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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
12:20
Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
Published on: March 15, 2014
Motor proteins at the microtubule plus-end
Xufeng Wu1, Xin Xiang, John A Hammer
1Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Trends in Cell Biology
|February 14, 2006
Summary
Plus-end tracking proteins, including motors, regulate microtubule dynamics and connections with the actin cytoskeleton. Their presence at microtubule plus-ends drives key cellular processes like force generation and cell polarity.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics
Background:
- Microtubules and actin cytoskeletons interact dynamically.
- Plus-end tracking proteins (PETPs) regulate microtubule dynamics and cortex connections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the mechanistic role of PETPs, including motors, at microtubule plus-ends.
- To explore how these proteins drive fundamental cellular processes.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on PETPs and their functions.
- Analysis of motor proteins identified as PETPs.
Main Results:
- PETPs, including various motor proteins, congregate at growing microtubule plus-ends.
- These motors at the plus-end are implicated in force generation, vesicle transport, microtubule disassembly, and signaling.
Conclusions:
- Motor proteins are key PETPs influencing microtubule-actin crosstalk.
- PETPs at microtubule plus-ends are crucial for fundamental cellular functions and organization.
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