Microtubule Patterning
Microtubule Patterning - Related Videos
12:20
Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
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Cited by 24 •
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.
10:27
Antifouling Self-assembled Monolayers on Microelectrodes for Patterning Biomolecules
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Cited by 3 •
2009
We present a procedure for forming a poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayer (PEG-SAM) on a silicon substrate with gold microelectrodes. The PEG-SAM is formed in a single step and prevents biofouling on silicon and gold surfaces. Electrophoresis is then used for patterning biomolecules down to the nanoscale.
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.
12:38
Use of Immunolabeling to Analyze Stable, Dynamic, and Nascent Microtubules in the Zebrafish Embryo
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Cited by 1 •
2017
Immunolabeling methods to analyze distinct populations of microtubules in the developing zebrafish brain are described here, which are broadly applicable to other tissues. The first protocol outlines an optimized method for immunolabeling stable and dynamic microtubules. The second protocol provides a method to image and quantify nascent microtubules specifically.
FAQs
Pattern formation begins with regulated nucleation, which establishes new microtubule starting points. Polymerization extends these filaments, whereas depolymerization shortens them; repeated control of these opposing processes changes filament length and arrangement. Rearrangement then refines the spatial organization, allowing cells to establish polarity and support activities such as intracellular trafficking or division.
Microtubule-associated proteins can guide filament orientation and help regulate stability, while motor proteins contribute to transport along the organized network. These roles are complementary: associated proteins shape the architecture, and motors use that architecture to support directed intracellular trafficking. Examining both components therefore connects pattern formation with the movement of materials within cells.
Orientation matters because it gives cells structural polarity, allowing different regions to maintain distinct organization and functions. That polarity helps position organelles and supports directed intracellular trafficking rather than an undifferentiated arrangement. Consequently, filament orientation is relevant to how cellular components are distributed and how transport is coordinated within the cell.
During mitosis, coordinated microtubule organization forms the spindle architecture needed for chromosome separation. The pattern must place filaments in a configuration that supports this specialized division task, rather than merely maintaining cell shape or transport. Studying spindle-associated patterns therefore helps explain how spatial organization contributes specifically to chromosome segregation during cell division.
Researchers can examine a pattern in relation to organelle position, intracellular trafficking, cell shape, and chromosome separation during mitosis. They can then interpret the organization in the context of migration, division, or development. This approach treats spatial arrangement as functional evidence, helping connect microscopic filament organization with broader cellular behaviors and outcomes.
Microtubule patterning provides a framework for studying developmental abnormalities by linking spatial organization with defects in division, migration, or development. It also contributes to neurodegeneration research and informs therapies designed to target microtubule dynamics. This relevance connects basic analysis of cellular architecture with investigations of disease mechanisms and potential treatment strategies.