cytoplasmic microtubule

GO:0005881 · Cytoskeleton · Filament · Proposed

Any microtubule in the cytoplasm of a cell. [GO:0005881]

Synonyms: non-spindle-associated astral microtubule

Part of: GO:0015630 — microtubule cytoskeleton (no local record)

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast spindle pole bodies nucleate cytoplasmic microtubules from their outer plaques. [DOI:10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.022003.114106]

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Reference fungal model in which cytoplasmic microtubules are organized by the cytoplasmic face of the spindle pole body. [DOI:10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.022003.114106]

cytoplasmic microtubule array organization — Cytoplasmic microtubules form non-nuclear tubulin-polymer arrays that can be organized from cytoplasmic microtubule-organizing centers such as the budding-yeast SPB outer plaque.
- GO:0005881 GO:0005881 defines cytoplasmic microtubules as microtubules in the cell cytoplasm.
- DOI:10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.022003.114106 Jaspersen and Winey 2004 reviewed the budding-yeast SPB outer plaque as the cytoplasmic site for microtubule nucleation.

Budding-yeast spindle pole body outer plaques face the cytoplasm and organize cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
cytoplasmic microtubule	is subtype of	microtubule	`GO:0005881` GO:0005881 is a cellular-component child of the generic microtubule term. `GO:0005874` GO:0005874 identifies the broader microtubule structure.
outer plaque of spindle pole body	organizes	cytoplasmic microtubule	`DOI:10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.022003.114106` Jaspersen and Winey 2004 reviewed the SPB outer plaque as the budding-yeast cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation site.

INTERPRETATION (RESOLVED): Keep cytoplasmic microtubules distinct from nuclear spindle microtubules while preserving GO axonemal microtubules as child structures. GO:0005881 denotes microtubules in the cytoplasm and therefore differs from the nuclear or spindle-anchored GO:0005876 spindle microtubule class. GO also places the axonemal microtubule class under cytoplasmic microtubule, so this record should stay broader than budding-yeast astral microtubules alone.
CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral groundings for cytoplasmic microtubule-associated proteins and nucleation complexes. This first cytoplasmic microtubule record captures the GO-backed tubulin-polymer subtype and defers taxon-specific motors, plus-end factors, and gamma-tubulin nucleation complexes.

GO:0005881 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the cytoplasmic microtubule.
GO:0005874 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for the microtubule.
GO:0015630 — microtubule cytoskeleton Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the broader microtubule cytoskeleton.
GO:0005879 Gene Ontology places axonemal microtubules under the cytoplasmic microtubule class.
GO:0005824 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the budding-yeast SPB outer plaque that organizes cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation.
DOI:10.1146/annurev.cellbio.20.022003.114106 Jaspersen and Winey 2004, The budding yeast spindle pole body: structure, duplication, and function, Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology.

2026-09-29T13:01:04Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-29T13:02:00Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO synonymy, microtubule parentage, microtubule-cytoskeleton parthood, Saccharomyces scope, a cytoplasmic-array function, GO and literature evidence, a nonmechanistic SPB outer-plaque organization graph, and boundary/component discussions.