Microtubule bundle formation driven by ATP: the effect of concentrations of kinesin, streptavidin and microtubules

Recently, a method was established for the formation of microtubule (MT) assemblies by an active self-organization (AcSO) process, in which MTs were crosslinked during sliding motion on a kinesin-coated surface, and this was coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. Streptavidin (ST) was the glue used to crosslink biotin-labeled MTs. Although most of the MT assemblies were in the bundle form, they varied in size, shape and motility, depending on the initial conditions used. In this paper, we systematically examined the effects of the concentrations of kinesin, ST and MT on the formation of MT bundles under the initial conditions of the process.