Low molecular weight microtubule-associated proteins are light chains of microtubule-associated protein 1 (MAP 1)

Microtubule-associated protein 1 (MAP 1; Mr = 350,000) was analyzed by column chromatography of microtubule protein obtained from calf brain gray and white matter. Two low molecular weight proteins (LMW MAPs; Mr 28,000 and 30,000) were found to cochromatograph with MAP 1 under all conditions examined. MAP 1 and the LMW MAPs were purified from calf brain white matter as a complex containing approximately equimolar amounts of the three species. Urea (6 M) was used to remove the LMW MAPs from MAP 1. Binding of MAP 1 to microtubules was unaffected by urea and occurred with or without the LMW species. Electron microscopy of microtubules composed of purified tubulin and either MAP 1 preparation revealed that, like MAP 2, MAP 1 has the appearance of a filamentous arm on the microtubule surface.