The expression of acetylated microtubules during axonal and dendritic growth in cerebellar macroneurons which develop in vitro.

The distribution of acetylated microtubules in cerebellar macroneurons which develop in culture was studied with 6-11B-1, a monoclonal antibody specific for acetylated alpha-tubulin. In these neurons 6-11B-1 helps to define a subset of stable, colchicine-resistant, microtubules that during early neuronal development are exclusively localized in the neuron's axon. On the other hand, in mature neurons acetylated microtubules display a widespread distribution being localized in the axon and thick dendritic trunks, a phenomenon correlated with an increase in the levels of acetylated alpha-tubulin and colchicine-resistant microtubules. Taken collectively, these observations suggest that the acetylation of alpha-tubulin is important for differentiating microtubules during neurite growth: in young neurons this post-translational modification may contribute to determine a selective stabilization of microtubules accompanying axonal differentiation.