• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Monday, September 29, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

CNIO and IRB Barcelona assemble the gamma-tubulin ring complex in vitro for the first time

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
December 21, 2020
in Health
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

A collaboration between Jens Lüders’ group at IRB Barcelona and Oscar Llorca’s at CNIO

IMAGE

Credit: CNIO

Researchers from the Microtubule Organization lab, headed by Jens Lüders at IRB Barcelona, and the Macromolecular Complexes in DNA Damage Response Group, led by Oscar Llorca at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), have achieved the first in vitro reconstitution of the human -tubulin ring complex (γTuRC), responsible for initiating microtubule formation. In addition, they revealed its 3D structure by cryo-electron microscopy. The key to their success lies in the identification of the RUVBL protein complex as an essential γTuRC assembly helper.

Microtubules are a component of the cytoskeleton, which is essential for intracellular transport processes and cell division. Microtubules cannot form spontaneously in cells but require nucleation by the γTuRC. Mutations in γTuRC subunits cause neurodevelopmental defects such as microcephaly and have also been linked to defects in the retina.

“Although the γTuRC was discovered 25 years ago, the field had not been successful in producing it recombinantly in vitro,” says co-corresponding author Jens Lüders, “this new achievement opens the door to studies aimed at elucidating the microtubule nucleation mechanism and how it is regulated”. It will also allow the study of the mutations found in patients and predictions of their effects, to better understand how they cause disease.

The RUVBL protein complex, essential for the construction of the γTuRC

The difficulty to assemble the γTuRC in vitro is due not only to its complex 3D structure but also to the need of RUVBL for the assembly and formation of the ring-shaped TuRC. “When I started this project I analyzed previously published data, and noticed that a requirement for RUVBL in γTuRC assembly had never been considered before – it was very gratifying to see that this was indeed the key to our success” explains first author Fabian Zimmerman, PhD student in the Microtubule Organization lab at IRB Barcelona.

“Our group has been exploring the function of RUVBL in the assembly of large macromolecular structures relevant to cancer for years. Discovering that RUVBL is also essential for the formation of γTuRC opens new avenues of research to understand how cells build complex functional structures,” says co-corresponding author Oscar Llorca.

” γTuRC is a very large structure built by multiple and interconnected subunits. Determining its 3D architecture has been an immense challenge, made possible by advances in cryo-electron microscopy methods that allowed us to observe individual molecules of this complex with extremely high detail “, explains co-first author Marina Serna.

###

This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU/AEI), the National Institute of Health Carlos III, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the support of the National Institute of Health Carlos III to CNIO, the Autonomous Region of Madrid, “la Caixa” Foundation and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Sk?odowska-Curie grant.

Media Contact
Nahia Barberia
[email protected]

Original Source

https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/news/scientists-from-the-irb-barcelona-and-cnio-assemble-the-tubulin-ring-complex-in-vitro-for-the

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe0894

Tags: BiologyCell BiologyDevelopmental/Reproductive BiologyMolecular Biology
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Addressing Frailty and Polypharmacy in Elderly Home Care

September 29, 2025

Unplanned, Premature Births Outside Hospital Present Critical Challenges for Emergency Responders

September 28, 2025

Hypnosis Enhances Comfort of Ventilation Masks for Patients with Respiratory Issues

September 28, 2025

Breast Cancer Progression: Evolving Microenvironments and Patterns

September 28, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • New Study Reveals the Science Behind Exercise and Weight Loss

    New Study Reveals the Science Behind Exercise and Weight Loss

    85 shares
    Share 34 Tweet 21
  • Physicists Develop Visible Time Crystal for the First Time

    73 shares
    Share 29 Tweet 18
  • Scientists Discover and Synthesize Active Compound in Magic Mushrooms Again

    56 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • How Donor Human Milk Storage Impacts Gut Health in Preemies

    54 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Addressing Frailty and Polypharmacy in Elderly Home Care

Unplanned, Premature Births Outside Hospital Present Critical Challenges for Emergency Responders

Hypnosis Enhances Comfort of Ventilation Masks for Patients with Respiratory Issues

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 63 other subscribers
  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.