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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Measurement of Microtubule Dynamics by Spinning Disk Microscopy in Monopolar Mitotic Spindles
Published on: November 15, 2019
Scaling of microtubule force-velocity curves obtained at different tubulin concentrations
Marcel E Janson1, Marileen Dogterom
1FOM Institute AMOLF, Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We present a single curve that describes the decay in average growth velocity for microtubules in response to a mechanical force. Curves obtained at two new and one previously studied tubulin concentrations coalesce when normalized with the growth velocity at zero load. This scaling provides direct evidence for a force-independent molecular off rate, in agreement with Brownian ratchet models. In addition, microtubule length changes were measured with a precision up to 10 nm, revealing that microtubules under load abruptly switch between different growth velocities.
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