Structural dissection of αβ-tubulin heterodimer assembly and disassembly by human tubulin–specific chaperones

Microtubule assembly requires a set of chaperones known as tubulin-binding cofactors (TBCs). We used cryo-electron microscopy to visualize how human TBCD, TBCE, TBCC, and guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Arl2 mediate αβ-tubulin assembly and disassembly. We captured multiple conformational states, revealing how TBCs orchestrate tubulin heterodimer biogenesis. TBCD stabilizes monomeric β-tubulin and scaffolds the other cofactors. Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding to Arl2 induces conformational changes that toggle the complex between assembly and disassembly. TBCD and TBCE guide α- and β-tubulin into a partially assembled interface, and TBCC, acting as a molecular clamp, completes the heterodimer. TBCD also functions as a GTPase activating protein for β-tubulin. β-tubulin GTP hydrolysis is coupled to Arl2's GTPase activity, establishing a checkpoint that ensures that only fully matured heterodimers proceed. These findings provide a structural framework for tubulin heterodimer biogenesis and recycling, supporting cytoskeletal proteostasis.