Tubulin folding pathways: implication in the regulation of microtubule dynamics.

As microtubules are essential in many cell functions, they have been used as a target of a variety of anticancer drugs that are grouped as stabilizing (taxanes) and destabilizing (vinca-alkaloids, colchicinoids) microtubule agents. It appears clearly now that the dynamic behaviour more than modifications of microtubule mass are altered by antitubulin agents in the range of serum concentrations obtained after administration in humans. While the role of microtubule associated proteins in the regulation of microtubule dynamics has been extensively studied, there is a growing body of data suggesting that tubulin folding could also play an important role in microtubule dynamics. We review the current knowledge regarding tubulin folding pathways, their relation to disease, and their possible influence on microtubule dynamics.