IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL COMPARISON OF POSTTRANSLATIONALLY MODIFIED FORMS OF TUBULIN IN THE VESTIBULAR END-ORGANS OF THE GERBIL - TYROSINATED, ACETYLATED AND POLYGLUTAMYLATED TUBULIN
Y. Ogata et Nb. Slepecky, IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL COMPARISON OF POSTTRANSLATIONALLY MODIFIED FORMS OF TUBULIN IN THE VESTIBULAR END-ORGANS OF THE GERBIL - TYROSINATED, ACETYLATED AND POLYGLUTAMYLATED TUBULIN, Hearing research, 86(1-2), 1995, pp. 125-131
Specific antibodies against alpha-tubulin, acetylated alpha-tubulin, t
yrosinated alpha-tubulin and polyglutamylated alpha- and beta-tubulin
were used to compare the distribution of posttranslationally modified
tubulin in the vestibular end-organs of the gerbil. Antibodies to acet
ylated tubulin labeled a dense network of microtubules in the hair cel
ls and bundles of microtubule in the supporting cells. Nerve fibers wi
thin and below the epithelium were weakly labeled. This localization p
aralleled that seen with antibodies to cu-tubulin which labeled all mi
crotubules present in the cells. Antibodies to tyrosinated tubulin lab
eled networks and bundles of microtubules in both hair cells and suppo
rting cells and in addition gave intense, diffuse labeling in the cyto
plasm of both cell types. It also labeled the nerve fibers. Antibodies
to polyglutamylated tubulin were localized mainly in nerve fibers, an
d in the calyces the labeled microtubules were found running circumfer
entially around the type I sensory hair cells. Thus, tyrosinated tubul
in was found in the fine networks of microtubules in both the sensory
and supporting cells. Acetylated tubulin was found in the dense networ
ks and bundles of microtubules in the sensory and supporting cells, bu
t did not colocalize with polyglutamylated tubulin, which was found pr
edominantly in the nerve fibers. The labeling patterns for the tyrosin
ated tubulin and posttranslationally modified tubulins in the sensory
and supporting cells of the vestibular end organs differ from that see
n in the organ of Corti and may reflect differences in the stability o
f the microtubules and the mechanical properties of the sensory epithe
lium.