Microtubule Inhibitors Small Molecules and Peptides

Microtubules are cylindrical tubes of 20-25 nm in diameter. They are composed of protofilaments which are in turn composed of α- and β-tubulin polymers. Each microtubule is polarized, at one end α-subunits are exposed (-) and at the other β-subunits are exposed (+). Microtubules act as a scaffold to determine cell shape, and provide a backbone for cell organelles and vesicles to move along, a process that requires motor proteins.

The major microtubule motor proteins are ...