Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...

Studying the Cytoskeleton

Studying the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...

Microtubules

Microtubules

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.

Microtubule Formation

Microtubule Formation

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Thoracic duct outflow obstruction increases thoracic duct pressure above central venous pressure supporting thoracic duct decompression.

JVS-vascular science·2026

Same author

Effect of Irreversible Compression on the Pulmonary Nodule Detection Rate in Chest Radiographs Using AI Software.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Bottom-Up Synthesis and Active Assembly of DNA Networks by Biomolecular Nanomachines.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Linear Force Scaling in Kinesin-Driven Microtubule Swarms Revealed by Electromagnetic Tweezers.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

Molecular resilience of neurons to repetitive mechanical compression.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

Image-based epigenetic profiling with deep learning and high-speed super-resolution microscopy.

Epigenetics & chromatin·2026

Same journal

Correction: Kang et al. Fluid Flow to Electricity: Capturing Flow-Induced Vibrations with Micro-Electromechanical-System-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester. <i>Micromachines</i> 2024, <i>15</i>, 581.

Micromachines·2026

Same journal

Femtosecond Laser Texturing of Wood Coatings with Bio-Based Epoxy and Wax Additives for Enhanced Hydrophobicity.

Micromachines·2026

Same journal

Engineering of Optoelectronic Devices for Renewable Energy Applications.

Micromachines·2026

Same journal

Phase Transformation and Electrochemical Behavior of Hexagonal TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanotubes Under Different Annealing Temperatures and Heating Rates.

Micromachines·2026

Same journal

Process Optimization and Predictive Modeling of Femtosecond Laser Precision Milling for Commercial PMMA Slices.

Micromachines·2026

Same journal

A Hybrid Preprocessing Multi-Objective Surrogate Model for Thermal MEMS Actuators.

Micromachines·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Published on: January 26, 2024

Modeling a Microtubule Filaments Mesh Structure from Confocal Microscopy Imaging.

Yutaka Ueno¹, Kento Matsuda², Kaoru Katoh¹

¹National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.

|September 15, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel modeling method for microtubule supermolecular structures to create artificial muscles. This simulation successfully demonstrated force generation, paving the way for improved biomaterials.

Keywords:

artificial muscle fluorescent microscopy kinesin microtubule molecular machine molecular robotics

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: February 18, 2022

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Published on: May 5, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Author Spotlight: Advancing Knowledge in Far-From-Equilibrium Materials Through Light-Sheet Microscopy

Published on: January 26, 2024

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

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

Published on: February 18, 2022

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Published on: May 5, 2022

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Molecular Biology
Computational Modeling

Background:

Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal components.
Motor proteins drive cellular processes through force generation.
Developing artificial contractile materials mimics biological muscle function.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a computational modeling method for supermolecular microtubule structures.
To simulate force generation in an artificial muscle construct.
To assess the potential of this modeling approach for future biomaterial development.

Main Methods:

Utilized confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for 3D volume density data acquisition.
Employed Blender 3D modeling software to interpret density data as a cylinder network.
Incorporated simulated motor proteins to model microtubule interactions and network contraction.

Main Results:

Successfully constructed a 3D network model of microtubules.
Simulated motor protein activity led to network shrinking and simulated muscle contraction.
Validated the model's ability to demonstrate force generation in an artificial muscle system.

Conclusions:

The developed modeling method is effective for simulating microtubule-based force generation.
This approach provides a foundation for designing and improving artificial muscle materials.
The study highlights the utility of computational modeling in advancing biomaterial engineering.