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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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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...
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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
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Electrical oscillations in microtubules.

Md Mohsin1, Horacio F Cantiello2, María Del Rocío Cantero2

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Scientific Reports
|November 20, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study models electrical impulses along microtubules, revealing their transistor-like properties. These findings advance understanding of intracellular communication and bioelectronic applications.

Keywords:
Coupled nonlinear electrical transmission linesElectrical oscillationIntracellular information processingLeapfroggingMicrotubuleSolitons

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Computational Modeling

Background:

  • Cellular electric potential changes can stimulate cytoskeletal filaments to transmit ionic currents.
  • Understanding these processes is key to cell electrical activities and molecular mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a multi-scale electrokinetic model for characterizing electrical impulses along microtubules.
  • To analyze the effects of electrolyte conditions and voltage stimuli on these impulses.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a multi-scale electrokinetic model incorporating atomistic protein details.
  • Modeled condensed ionic layers on microtubule surfaces as coupled nonlinear electrical transmission lines.
  • Accounted for tubulin interactions, dissipation, and nanopore coupling.

Main Results:

  • The model revealed energy transfer, amplification, and oscillatory dynamics resembling transistor properties.
  • Analyzed how electrolyte conditions and voltage stimuli affect impulse shape, attenuation, and velocity.
  • Demonstrated microtubule's capacity for electrical impulse propagation and modulation.

Conclusions:

  • Microtubules exhibit transistor-like properties, crucial for intracellular communication.
  • The model provides insights into bioelectronic applications and cellular electrical signaling.
  • This work bridges molecular details with macroscopic electrical phenomena in biological systems.