Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A structural view of microtubule dynamics.

E Nogales1

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley, California 94720-3200, USA. enogales@lbl.gov

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS
|February 24, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Microtubule dynamic instability, crucial for cell division, is explained by GTP binding and hydrolysis in tubulin. New high-resolution structures reveal atomic details of this process and how drugs like taxol work.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Current outcomes when optimizing 'standard' sample preparation for single-particle cryo-EM.

Journal of microscopy·2019
Same author

Size-selective breaking of the core-shell structure of gallium nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology·2018
Same author

Preparing recombinant yeast septins and their analysis by electron microscopy.

Methods in cell biology·2016
Same author

Visible cathodoluminescence of Er ions in β-Ga(2)O(3) nanowires and microwires.

Nanotechnology·2011
Same author

Cathodoluminescence of rare earth implanted Ga2O3 and GeO2 nanostructures.

Nanotechnology·2011
Same author

Accurate modeling of single-particle cryo-EM images quantitates the benefits expected from using Zernike phase contrast.

Journal of structural biology·2011

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal polymers involved in cell division and intracellular transport.
  • Dynamic instability, a key property of microtubules, governs their assembly and disassembly.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of dynamic instability is crucial for cell biology and cancer research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the atomic-level mechanisms underlying microtubule dynamic instability.
  • To investigate the role of GTP binding, hydrolysis, and exchange in microtubule dynamics.
  • To understand the mode of action of antimitotic drugs targeting microtubules.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution structural analysis of tubulin and microtubules.
  • Biochemical assays to study nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis.
  • Computational modeling to interpret structural data.

Main Results:

  • Provided the first atomic-level view of GTP exchange and hydrolysis in tubulin dimers within microtubules.
  • Revealed the structural basis for the linkage between microtubule polymerization and GTP hydrolysis.
  • Offered insights into the origins of microtubule destabilization at the structural level.
  • Elucidated the mechanism by which antimitotic agents like taxol interact with microtubules.

Conclusions:

  • High-resolution structures have significantly advanced our understanding of microtubule dynamic instability.
  • The findings provide a molecular basis for microtubule dynamics and drug interactions.
  • This knowledge is critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting microtubules.

Related Experiment Videos