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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

In eukaryotic cells,  cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

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

+TIPs: SxIPping along microtubule ends.

Praveen Kumar1, Torsten Wittmann

  • 1Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

Trends in Cell Biology
|July 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plus-TIPs (plus-end tracking proteins) bind growing microtubule ends. This review details how end-binding proteins (EBs) and the SxIP motif mediate microtubule plus-end tracking for these essential proteins.

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Last Updated: May 20, 2026

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

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins
08:04

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

Published on: January 26, 2019

Measurement of Microtubule Dynamics by Spinning Disk Microscopy in Monopolar Mitotic Spindles
08:31

Measurement of Microtubule Dynamics by Spinning Disk Microscopy in Monopolar Mitotic Spindles

Published on: November 15, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Microtubules are dynamic polymers crucial for intracellular processes.
  • +TIPs (plus-end tracking proteins) regulate microtubule dynamics and interactions.
  • End-binding proteins (EBs) are key adaptors for microtubule plus-end tracking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular mechanisms of microtubule plus-end tracking.
  • To provide an overview of SxIP-recruited +TIPs.
  • To highlight the central role of EBs in +TIP recruitment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on microtubule dynamics and protein interactions.
  • Analysis of sequence motifs and electrostatic interactions involved in +TIP binding.
  • Integration of current understanding of plus-end tracking mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • EBs recognize a structural cap at growing microtubule ends.
  • Most +TIPs bind EBs via the SxIP motif and electrostatic interactions.
  • This mechanism facilitates the recruitment of a diverse range of +TIPs.

Conclusions:

  • The SxIP motif and EB interactions are central to microtubule plus-end tracking.
  • Understanding these mechanisms expands the known repertoire of +TIPs.
  • +TIPs are essential regulators of microtubule function in cells.