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 Associated Proteins (MAPs)01:42

Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)

5.6K
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...
5.6K
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

5.2K
Microtubules form through the end-to-end polymerization of tubulin heterodimers. Kinetochore microtubules originate from the spindle poles, and their plus-ends connect with the kinetochores on sister-chromatids. Ndc80 protein complexes, present on the kinetochore, form low-affinity links with the plus end of these kinetochore microtubules.
Plus-end depolymerization releases tubulin heterodimers from the terminal region of the microtubule. As tubulin subunits are lost, the Ndc80 complexes detach...
5.2K
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures01:32

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

2.4K
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.
2.4K
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

9.8K
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
9.8K
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

3.7K
During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
3.7K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

5.9K
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...
5.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Structural basis of kinesin-1 autoinhibition and its control of microtubule-based motility.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Injury-induced tau pathology promotes aggressive behavior in <i>Drosophila</i> without neurodegeneration.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The unconventional kinesin Kif26a is required for the guidance of major axon tracts in the developing mouse brain.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Roles of sonic hedgehog signaling in retinal patterning and neurogenesis during mammalian eye development.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

KLP-6 is a kinesin superfamily protein resistant to ADP inhibition.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Uncoupling neocortical neuron fate and migration via a Let-7-RBX2 axis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

4.4K

A Combinatorial MAP Code Dictates Polarized Microtubule Transport.

Brigette Y Monroy1, Tracy C Tan1, Janah May Oclaman1

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Developmental Cell
|February 29, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) regulate intracellular transport by influencing motor protein activity. A novel "MAP code" explains how MAPs direct motor-cargo movement for cell polarity.

Keywords:
MAP2MAP7MAP9doublecortindoublecortin-like kinasedyneinkinesinmicrotubulemicrotubule-associated proteintau

More Related Videos

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.9K
Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis
11:09

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis

Published on: October 30, 2014

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

4.4K
Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.9K
Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis
11:09

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis

Published on: October 30, 2014

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Motors
  • Cytoskeletal Dynamics

Background:

  • Eukaryotic cells utilize active transport along microtubules for asymmetric distribution of intracellular components.
  • Regulation of motor protein activity is known, but the control of motor-cargo complex distribution remains unclear.
  • Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are crucial for microtubule structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of MAPs on the motility of different classes of molecular motors.
  • To determine how combinations of MAPs affect motor protein movement.
  • To propose a regulatory mechanism, the

Main Methods:

  • In vitro reconstitution assays using purified kinesin-1, kinesin-3, and cytoplasmic dynein motor proteins.
  • Co-incubation with non-enzymatic microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to observe effects on motor motility.
  • Analysis of motor protein movement dynamics in the presence of various MAPs and their combinations.

Main Results:

  • MAPs differentially affect the motility of kinesin-1, kinesin-3, and cytoplasmic dynein.
  • MAP9 specifically enhances the motility of kinesin-3 motors.
  • Combinations of MAPs exhibit complex modulatory effects on motor transport.

Conclusions:

  • A general 'MAP code' exists that dictates directed movement along microtubules.
  • This MAP code provides a framework for understanding intracellular sorting in polarized cells like neurons.
  • MAPs play a critical role in regulating the efficiency and directionality of intracellular transport.