Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Microtubule Formation01:23

Microtubule Formation

Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo continuous assembly and disassembly. They originate from specialized multi-protein complexes known as microtubule organizing centers or MTOCs. Within the MTOC, the point of origin of the microtubule is known as the minus end, while the end radiating outward is the plus end. Microtubules serve two primary functions — the organization of spindle complexes to separate sister chromatids during mitotic or meiotic cell division and the formation of...
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

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. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

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 assembly and...
Microtubules01:35

Microtubules

There are three types of cytoskeletal structures in eukaryotic cells—microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the thickest of these fibers. Microtubules carry out a variety of functions that include cell structure and support, transport of organelles, cell motility (movement), and the separation of chromosomes during cell division.
Microtubules01:18

Microtubules

Microtubules are the thickest cytoskeletal filaments with a diameter of 25 nm. In prokaryotic organisms, microtubules are commonly found in locomotory appendages like cilia and flagella. In eukaryotic cells, microtubules form specialized extensions for moving fluid over the surface, like those found in cells lining the intestine.
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer. These αβ-heterodimers...
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

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.
Plus-end depolymerization releases tubulin heterodimers from the terminal region of the microtubule. As tubulin subunits are lost, the Ndc80 complexes detach...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sortase A-Mediated Farnesylation of Cdc42 <i>In Vitro</i>.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same author

Plasmonic Enhancement of Fluorescence and Protein Dynamics in Living Mammalian Cells.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same author

Polarization as a Process: The Potential of Process Ontology for Understanding Cellular Symmetry Breaking.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same author

Global genetic rewiring during compensatory evolution in the yeast polarity network.

EMBO reports·2026
Same author

Oligomerization-dependent and synergistic regulation of Cdc42 GTPase cycling by a GEF and a GAP.

EMBO reports·2026
Same author

Anillin directly crosslinks microtubules with actin filaments.

The EMBO journal·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

Force generation by dynamic microtubules in vitro.

Svenja-Marei Kalisch1, Liedewij Laan, Marileen Dogterom

  • 1FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF), Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.kalisch@amolf.nl

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Biopolymers like microtubules form the dynamic cytoskeleton, crucial for cell organization and division. This study explores how these biopolymers generate forces when interacting with cell boundaries using in vitro assays.

More Related Videos

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
12:20

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends

Published on: March 15, 2014

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy
07:20

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 18, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
12:20

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends

Published on: March 15, 2014

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy
07:20

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 18, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Biopolymers form the cytoskeleton, essential for cellular organization and dynamics.
  • Cytoskeletal dynamics, including microtubule reorganization, drive cellular processes like division.
  • Forces generated by biopolymer assembly/disassembly, especially at cell boundaries, are critical for cell mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate force generation by microtubules (MTs) interacting with growth-opposing barriers.
  • To understand the regulation of microtubule dynamics at the cell boundary.
  • To present in vitro assays for studying these interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Development of three in vitro assays.
  • Utilizing microfabricated barriers to mimic cell boundary interactions.
  • Growing microtubules (MTs) against these barriers under controlled conditions.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of in vitro systems to study microtubule-barrier interactions.
  • Detailed description of methods and assays for these experiments.
  • Insights into force generation mechanisms at the biopolymer-cell boundary interface.

Conclusions:

  • In vitro assays provide a minimal system to study microtubule force generation.
  • Understanding these forces is key to comprehending cytoskeletal dynamics and cellular processes.
  • The described methods enable detailed investigation of microtubule-barrier interactions.