Biochemical and immunochemical identification of a microtubule-binding protein from bovine pancreas.

We have identified a 67 kDa heat-stable protein among the proteins which bind specifically to brain microtubules immobilized on a chromatographic support. Its relationship to tubulin and to the cytoskeleton using polyclonal antibodies has been studied. This 67 kDa protein is present in cytoskeleton and microtubule preparations from pancreas. This heat-stable microtubule-associated protein (MAP) copolymerized with phosphocellulose purified brain tubulin. The 67 kDa polypeptide was immunoreactive to antibodies against the 210 kDa MAP from HeLa cells; it also reacted with antibodies against an oligopeptide whose sequence corresponded to the second repeat of mouse brain tau.