Reversible and Irreversible Modulation of Tubulin Self-Assembly by Intense Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields

Tubulin self-assembly into microtubules is a fascinating natural phenomenon. Its importance is not just crucial for functional and structural biological processes, but it also serves as an inspiration for synthetic nanomaterial innovations. The modulation of the tubulin self-assembly process without introducing additional chemical inhibitors/promoters or stabilizers has remained an elusive process. This work reports a versatile and vigorous strategy for controlling tubulin self-assembly by nanosecond electropulses (nsEPs). The polymerization assessed by turbidimetry is dependent on nsEPs dosage. The kinetics of microtubules formation is tightly linked to the nsEPs effects on structural properties of tubulin, and tubulin-solvent interface, assessed by autofluorescence, and the zeta potential. Moreover, the overall size of tubulin assessed by dynamic light scattering is affected as well. Additionally, atomic force microscopy imaging reveals the formation of different assemblies reflecting applied nsEPs. It is suggested that changes in C-terminal modification states alter tubulin polymerization-competent conformations. Although the assembled tubulin preserve their integral structure, they might exhibit a broad range of new properties important for their functions. Thus, these transient conformation changes of tubulin and their collective properties can result in new applications.