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Related Concept Videos

Studying the Cytoskeleton01:17

Studying the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...
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Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 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

Microtubule Tip Tracking and Tip Structures at the Nanometer Scale Using Digital Fluorescence Microscopy.

Alexei O Demchouk1, Melissa K Gardner, David J Odde

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 7-132 Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
|September 25, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed an automated method to track microtubule (MT) tips, revealing nanoscale insights into their dynamic assembly and structure within living cells. This technique enhances understanding of MT-associated proteins and drug interactions.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

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

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Using plusTipTracker Software to Measure Microtubule Dynamics in Xenopus laevis Growth Cones
07:32

Using plusTipTracker Software to Measure Microtubule Dynamics in Xenopus laevis Growth Cones

Published on: September 7, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Microtubules (MTs) are crucial for cell division, polarization, and axon extension.
  • Understanding how MT-associated proteins and drugs like paclitaxel influence MT assembly is vital.
  • Automated tracking of dynamic MT tips is needed for detailed analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an automated method for tracking the tips of dynamically assembling microtubules (MTs).
  • To estimate measurement errors and characterize MT tip structures in vivo.
  • To provide a tool for studying MT dynamics and interactions with proteins and drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Combined digital fluorescence imaging with MT modeling and automated image analysis.
  • Developed a tip-tracking method with measurement error estimation.
  • Analyzed live and fixed MTs labeled with GFP-tubulin in LLC-PK1α cells.

Main Results:

  • Achieved typical single-frame MT tip tracking accuracy of ~36 nm (~4.5 tubulin dimer layers).
  • Demonstrated higher accuracy (~15 nm, ~2 dimer layers) for blunt MT tips.
  • Revealed highly variable, tapered MT tip structures with a protofilament length standard deviation of ~180 nm.

Conclusions:

  • The developed method enables accurate nanoscale tracking of individual fluorescently labeled filament tips.
  • Provides insights into the structural heterogeneity of MT tips within living cells.
  • The technique is broadly applicable for in vivo and in vitro filament tip analysis.