Fluorescent Microtubules
Fluorescent Microtubules - Related Videos
12:20
Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
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Cited by 19 •
2014
Microtubules are inherently unstable polymers, and their switching between growth and shortening is stochastic and difficult to control. Here we describe protocols using segmented microtubules with photoablatable stabilizing caps. Depolymerization of segmented microtubules can be triggered with high temporal and spatial resolution, thereby assisting analysis of motions with the disassembling microtubule ends.
01:35
Microtubules
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2026
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.Microtubules are hollow tubes whose walls are made up of globular tubulin proteins. Each tubulin...
04:28
Microtubule Binding Assay in CRC Cells: A Method to Examine Microtubule Binding Tau Protein in Colorectal Cancer Cells
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2023
This video describes the microtubule-binding assay used to separate the microtubule-binding tau protein from non-binding hyperphosphorylated tau protein fractions in colorectal cancer cells. This assay helps determine the effect of various chemicals that can alter the phosphorylation status of tau protein, affecting its microtubule binding.
07:27
TIRF Microscopy to Visualize Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics
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2025
This video describes TIRF, a total internal reflection microscopy-based technique to visualize actin and microtubule polymerization dynamics. The method allows the high-resolution imaging of actin and microtubule coupling dynamics in real-time, which is essential for understanding cellular crosstalks.
06:36
Interference Reflection Microscopy for Label-Free Visualization of Microtubule Dynamics
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2025
In this video, we describe the interference reflection microscopy (IRM) technique to visualize microtubules growing on a coverslip surface in the presence of a suitable buffer. Upon illumination with incident light, the coverslip-buffer interface and buffer-microtubule interface reflect light, which combines to create an interference pattern, enabling the visualization of microtubules as high-contrast images against a bright background.
FAQs
Fluorescently labeled tubulin can incorporate into existing microtubule polymers, allowing changes in fluorescent signal to be followed over time. Researchers can therefore monitor where polymers assemble, where they disassemble, and how those processes alter cytoskeletal organization. This temporal information helps connect microtubule dynamics with changes in cell shape and behavior.
Tracking movement and organization shows how microtubules are arranged within cells and how that arrangement changes. Fluorescence microscopy can reveal polymer redistribution, directional movement, and changes associated with cellular activity. These observations are especially useful when researchers need to relate cytoskeletal behavior to neuronal structure, intracellular transport, or the extension of neurites.
Living-cell imaging permits observation of microtubule assembly, disassembly, movement, and reorganization as they occur. Fixed-cell imaging instead captures the cytoskeletal state at a selected time for structural examination. Using either context, researchers can ask different questions: dynamic studies emphasize ongoing behavior, whereas fixed preparations emphasize organization and cellular morphology.
A typical workflow uses fluorescently labeled tubulin or fluorescently tagged microtubule polymers, followed by fluorescence microscopy under appropriate illumination. Researchers then examine the resulting images to assess polymer distribution, organization, assembly, disassembly, or movement. The workflow can be applied to living or fixed cells, depending on whether the goal is dynamic tracking or structural analysis.
In neuroscience, fluorescent microtubules help connect cytoskeletal behavior with the shape and development of neurons. Imaging can show how microtubule organization relates to neuronal morphology and how polymer dynamics accompany neurite extension. These observations provide a cellular framework for studying how structural changes in neurons arise during development or other functional processes.
Microtubule imaging allows researchers to examine cytoskeletal behavior in processes central to neuronal function, including axonal transport. It can also reveal how microtubule organization or dynamics respond to injury or disease-related conditions. In addition, investigators can evaluate compounds that alter microtubule dynamics, linking treatment-related changes in fluorescence patterns with neuronal cellular responses.