Related Experiment Videos
A lateral cap model of microtubule dynamic instability
P Bayley1, M Schilstra, S Martin
1National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, England.
FEBS Letters
|December 18, 1989
Summary
Microtubule dynamics, or dynamic instability, are explained by a new
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Microtubules exhibit dynamic instability, characterized by periods of growth and shrinkage.
- Previous models proposed extensive tubulin-GTP caps for microtubule stabilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a quantitative kinetic model for microtubule dynamic instability.
- To investigate the role of the microtubule lattice structure in dynamic instability.
Main Methods:
- Development of a quantitative kinetic model.
- Monte Carlo numerical simulations of microtubule lattice dynamics.
Main Results:
- The model successfully reproduces experimental evidence of microtubule dynamics.
- A 'Lateral Cap' model, with tubulin-GTP only in the terminal layer, explains microtubule behavior.
- A co-operative mechanism for microtubule transitions is predicted.
Conclusions:
- The Lateral Cap model provides a parsimonious explanation for microtubule dynamic instability.
- Microtubule end dynamics are influenced by lattice polarity and tubulin heterodimer structure.