Question

Compare the roles of tubulin and actin during eukaryotic cell division with the roles of tubulin-like and actin-like proteins during bacterial binary fission.

Short answer

Tubulin is the protein that is involved in the development of the spindle fibers and in the displacement of the chromosomes. The actin is also a protein that mainly functions during cell division.

In the case of bacterial division, the functions of both actin and tubulin differ, and it reverses eukaryotic cell division. The actin protein helps in the movement of chromosome in the prokaryotic cell in the opposite direction, while tubulin protein help in the division of the cell.

Step-by-step solution

Tubulin protein

Tubulin protein works as a skeletal system of the cell. The microtubule remains flexible because of the presence of tubulin. This tubulin protein polymerizes to form hollow fibers. The alpha and beta-tubulin support the segregation of DNA.

Actin protein

The actin protein gets deconstructed prior to the division of the cell. The stable actin molecule helps in rearranging the microtubule network. Contractile rings are formed of actin filament that helps in separating the daughter cells.

Bacterial binary fission

In binary fission of the bacterial cells, there is polymerization of the actin protein molecules; these molecules help in the division of the bacterial cells into two parts. Both the bacterial cells are divided into two parts having the same chromosome as that of the parent cell.