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Microtubule-organizing centres: a re-evaluation

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 8, pages 161–167 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The number, length, distribution and polarity of microtubules are largely controlled by microtubule-organizing centres, which nucleate and anchor microtubule minus ends in a process that requires γ-tubulin. Here we discuss recent evidence indicating that γ-tubulin-dependent formation of new microtubules is not restricted to conventional microtubule-organizing centres. These findings suggest that the spatio-temporal control of microtubule nucleation is more complex than previously thought, leading us to a re-evaluation of the concept of the microtubule-organizing center.

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Figure 1: Localization of γ-tubulin in the mitotic spindle.
Figure 2: Amplification model for the function of the γ-tubulin ring complex in spindle assembly.
Figure 3: Models for the organization of γ-tubulin complexes at microtubule-organizing centres.
Figure 4: Regulation of microtubule nucleation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M.-F. Bryan Tsou for critical reading of the manuscript and E. Vladar for helpful comments.

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  1. Jens Lüders is at the Department of Biological Sciences, and Tim Stearns is at the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford University, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,

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Correspondence to Tim Stearns.

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Lüders, J., Stearns, T. Microtubule-organizing centres: a re-evaluation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 8, 161–167 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2100

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