Nolasco, SofiaBellido, JavierGonçalves, JoãoZabala, Juan CarlosSoares, Helena2014-01-012014-01-012005-07Nolasco S, Bellido J, Gonçalves J, Zabala JC, Soares H. Tubulin cofactor A gene silencing in mammalian cells induces changes in microtubule cytoskeleton, cell cycle arrest and cell death. FEBS Lett. 2005;579(17):3515-24.1873-3468http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/3045Microtubules are polymers of alpha/beta-tubulin participating in essential cell functions. A multistep process involving distinct molecular chaperones and cofactors produces new tubulin heterodimers competent to polymerise. In vitro cofactor A (TBCA) interacts with beta-tubulin in a quasi-native state behaving as a molecular chaperone. We have used siRNA to silence TBCA expression in HeLa and MCF-7 mammalian cell lines. TBCA is essential for cell viability and its knockdown produces a decrease in the amount of soluble tubulin, modifications in microtubules and G1 cell cycle arrest. In MCF-7 cells, cell death was preceded by a change in cell shape resembling differentiation.engActin cytoskeletonApoptosisCaspase 7Cell cycleGene silencingMicrotubule-associated proteinsMicrotubulesMolecular chaperonesPhenotypeRNA, Small interferingTubulinβ-Tubulin cofactor AMolecular chaperonejournal article