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Related Concept Videos

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

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Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
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The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...
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Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
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During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
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Microtubules form through the end-to-end polymerization of tubulin heterodimers. Kinetochore microtubules originate from the spindle poles, and their plus-ends connect with the kinetochores on sister-chromatids. Ndc80 protein complexes, present on the kinetochore, form low-affinity links with the plus end of these kinetochore microtubules.
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Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
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Force production by disassembling microtubules.

Ekaterina L Grishchuk1, Maxim I Molodtsov, Fazly I Ataullakhanov

  • 1MCD Biology Department, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado 80309-0347, USA.

Nature
|November 18, 2005
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Depolymerizing microtubules (MTs) exert a significant tug on attached beads, generating substantial force. This microtubule dynamics mechanism may be the primary driver for chromosome motion during cell division.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeleton Dynamics

Background:

  • Microtubules (MTs) are crucial eukaryotic cytoskeleton components involved in cell shape, movement, and organelle transport.
  • Motor enzymes bind MTs to drive movement, but MT dynamics themselves also contribute to motility.
  • The mechanism by which MTs convert stored chemical energy into mechanical work for motility is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical forces generated by depolymerizing microtubules.
  • To determine if microtubule dynamics can directly drive cellular movements.
  • To quantify the force produced by a single depolymerizing microtubule.

Main Methods:

  • Conjugating glass microbeads to tubulin polymers using biotin-avidin linkages.
  • Measuring bead displacement and force using laser tweezers during microtubule depolymerization.
  • Analyzing microtubule-generated forces with a molecular-mechanical model.

Main Results:

  • Depolymerizing microtubules were observed to exert a brief tug on conjugated microbeads.
  • A single depolymerizing microtubule can generate approximately ten times the force of a motor enzyme.
  • The experimental coupling method slightly slowed microtubule disassembly.

Conclusions:

  • Microtubule depolymerization is a potent source of mechanical force, potentially driving chromosome motion.
  • This mechanism offers an alternative or complementary force generator to motor enzymes in cellular processes.
  • Physiological factors may modulate microtubule dynamics to regulate cellular motility in vivo.