Even a slight overproduction of tubulin can tip the balance of cellular health, study shows

For cells to function properly, they must produce the right amount of each protein. It is a delicate balance: Both too little and too much can compromise essential cellular functions. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has now shown that even a modest excess of tubulin—the protein that assembles into microtubules, the cell's internal scaffolding—is enough to disrupt tissue architecture and reduce cell viability. Published in Nature Communications, the study demonstrates that the quantity of a protein is just as important as its function.