Tubulin beta-2A chain

Tubulin beta-2A chain (TUBB2A) is a core structural protein that forms heterodimers with alpha-tubulin to assemble microtubules, the major cytoskeletal elements essential for cell division, motility, and intracellular transport (UniProt: Q13885). As a constituent of microtubular protofilaments, it participates in GTP-dependent polymerization dynamics that stabilize microtubule architecture and function.

TUBB2A is expressed broadly across human tissues and is primarily associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. UniProt documents a link to cortical dysplasia, complex, with other brain malformations 5 (CDCBM5; MIM 615763), a condition characterized by seizures, developmental delay, and multiple structural brain abnormalities including simplified gyral patterns and white matter reduction (UniProt: Q13885).

In Alzheimer's disease, TUBB2A expression is consistently reduced in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls across multiple subcellular fractions, with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.50 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This downregulation may reflect compromised cytoskeletal integrity and microtubule dynamics in AD pathology, consistent with the protein's role in maintaining neuronal architecture and transport.