Context

Understanding tubulin modifications has remained a challenge till date because of unavailability of tools that can mark them in living cells

In news

Researchers have recently developed a molecular sensor, which can identify cancer drugs by detecting how such chemicals modify microtubules inside living cells

Issue 

Researchers from inStem, Bangalore, India, in collaboration withCurie Institute, Orsay,France, funded byIndo-French Centre decided to overcome this shortcoming and developed the first tubulin nanobody - or sensor to study the dynamics of microtubule modifications in living cells and use this for identification of new cancer therapeutic drugs. 

Finding of the research

• The researchers from Bangalore and Orsay devised a method to design synthetic proteins, known as nanobodies, which can bind specifically to modified microtubules.
  
• These nanobodies are similar to antibodies made in our body as a defense mechanism against pathogens.
  
• However, unlike antibodies, the nanobodies are smaller in size and easily amenable for protein engineering.
  
• The nanobody was then coupled with a fluorescent molecule to serve as a detection tool, called sensor. They developed and validated a live cell sensor against a unique microtubule modification called tyrosinated form of microtubules that is already known to be important for cell division and intracellular organization.
  
• The tyrosination sensor is the first tubulin nanobody - or sensor - that can be used to study the dynamics of microtubule modifications in living cells
  
• CEFIPRA researchers have shown the application of this sensor in studying the effect of small-molecule compounds that target microtubules.
  
• These chemicals are frequently used as anti-cancer drugs.
  
• Thus, the tyrosination sensor will facilitate studying microtubule functions for many researchers and will aid identifying new drugs of therapeutic value.

Source: PIB