Microtubules are non-covalent mesoscale polymers central to the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. Microtubule structure, dynamics, and mechanics are modulated by a cell’s choice of tubulin isoforms and post-translational modifications, a “tubulin code,” which is thought to support the diverse morphology and dynamics of microtubule arrays across various cell types, cell cycle, and developmental stages. We give a brief historical overview of research into tubulin diversity and highlight recent progress toward uncovering the mechanistic underpinnings of the tubulin code. As a large number of essential pathways converge upon the microtubule cytoskeleton, understanding how cells utilize tubulin diversity is crucial to understanding cellular physiology and disease.

微管是真核细胞骨架中心的非共价中尺度聚合物。细胞的微管蛋白同种型和翻译后修饰（一种“微管蛋白密码”）可以调节微管的结构，动力学和力学，该微管蛋白被认为可以支持各种细胞类型，细胞周期和细胞周期的微管阵列的不同形态和动力学。发展阶段。我们对微管蛋白多样性的研究进行了简要的历史概述，并着重指出了在发现微管蛋白代码的机制基础方面的最新进展。随着大量基本途径汇聚在微管细胞骨架上，了解细胞如何利用微管蛋白多样性对于了解细胞生理学和疾病至关重要。