Antisera against electrophoretically purified tubulin stimulate colchicine-binding activity

Abstract

Several rabbit antisera have been prepared against reduced and alkylated, electrophoretically purified tubulin isolated from chick brain. These antisera give a single precipitin line in Ouchterlony double diffusion plates when tested against partially purified tubulin, and label specifically microtubule- and tubulin-containing structures, such as mitotic spindles, cilia, and vinblastine-induced crystals, in a variety of cells. The same antisera also display the unique ability to stimulate the colchicine-binding activity of tubulin preparations from chick brain and Chinese hamster ovary tissue culture cells. This specific stimulation of colchicine binding activity is also obtained with the gamma globulin fractions purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation of these antisera.