Class III -Tubulin Is a Component of the Mitotic Spindle in Multiple Cell Types

Eeva-Mari Jouhilahti ¹, Sirkku Peltonen ¹ and Juha Peltonen ^1*

¹ Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy (E-MJ,JP) and Department of Dermatology (JP,SP), University of Turku, Turku, Finland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: juha.peltonen{at}utu.fi.

Submitted on May 30, 2008
Accepted on 28 August 2008

	Abstract

The findings of the present study demonstrate that class III -tubulin is a component of the mitotic spindle in multiple cell types. Class III -tubulin has been widely used as a neuron-specific marker, but it has been detected also in association with e.g. breast and pancreatic cancers. In the present study, we describe a novel finding of class III -tubulin in a subpopulation of cells in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. The findings of the present manuscript also show that class III -tubulin is expressed by normal mesenchymal and epithelial cells (fibroblasts and keratinocytes), two transitional cell carcinoma cell lines and neurofibroma Schwann cells, as demonstrated by immunolabelings and western transfer analysis using two different Tuj-1 antibodies which are specific for class III -tubulin. The corresponding mRNA was detected using RT-PCR and whole human genome microarrays. Both antibodies localized class III -tubulin to the mitotic spindle and showed a colocalization with alpha tubulin. The immunoreaction became visible in early prophase and the most intense immunoreaction was detected during metaphase and anaphase when microtubules were connected to the kinetochores on chromosomes. Class III -tubulin specific immunoreaction lasted to the point when the midbody of cytokinesis became detectable.

Key Words: III-tubulin, beta III-tubulin, malignancy, mitosis, MPNST, neurofibromas, TUBB3, Tuj1

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