Suspended microtubules demonstrate high sensitivity and low experimental variability in kinesin bead assay

Microtubule (MT) based intraneuronal transport deficiency is directly linked to neurodegeneration. Hence, the development of a reliable and sensitive in vitro approach permitting efficient analysis of MT-based transport is essential for our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms that may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Here, based on previously developed reconstructed MT-kinesin assay, we propose its "suspended" modification that shows higher sensitivity and lower experimental variability.