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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
09:33
Methods to Classify Cytoplasmic Foci as Mammalian Stress Granules
Published on: May 12, 2017
Microtubules govern stress granule mobility and dynamics
Elena S Nadezhdina1, Alexis J Lomakin, Alexey A Shpilman
1Institute of Protein Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia. nadezhdina@vega.protres.ru
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|December 29, 2009
Summary
Microtubules are crucial for stress granule (SG) movement and disassembly, but not their formation or persistence. Disrupting microtubules hinders SG motility and dissolution, impacting cellular stress responses.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic aggregates of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) formed under cellular stress.
- Previous research indicated microtubule depolymerization inhibits SG formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of microtubules in the dynamics of stress granule movement and disassembly.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing SG motility and their interaction with the cytoskeleton.
Main Methods:
- Live-cell imaging of arsenate- and cycloheximide-induced stress granules.
- Microtubule and actin filament disruption using specific inhibitors.
- Analysis of SG movement patterns (diffusion, velocity, displacement).
- Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to assess protein dynamics within SGs.
Main Results:
- Microtubules are essential for stress granule (SG) movement and disassembly, but not their persistence or size.
- Microtubule depolymerization significantly reduced SG velocity and diffusion, while actin disruption had no effect.
- Microtubules are required for cycloheximide-induced SG disassembly, but do not affect PABP dynamics within SGs.
Conclusions:
- Microtubules facilitate stress granule transport and disassembly, potentially through the fusion of smaller SGs.
- SG dynamics are complex, involving microtubule-dependent movement and disassembly, with some components exchanging independently.
- Understanding SG-microtubule interactions offers insights into cellular stress response mechanisms.
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