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Related Concept Videos

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures01:32

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)01:42

Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)

Microtubule function and architecture are regulated by an array of specialized proteins called microtubule-associated proteins or MAPs. These proteins are widespread across different organisms and have conserved protein motifs, like the multi-TOG domain for tubulin binding found in the CLASP family of MAPs. Some MAPs are lineage-specific based on their conserved domains. Their functions depend upon the cytoskeletal architecture and cell type they are located within. In-plant cells, a specific...
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...
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...
Microtubules01:18

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...
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.

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High-resolution Imaging and Analysis of Individual Astral Microtubule Dynamics in Budding Yeast
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Functional analysis of the microtubule-interacting transcriptome.

Judith A Sharp1, Joshua J Plant, Toshiro K Ohsumi

  • 1Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|September 23, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Researchers identified ~450 microtubule-associated RNAs (MT-RNAs) in Xenopus tropicalis, many crucial for cell division. These findings suggest MT-RNAs help organize mitosis by localizing gene expression to spindle microtubules.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Precise control of gene expression is vital for cellular functions.
  • RNA localization to specific cellular compartments is a key post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism.
  • Previous studies showed mRNA association with mitotic microtubules in Xenopus laevis egg extracts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively identify microtubule-interacting mRNAs in Xenopus tropicalis using RNA-sequencing.
  • To investigate the functional roles of these identified microtubule-associated RNAs (MT-RNAs) in mitosis.

Main Methods:

  • RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to identify mRNAs enriched on microtubules in Xenopus tropicalis.
  • In vivo association of specific MT-RNAs (incenp, xrhamm, tpx2) with spindle microtubules was confirmed.
  • RNA interference (RNAi) was used to assess the functional significance of uncharacterized MT-RNAs in mitosis.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 450 mRNAs were identified as significantly enriched on microtubules (MT-RNAs).
  • Identified MT-RNAs were enriched for transcripts involved in cell division, spindle formation, and mitotic regulation.
  • Functional analysis revealed several MT-RNAs are essential for proper spindle pole organization and gamma-tubulin distribution during mitosis.

Conclusions:

  • Microtubule association serves as a mechanism for compartmentalizing functionally related mRNAs in mitotic cells.
  • MT-RNAs likely contribute to spindle-localized translation during mitosis, ensuring precise gene expression control.