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

Studying the Cytoskeleton01:17

Studying the Cytoskeleton

7.9K
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...
7.9K
Destabilization of Microtubules01:45

Destabilization of Microtubules

2.8K
The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...
2.8K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

5.3K
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...
5.3K
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

21.9K
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...
21.9K
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

4.2K
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...
4.2K
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments01:14

Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments

3.1K
The straight or branched structure formation of actin filaments is controlled by nucleating proteins such as the formins and Arp2/3 complex. Formin-mediated assembly results in straight filaments, whereas Arp2/3 protein complex-mediated assembly results in branched actin filaments.
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
3.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

When two worlds collide: actin dynamics on endomembranes regulates membrane trafficking.

Current opinion in cell biology·2025
Same author

Inhibition of hippocampal mossy fiber plasticity and episodic memory by human Aβ oligomers is prevented by enhancing cAMP signaling in Alzheimer's mice.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025
Same author

Collaborative role of two distinct cilium-specific cytoskeletal systems in driving Hedgehog-responsive transcription factor trafficking.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Non-canonical CDK6 activity promotes cilia disassembly by suppressing axoneme polyglutamylation.

The Journal of cell biology·2024
Same author

Torques within and outside the human spindle balance twist at anaphase.

The Journal of cell biology·2024
Same author

Torques within and outside the human spindle balance twist at anaphase.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
08:02

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

Published on: May 5, 2022

2.8K

Atomic force microscopy reveals distinct protofilament-scale structural dynamics in depolymerizing microtubule

Sithara S Wijeratne1,2, Michelle F Marchan1, Jason S Tresback3

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 1, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Depolymerizing kinesins remodel microtubule arrays differently. Atomic force microscopy revealed kinesin-13 MCAK causes asynchronous depolymerization, while kinesin-8 Kip3p causes synchronous depolymerization.

Keywords:
atomic force microscopyaxonemecytoskeletonkinesinmicrotubule arrays

More Related Videos

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

2.7K
Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
08:02

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

Published on: May 5, 2022

2.8K
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

2.7K
Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.7K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal Dynamics

Background:

  • Microtubule dynamics are crucial for cellular structures like the spindle and axoneme.
  • Depolymerizing kinesins regulate microtubule array size and stability.
  • Current imaging methods lack resolution to observe individual microtubule dynamics within arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how different depolymerizing kinesins remodel microtubule arrays at high resolution.
  • To understand the distinct mechanisms of microtubule array destabilization by specific kinesins.
  • To establish atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a tool for visualizing microtubule dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image depolymerizing microtubule arrays.
  • Achieved single-microtubule and protofilament resolution imaging.
  • Compared the depolymerization activities of kinesin-13 MCAK and kinesin-8 Kip3p.

Main Results:

  • Discovered novel modes of microtubule array destabilization.
  • Kinesin-13 MCAK mediates asynchronous protofilament depolymerization and defect propagation.
  • Kinesin-8 Kip3p promotes synchronous protofilament depolymerization.
  • MCAK can depolymerize stable axonemal doublets, whereas Kip3p cannot.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct protofilament-level activities explain the functional differences between depolymerases.
  • Kinesin activities lead to either large-scale microtubule destabilization or length regulation.
  • AFM provides unprecedented visualization of microtubule dynamics within arrays, linking nanometer-scale specificity to micron-scale remodeling.