We analyzed the role of tubulin polyglycylation in Tetrahymena thermophila using in vivo mutagenesis and immunochemical analysis with modification-specific antibodies. Three and five polyglycylation sites were identified at glutamic acids near the COOH termini of α- and β-tubulin, respectively. Mutants lacking all polyglycylation sites on α-tubulin have normal phenotype, whereas similar sites on β-tubulin are essential. A viable mutant with three mutated sites in β-tubulin showed reduced tubulin glycylation, slow growth and motility, and defects in cytokinesis. Cells in which all five polyglycylation sites on β-tubulin were mutated were viable if they were cotransformed with an α-tubulin gene whose COOH terminus was replaced by the wild-type COOH terminus of β-tubulin. In this double mutant, β-tubulin lacked detectable polyglycylation, while the α-β tubulin chimera was hyperglycylated compared with α-tubulin in wild-type cells. Thus, the essential function of polyglycylation of the COOH terminus of β-tubulin can be transferred to α-tubulin, indicating it is the total amount of polyglycylation on both α- and β-tubulin that is essential for survival.