Editorial: The isotypes of α, β and γ tubulin: From evolutionary origins to roles in metazoan development and ligand binding differences

Editorial on the Research Topic The isotypes of α, β and γ tubulin: From evolutionary origins to roles in metazoan development and ligand binding differences Tubulin, found in all eukaryotes, exists in many forms: α, β, γ, and others.α and β form a heterodimer, polymerizing into microtubules, often nucleated by γ.Not surprisingly, for a protein that has existed since eukaryotic cells appeared billions of years ago, α, β, and γ diverged into different forms---isotypes---with different amino acid sequences encoded by different genes.This Research Topic explores tubulin isotypes and addresses their evolutionary, functional and medical significance. Evolutionary significance of tubulin isotypesFor a better perspective we must dive into the origin of tubulin, which is itself a member of a superfamily, including the eubacterial FtsZ as well as other proteins found in many prokaryotes and even viruses.These proteins form filaments and bind to GTP and have similar primary and tertiary structures (reviewed in Ludueña, 2013).An algorithm based on a model for the evolution of the genetic code, places FtsZ among the oldest 10 proteins, coming in third after ferredoxin and slightly older than proteins involved in nucleic acid metabolism (Davis, 1999;Davis, 2002).FtsZ participates in bacterial cell division and binds to membranes and actin filaments.Fulton's introductory essay explains the origin of the "multi-tubulin hypothesis," the idea that there have to be distinct types of tubulin performing different functions.In Naegleria, a unicellular organism that goes from an amoeboid to a flagellated stage, the former contains microtubules that form the mitotic spindle, while the latter has them forming flagella.The Fulton laboratory showed, using 35 S-methionine, that flagellar tubulin formed de novo, meaning that the mitotic spindle tubulins were not recycled into flagella, suggesting that there had to be more than one set of αand β-tubulins.Gene sequencing

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