gamma-tubulin complexes and their interaction with microtubule-organizing centers

gamma-Tubulin is as ubiquitous in eukaryotes as alpha- and beta-tubulin. Ra ther than forming part of the microtubule wall, however, gamma-tubulin is i nvolved in microtubule nucleation. Although gamma-tubulin concentrates at m icrotubule-organizing centers, it also exists in a cytoplasmic complex whos e size and complexity depends on the organism and cell type. In the past ye ar, progress in understanding the functions of gamma-tubulin was made on tw o fronts: identifying the proteins that interact with gamma-tubulin and ide ntifying the proteins that interact with the gamma-tubulin complex to tethe r it to the microtubule-organizing center.