We detected a putative γ-tubulin gene in silico and detected BACs containing the gene from a Bombyx mori BAC library. BAC-FISH mapping revealed that the gene is located on chromosome 5. To observe the distribution of γ-tubulin, we employed antibodies against mammalian γ-tubulin peptides. Western blot analysis disclosed a band very similar in size to γ-tubulin protein in other species (approximately 48 kDa). In mitotic metaphase of B. mori spermatogonial cells, γ-tubulin is exclusively localized in the spindle poles, where the centrosomes occur. We applied the same system to the grasshopper Chortophaga viridifasciata, as a representative of insect orders in which the γ-tubulin distribution had not previously been studied. γ-Tubulin was also found in the spindle poles during metaphase of spermatogonial cells in the grasshopper.
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BAC-FISH
centrosome
grasshopper
silkworm
γ-tubulin