CENTROSOMAL PROTEINS - A REVIEW

This review summarizes the results of structural and functional studie s of nearly 20 proteins contained in the animal cell centrosome, an or ganelle that arranges cellular microtubules. These data have been obta ined over recent years mainly from molecular biological research, such as screening phage cDNA expression libraries with centrosome-specific antibodies, studies of recombinant proteins expressed in bacterial ce lls and detected by these antibodies, and analysis of multiple nonalle lic genes of cytoskeletal proteins. A new system is proposed for class ification of centrosomal proteins by their hypothetical functions: 1) template proteins that initiate microtubule polymerization; 2) structu ral proteins of the pericentriolar material; 3) microtubule-severing p roteins; 4) motor proteins responsible for microtubular transport; 5) regulatory proteins (specific protein kinases, phosphatases, etc.); an d 6) centriolar proteins.