Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

6.4K
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...
6.4K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

6.1K
6.1K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

5.0K
Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
5.0K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

1.6K
1.6K
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures01:32

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

2.8K
Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
2.8K
Microtubule Formation01:23

Microtubule Formation

8.0K
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...
8.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Fractional Flow Reserve Assessment: Technical Foundations, Clinical Insights, and Future Directions.

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2026
Same author

Post-Pneumonectomy Syndrome Causing Reversible Right Ventricular Dilation and Tricuspid Regurgitation.

JACC. Case reports·2026
Same author

Prognostic value of transaortic flow rate compared with ejection fraction and stroke volume index in low-gradient severe aortic stenosis.

Heart (British Cardiac Society)·2026
Same author

Atrial Thrombus in Severe Pectus Excavatum and Patent Foramen Ovale Closure.

JACC. Case reports·2026
Same author

Use of Echocardiography Under Hypoxic Stress Without Exercise to Assess Right to Left Shunting.

Journal of cardiovascular development and disease·2025
Same author

Electrical oscillations in microtubules.

Scientific reports·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy
07:20

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 18, 2022

3.1K

Electrical Oscillations in Two-Dimensional Microtubular Structures.

María Del Rocío Cantero1, Paula L Perez1, Mariano Smoler1

  • 1Cátedra de Biofísica, Facultad de Odontología. Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Scientific Reports
|June 4, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Microtubules (MTs), essential cytoskeleton components, exhibit unique electrical properties. Researchers discovered MT nanopores generate oscillatory electrical currents, revealing novel insights into cellular electrodynamics.

More Related Videos

Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin
08:07

Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin

Published on: March 24, 2023

2.3K
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

15.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy
07:20

Simultaneous Visualization of the Dynamics of Crosslinked and Single Microtubules In Vitro by TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 18, 2022

3.1K
Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin
08:07

Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin

Published on: March 24, 2023

2.3K
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

15.0K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeleton Dynamics

Background:

  • Microtubules (MTs) are fundamental cytoskeletal polymers composed of αβ-tubulin dimers.
  • MTs possess charged, polar polyelectrolyte characteristics and are known to amplify electrical signals.
  • The electrodynamic properties and functional significance of MTs remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the electrical properties of microtubules using advanced biophysical techniques.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying microtubule-based electrical signal generation and modulation.

Main Methods:

  • Application of the patch clamp technique to two-dimensional microtubule sheets.
  • Characterization of electrical currents under voltage-clamp conditions.
  • Analysis of current oscillations, conductance changes, and response to current injection.

Main Results:

  • Voltage-clamped MT sheets exhibited cation-selective oscillatory electrical currents.
  • Oscillations displayed complex dynamics, including single and double periodic regimes with a prominent 29 Hz fundamental frequency.
  • Conductance showed significant changes (average 640% in physiological K+), influenced by ionic strength, composition, and anions; excitability akin to action potentials was observed.
  • Taxol completely inhibited oscillations with pseudo-Michaelis-Menten kinetics (KD ~1.29 μM).

Conclusions:

  • Microtubule nanopores likely play a crucial role in generating electrical oscillations.
  • These findings reveal novel insights into the nonlinear electrical behavior and potential electrodynamic functions of the cytoskeleton.
  • The study opens new avenues for understanding microtubule involvement in cellular signaling.