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

Destabilization of Microtubules01:45

Destabilization of Microtubules

2.6K
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...
2.6K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

5.0K
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...
5.0K
Microtubule Formation01:23

Microtubule Formation

5.5K
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...
5.5K
Fatigue01:21

Fatigue

174
Fatigue occurs when materials rupture under repeated or fluctuating loads, even at stress levels far below their static breaking strength. It typically results in brittle failure, even for ductile materials. It is a critical consideration in designing machines and structural components subjected to repetitive or varying loads. The nature of these loadings can range from fluctuating loads like unbalanced pump impellers causing vibrations to repeatedly bending a thin steel rod wire back and forth...
174
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

4.0K
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...
4.0K
Microtubules01:18

Microtubules

7.2K
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.
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer....
7.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Single-cell RNA profiling of oligodendroglial lineage cells derived from iPSCs carrying Parkinson's disease-relevant LRRK2-G2019S mutation.

iScience·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

Wild-type <i>C9orf72</i> expression is a genetic modifier of C9-ALS survival.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Integrative multiomic analysis links TDP-43-driven splicing defects to cascading proteomic disruption of ALS/FTD pathways.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2025

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.6K

Mechanical fatigue in microtubules.

Syeda Rubaiya Nasrin1, Neda M Bassir Kazeruni2, Juan B Rodriguez2

  • 1Division of Physics and Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.

Scientific Reports
|November 2, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Microtubules, crucial for cell structure, can fail under repeated stress. This study quantifies their fatigue life, revealing failure after millions of cycles at low compression but thousands at higher levels.

Keywords:
Fatigue failureFatigue strength exponentMechanobiologyMicrotubuleTubulin

More Related Videos

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
12:20

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends

Published on: March 15, 2014

14.4K
Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2025

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

1.6K
Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
12:20

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends

Published on: March 15, 2014

14.4K
Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Mechanical failure of biological nanostructures is well-studied under sustained force.
  • Fatigue failure from repeated subcritical stress in microtubules is under-investigated.
  • Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal components involved in various cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate fatigue failure mechanisms in microtubules.
  • To quantify fatigue life parameters of paclitaxel-stabilized microtubules.
  • To assess microtubule resilience under cyclic mechanical stress relevant to cellular functions.

Main Methods:

  • Paclitaxel-stabilized microtubules were subjected to repeated sinusoidal bending.
  • Varying wavelengths and frequencies of applied force were used.
  • Failure events were recorded to determine fatigue life.

Main Results:

  • Microtubules exhibited fatigue failure under repeated buckling.
  • At 12.5% compression, failure occurred after an average of 5 million cycles.
  • At 20.0% compression, failure occurred after an average of 1,000 cycles.
  • The fatigue strength (Basquin) exponent B was estimated as -0.054±0.009.

Conclusions:

  • Microtubules demonstrate significant fatigue susceptibility.
  • Fatigue life is highly dependent on the magnitude of applied compressive stress.
  • These findings highlight the importance of considering fatigue in microtubule mechanics and cellular function.