Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025
08:49
Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
Published on: June 23, 2022
4.1K
Visualization and Quantification of Microtubule Self-Repair
Jérémie Gaillard1, Laurent Blanchoin1,2, Manuel Théry1,2
1Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, CNRS, INRA, Biosciences & Biotechnology Institute of Grenoble, Laboratoire de Phyiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, CytoMorpho Lab, Grenoble, France.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 27, 2022
Summary
Microtubules exhibit dynamic instability not only at their tips but also along their lattice. This study presents a simple method to visualize and quantify tubulin subunit incorporation into the microtubule lattice.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Microtubule dynamic instability is crucial for cellular functions.
- Recent research highlights tubulin subunit dynamics along the microtubule lattice, beyond tip dynamics.
- The regulation and functional impact of lattice dynamics remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel strategy for visualizing and quantifying tubulin subunit incorporation into the microtubule lattice.
- To provide an accessible method for studying microtubule lattice dynamics in vitro.
Main Methods:
- Development of a method to observe tubulin subunit incorporation along the microtubule lattice.
- Quantification of lattice dynamics in vitro.
- The method requires no specialized equipment.
Main Results:
- Successfully visualized and quantified tubulin subunit incorporation into the microtubule lattice.
- Demonstrated that lattice dynamics can be studied using standard laboratory equipment.
Conclusions:
- Microtubule lattice dynamics represent a significant, yet understudied, aspect of microtubule behavior.
- The presented method facilitates the investigation of microtubule lattice dynamics, contributing to a better understanding of microtubule network organization and function.
Related Concept Videos
01:45Destabilization 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
01:23Microtubule Formation
6.0K
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...
6.0K
02:17Microtubule 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
01:35Microtubules
93.2K
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.
93.2K