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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

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

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

Published on: March 15, 2014

Dissecting microtubule structures by laser ablation.

Franziska Decker¹, Jan Brugués¹

¹Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.

Methods in Cell Biology

|February 3, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a fast and simple laser ablation microscopy method to quantify microtubule organization in spindles. The technique reveals microtubule length, polarity, and end densities, offering insights into spindle architecture.

Keywords:

Extract Laser ablation Microtubule depolymerization Microtubule organization Microtubule polarity Microtubules Nanosurgery Spindle Spindle architecture Xenopus laevis

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Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

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Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

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Published on: November 11, 2022

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Microscopy Techniques

Background:

Spindle microtubule organization is crucial for cell division.
Existing methods like electron microscopy are time-consuming and limited in scale.
Quantitative data on spindle architecture is needed to understand its function.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a detailed protocol for measuring microtubule organization in spindles.
To enable quantitative reconstruction of spindle microtubule architecture.
To provide a method applicable to various microtubule-based structures.

Main Methods:

Laser ablation combined with fluorescence optical microscopy.
Exploiting differential depolymerization rates of microtubule plus and minus ends after laser-induced cuts.
Protocol optimized for Xenopus laevis egg extract spindles.

Main Results:

A protocol for measuring microtubule length distribution, polarity, and end densities.
Enables rapid, quantitative reconstruction of large spindle volumes.
Facilitates exploration of architectural changes in response to biochemical perturbations.

Conclusions:

The developed method offers a fast, simple, and quantitative alternative to electron microscopy for spindle microtubule analysis.
The protocol is adaptable for studying diverse microtubule structures.
This technique advances our ability to investigate the relationship between spindle architecture and function.