Related Experiment Videos
Microtubule solutions display nematic liquid crystalline structure
A L Hitt1, A R Cross, R C Williams
1Department of Molecular Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|January 25, 1990
Summary
Microtubules spontaneously self-assemble into ordered liquid crystal phases in solution. This microtubule self-organization occurs rapidly and is reversible, offering insights into cellular dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal polymers involved in cell division and intracellular transport.
- Understanding microtubule self-assembly and dynamics is crucial for cell biology and biophysics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spontaneous formation of ordered arrays of microtubules in solution.
- To characterize the physical properties and phase behavior of self-assembling microtubules.
Main Methods:
- Form birefringence and anisotropic light-scattering measurements.
- Light and electron microscopy.
- Spectrophotometric observation of turbidity.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous formation of ordered microtubule arrays observed.
- High degree of microtubule alignment (order parameter S = 0.81 +/- 0.05) indicating a nematic liquid crystalline phase.
- Parallel ordering closely follows microtubule assembly, suggesting growth by end-addition to aligned structures.
Conclusions:
- Microtubules form a nematic liquid crystalline phase in vitro under ordinary conditions.
- Microtubule self-organization is a rapid and reversible process.
- Observations provide insights into microtubule dynamics and polymerization mechanisms.