Study may advance understanding of how brain cell tubes are
modified under normal and disease conditions.
In a new study, scientists at the National Institutes of
Health took a molecular-level journey into microtubules, the hollow cylinders
inside brain cells that act as skeletons and internal highways. They watched
how a protein called tubulin acetyltransferase (TAT) labels the inside of
microtubules. The results, published in Cell, answer long-standing questions
about how TAT tagging works and offer clues as to why it is important for brain
health.