Posttranslational modification of plant microtubules

Microtubules in eukaryotes have a number of posttranslational modifications catalyzed by an array of enzymes. These modifications alter the properties of the microtubules and the ways in which they interact with partner proteins. In recent years many of the enzymes which modify the microtubules have been identified in animals and protozoans. Relatively little work has been done on their function in plants, however. This study uses bioinformatics to identify homologues of these enzymes in plant species from the green alga Chlamydomonas reiinhardtii to the angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana. Many are conserved and this gives insight into the likely future direction of this dynamic field.