The role of delta and epsilon tubulin in spermatogenesis and early embryogenesis

Abstract

The tubulin superfamily are essential building blocks of eukaryotic cells, with six distinct tubulins identified thus far - alpha (a), beta (b), gamma (g, delta (d TUBD1), epsilon (e, TUBE1), and zeta (z) tubulin. a-, b- and g-tubulin are ubiquitously expressed across eukaryotes and are well established to form the structural basis of microtubules (a- and b- tubulin), and template microtubule nucleation (g-tubulin). The functions of TUBD1, TUBE1 and z-tubulin are less defined, but co-conserved across species, specifically in those that assemble centriole triplet microtubule structures. Their co-conservation means humans and mice possess the genes for TUBD1 and TUBE1, but not for z-tubulin. I..