Microtubules are protein cylinders with functions in cell motility, signal sensing, cell organization, intracellular transport, and chromosome segregation. One of the key properties of microtubules is their dynamic architecture, allowing them to grow and shrink in length by adding or removing copies of their basic subunit, the heterodimer αβ-tubulin. In higher eukaryotes, de novo assembly of microtubules from αβ-tubulin is initiated by a 2 MDa multi-subunit complex, the gamma-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). For many years, the structure of the γ-TuRC and the function of its subunits remained enigmatic, although structural data from the much simpler yeast counterpart, the γ-tubulin small complex (γ-TuSC), were available. Two recent breakthroughs in the field, high-resolution structural analysis and recombinant reconstitution of the complex, have revolutionized our knowledge about the architecture and function of the γ-TuRC and will form the basis for addressing outstanding questions about biogenesis and regulation of this essential microtubule organizer.

中文翻译：

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γ-微管蛋白环复合物：解读主要脊椎动物微管成核器的分子组织和组装机制

微管是具有细胞运动、信号传感、细胞组织、细胞内运输和染色体分离功能的蛋白质圆柱体。微管的关键特性之一是它们的动态结构，允许它们通过添加或去除其基本亚基异二聚体 αβ-微管蛋白的副本来增长和缩短长度。在高等真核生物中，来自 αβ-微管蛋白的微管从头组装是由 2 MDa 多亚基复合物，γ-微管蛋白环复合物 (γ-TuRC) 启动的。多年来，γ-TuRC 的结构及其亚基的功能仍然是个谜，尽管来自更简单的酵母对应物 γ-微管蛋白小复合物 (γ-TuSC) 的结构数据是可用的。该领域的两项最新突破，高分辨率结构分析和复合物的重组重组，