Influence of microtubule-associated proteins on the differential effects of paclitaxel and docetaxel

Microtubules are complex structures arising in part from the polymerization of tubulin dimers. Tubulin binds to a wide range of drugs which have been used as probes for tubulin conformation and assembly properties. There is some evidence that taxol and taxotere have differing effects on tubulin conformation. Previous work has shown that MAP2 and Tau, although they both induce microtubule assembly, have qualitatively different effects on tubulin's behavior. Since most microtubules in vivo are likely to be associated with MAPs, we decided to characterize the differential effects of MAP2, Tau, taxol, and taxotere on tubulin polymerization with the aim of understanding the mechanisms through which these agents stimulate microtubule assembly. Furthermore, the inhibitive effect of calcium has been used to elucidate the ability of the two drugs to force tubulin assembly. These observations suggest that docetaxel, in addition to its greater efficiency in tubulin assembly, may have the capacity to differently alter certain classes of microtubules. Tau and MAP2 accessory proteins may represent important cofactors modulating the effects of taxoids.