin synthesis and alpha-tubulin message in starved Tetrahymena thermophila. This increase is paralleled by an increase in transcription of alpha-tubulin sequences measured by run-on transcription, while the half-life of tubulin message measured by decay in the presence of actinomycin D does not change appreciably. Treatment of starved cells with taxol also produces an increase in alpha-tubulin synthesis via an increase in message abundance due to an increase in transcription of the alpha-tubulin gene. These results indicate that tubulin synthesis in T. thermophila is regulated very differently than in cultured mammalian cells.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Sharma, N., Bryant, J., Wloga, D., Donaldson, R., Davis, R. C., Jerka-Dziadosz, M., Gaertig, J. (2007). Katanin regulates dynamics of microtubules and biogenesis of motile cilia. J. Cell Biol. 178: 1065-1079 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delye, C., Menchari, Y., Michel, S., Darmency, H. (2004). Molecular Bases for Sensitivity to Tubulin-Binding Herbicides in Green Foxtail. Plant Physiol. 136: 3920-3932 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fanara, P., Turner, S., Busch, R., Killion, S., Awada, M., Turner, H., Mahsut, A., LaPrade, K. L., Stark, J. M., Hellerstein, M. K. (2004). In Vivo Measurement of Microtubule Dynamics Using Stable Isotope Labeling with Heavy Water: EFFECT OF TAXANES. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 49940-49947 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Barlow, S. B., Gonzalez-Garay, M. L., Cabral, F. (2002). Paclitaxel-dependent mutants have severely reduced microtubule assembly and reduced tubulin synthesis. J. Cell Sci. 115: 3469-3478 [Abstract] [Full Text]