epsilon Tubulin antibody [TUB-11]

Microtubules constitute one of the major components of eukaryotic cells cytoskeleton and are involved in many essential processes, including cell division, ciliary and flagellar motility and intracellular transport. Microtubules of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton are composed of a heterodimer of a- and ?-tubulin. In addition to a- and ?-tubulin, several other tubulins have been identified, bringing the number of distinct tubulin classes to seven. Most of these tubulins have distinct subcellular localization and an emerging, diverse set of functions. Out of the seven different tubulins, four new members of the tubulin family have been identified: d, ?, ?, and e- tubulin. e-Tubulin was found to be located in the centriolar area, a localization that is dependent on cell cycle modulation. During the early phase of the cell cycle, the protein associates predominantly with the old centrosome, and only later becomes associated with both the old and the new centrosomes. It has been shown that centrosomes could nucleate microtubule assembly irrespective of e-tubulin content, indicating that this protein is not involved in microtubule nucleation. Monoclonal antibodies specific for e-tubulin are an important tool in studying the role of e-tubulin in the replication and maturation of centrioles at the centrosome core.