Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026
07:20
Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy
Published on: February 18, 2022
3.2K
Resolving bundled microtubules using anti-tubulin nanobodies
Marina Mikhaylova1, Bas M C Cloin2, Kieran Finan3
11] Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands [2] RG Neuroplasticity, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestr. 6, Magdeburg 39118, Germany.
Nature Communications
|August 12, 2015
Summary
New nanobody probes enable super-resolution imaging of microtubules, resolving individual structures with unprecedented clarity. This breakthrough offers new insights into microtubule organization in cells and neurons.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
Background:
- Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal components with distinct organization in neuronal axons and dendrites.
- Understanding precise microtubule organization is crucial for cell and neurobiology.
- Current super-resolution microscopy faces challenges in resolving closely spaced microtubules due to labeling methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel probes for super-resolution imaging of microtubules.
- To overcome the limitations of existing labeling strategies that obscure microtubule details.
- To achieve higher resolution imaging of microtubule structures.
Main Methods:
- Development of single-chain antibody fragments (nanobodies) targeting tubulin.
- Utilizing nanobodies for super-resolution microscopy of microtubules.
- Testing probe resolution using engineered microtubule bundles with controlled spacing.
Main Results:
- Novel nanobody probes significantly decrease the apparent diameter of labeled microtubules.
- Individual microtubules with spacings of 50-70 nm were successfully resolved.
- High-resolution imaging of bundled microtubules was achieved in mammalian cells, including hippocampal neurons.
Conclusions:
- The developed nanobodies provide a powerful tool for super-resolution microtubule imaging.
- These probes enable visualization of microtubule organization at an unprecedented resolution.
- This advancement offers new insights into fundamental microtubule organization mechanisms in neurobiology.
Related Concept Videos
01:45Destabilization of Microtubules
3.9K
The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...
3.9K
01:15Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
2.9K
Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo cycles of catastrophe and rescue. The microtubules play a central role in cell division by forming the spindle apparatus for segregating the chromosomes. This makes them ideal targets for regulating dividing cells in tumors and malignant cancer cells. Microtubule stabilizing drugs help stabilize the microtubule formation and promote its polymerization. Paclitaxel was the first microtubule stabilizing agent used as anticancer drug in chemotherapy...
2.9K
01:35Microtubules
103.4K
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.
103.4K
01:18Microtubules
11.5K
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....
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer....
11.5K
01:10Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
4.3K
Microtubules are dynamic structures and can be regulated by microtubule targeting agents (MTAs). Microtubule destabilizing drugs are a class of MTAs that destabilize and prevent microtubules' polymerization. Both natural and synthetic chemicals can be found under this class of drugs. Vincristine and vinblastine, two vinca alkaloids, and colchicine were among the first to be discovered. These drugs can affect cells in various ways, either by inducing a change in cell morphology, preventing...
4.3K
01:42Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)
6.3K
Microtubule function and architecture are regulated by an array of specialized proteins called microtubule-associated proteins or MAPs. These proteins are widespread across different organisms and have conserved protein motifs, like the multi-TOG domain for tubulin binding found in the CLASP family of MAPs. Some MAPs are lineage-specific based on their conserved domains. Their functions depend upon the cytoskeletal architecture and cell type they are located within. In-plant cells, a specific...
6.3K