Tubulin C-terminal tails are pH sensors that regulate microtubule function
Variation in cellular pH is important for cell function in changing environmental conditions or developmental states. Here we probe protonation of the glutamate-rich C-terminal tails of tubulin, revealing the existence of and mechanism driving the anomalously high pH response and subsequent regulation of microtubule binding. Our results demonstrate that acidic clusters are important mediators of cellular pH response and establish pH-based regulation of interactions at the microtubule surface.
Authors
- Jeffrey K. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3262-3248)
- David Sept (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3719-2483)
- Claudia Castañeda
- Patrick DeLear (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-0138)
- Nirbhik Acharya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4591-5215)
- Ezekiel C. Thomas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9810-0477)
- Loren E. Hough (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1104-0126)
- Jeffre Allen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5201-8833)
- A. M. Whited
- Génesis Ferrer-Imbert
Institutions
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (US)
- Syracuse University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2026-03-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.06.710195
- Primary Topic
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Syracuse University
- National Institutes of Health
- University of Colorado Boulder