Assembly of chick brain MAP2-tubulin microtubule protein. Characterization of the protein and the MAP2-dependent addition of tubulin dimers.

The principle proteins present in twice-cycled chick brain microtubule protein were characterized. The protein consists of a stoichiometric mixture of MAP2 and tubulin, together with a number of minor components. Its composition remains unaltered after a third cycle of assembly in a buffer supplemented with 67 mM-NaCl, with the exception of the phosphorylation of MAP2 to a low level (congruent to 1 mol.mol-1). The inclusion of 67 mM-NaCl dissociates the MAP2-tubulin oligomers, and restricts the assembly to the MAP2-dependent addition and loss of tubulin dimers, such that the assembly kinetics approximate to a simple pseudo-first-order reaction. The assembled microtubules exhibit dynamic instability, with no evidence for end-to-end annealing.