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Related Concept Videos

Microtubules01:18

Microtubules

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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.
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Microtubule Instability02:17

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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...
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Microtubule Formation01:23

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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...
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Anaphase A and B01:39

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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.
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Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

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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...
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Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

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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...
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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
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Optimizing microtubule arrangements for rapid cargo capture.

Saurabh S Mogre1, Jenna R Christensen2, Samara L Reck-Peterson3

  • 1Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.

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|October 23, 2021
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Summary

Optimal microtubule arrangements facilitate efficient retrograde cargo transport in tubular cells. A single microtubule plus end at the tip, with others distributed broadly, minimizes cargo capture times for essential cellular functions.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal Dynamics

Background:

  • Retrograde cargo transport along microtubules is crucial for cellular functions like autophagy, signaling, and trafficking.
  • Cargo initially moves diffusely before microtubule attachment, with capture efficiency dependent on microtubule plus end distribution.
  • Dynein-enriched loading zones near microtubule plus ends are vital for perinuclear cargo delivery in specialized cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model and analyze the diffusive capture of cargo by microtubules in tubular cells.
  • To determine how the spatial arrangement of microtubule plus ends impacts retrograde transport efficiency.
  • To identify optimal microtubule configurations that minimize cargo capture times.

Main Methods:

  • Analytic mean first-passage time calculations.
  • Numerical simulations of diffusive cargo capture processes.
  • Live-cell imaging of microtubule plus ends in Aspergillus nidulans hyphae.

Main Results:

  • A model was developed to predict cargo capture efficiency based on microtubule plus end distribution.
  • Optimal configurations feature a single microtubule plus end at the distal tip and broadly distributed ends elsewhere.
  • Aspergillus nidulans hyphae exhibit microtubule plus end distributions qualitatively matching these optimal features.

Conclusions:

  • The spatial arrangement of microtubule plus ends significantly influences retrograde cargo transport efficiency.
  • Specific microtubule tip distributions can optimize cargo capture times, essential for cellular processes.
  • Findings provide guiding principles for microtubule organization in tubular cellular regions.