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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
GTPases and their Regulation02:14

GTPases and their Regulation

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), also known as GTPases, are a superfamily of proteins that regulate many cellular processes, such as cell signaling, vesicular transport, and the regulation of cell shape and motility. Mutation or dysfunction of these proteins can lead to disease. There are around 40,000 known G-proteins that can broadly be classified into two groups ‒  small G-proteins consisting of a single domain and large multi-domain G-proteins.
Large G-proteins, also known...
GTPases and their Regulation02:14

GTPases and their Regulation

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), also known as GTPases, are a superfamily of proteins that regulate many cellular processes, such as cell signaling, vesicular transport, and the regulation of cell shape and motility. Mutation or dysfunction of these proteins can lead to disease. There are around 40,000 known G-proteins that can broadly be classified into two groups ‒  small G-proteins consisting of a single domain and large multi-domain G-proteins.
Large G-proteins, also known...

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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

Microtubules: sizing up the GTP cap.

Gary Brouhard1, David Sept

  • 1Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada. gary.brouhard@mcgill.ca

Current Biology : CB
|September 29, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers provide the first quantitative measurements of the guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cap size at microtubule ends within a cell. This finding offers new insights into microtubule dynamics and cellular functions.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal polymers involved in cell division, intracellular transport, and cell structure.
  • The dynamic instability of microtubules, characterized by polymerization and depolymerization, is regulated by the guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cap.
  • The existence and precise size of the GTP cap within a cellular environment have been historically difficult to determine.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally determine the size of the GTP cap at microtubule ends in living cells.
  • To provide quantitative data that can refine models of microtubule dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced microscopy techniques to visualize and measure microtubule structures in real-time within a cellular context.

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Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy

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Extracting Modified Microtubules from Mammalian Cells to Study Microtubule-Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy
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Extracting Modified Microtubules from Mammalian Cells to Study Microtubule-Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy

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Last 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

Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
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Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy

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Extracting Modified Microtubules from Mammalian Cells to Study Microtubule-Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy
08:02

Extracting Modified Microtubules from Mammalian Cells to Study Microtubule-Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy

Published on: March 3, 2023

  • Developed novel experimental approaches to specifically probe the GTP-bound state of tubulin at microtubule plus-ends.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully obtained the first quantitative measurements of the GTP cap size in the cell.
    • The experimental data provide direct evidence for the presence and size of the GTP cap under physiological conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • The study confirms the existence of a GTP cap in cellular microtubules and provides crucial quantitative data on its size.
    • These findings have significant implications for understanding microtubule dynamics, regulation, and their roles in cellular processes.