Tubulin Imaging
Tubulin Imaging - Related Videos
02:40
Second Harmonic Generation Imaging in a Rat Model to Study Tubulin Defects
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2025
Source: Piazza, V., et al., Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin. J. Vis. Exp. (2023)This video demonstrates the procedure for imaging microtubule abnormalities in a rat brain tissue slice using a two-photon excitation microscope. It employs second harmonic generation (SHG) signals to detect tubulin defects and reduced myelin production.
06:30
Optimizing Tubulin Yield from Porcine Brain Tissue
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2024
This protocol describes a technique for the high-yield isolation of tubulin from the porcine brain optimized for small-scale instrumentation. The isolation procedures are complemented by procedures for determining tubulin polymerization activity in vitro using co-sedimentation assays and transmission electron microscopy.
08:07
Label-Free Non-Linear Optics for the Study of Tubulin-Dependent Defects in Central Myelin
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2023
In this article, we present a protocol to detect microtubule-loaded oligodendrocytes in a model of tubulinopathy through a simple, innovative second harmonic generation microscopy approach.
15:53
Cell Death Associated with Abnormal Mitosis Observed by Confocal Imaging in Live Cancer Cells
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Cited by 13 •
2013
The cytotoxic activity of the phenanthridine PJ-34 in cancer cells undergoing mitosis was documented in real time by live confocal imaging. PJ-34 eradicated human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells harboring extra-centrosomes in mitosis. Unlike normal bi-focal mitosis, the extra-centrosomes were not clustered in the two spindle poles in the presence of PJ-34.
07:54
Purification of Tubulin with Controlled Posttranslational Modifications and Isotypes from Limited Sources by Polymerization-Depolymerization Cycles
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Cited by 6 •
2020
This protocol describes tubulin purification from small/medium-scale sources such as cultured cells or single mouse brains, using polymerization and depolymerization cycles. The purified tubulin is enriched in specific isotypes or has specific posttranslational modifications and can be used in in vitro reconstitution assays to study microtubule dynamics and interactions.
FAQs
Time-lapse imaging follows the same neuronal structures across successive observations, allowing researchers to distinguish microtubule assembly, disassembly, and movement rather than viewing only a fixed organization. This temporal information is especially useful in axons and dendrites, where changing microtubule behavior can be related to neuronal development, structural remodeling, or responses to injury.
These approaches provide complementary ways to detect tubulin. Fluorescent tags and labeled antibodies can reveal the presence and organization of tubulin, whereas live-cell probes support observation of tubulin behavior over time in living cells. The choice therefore affects whether the experiment emphasizes spatial organization, dynamic behavior, or both.
Microtubule organization provides structural information that can be compared across axons and dendrites, two major neuronal compartments with distinct roles in cell connectivity. Examining how tubulin networks are arranged in these regions helps researchers characterize neuronal polarity and relate cytoskeletal organization to the development of specialized neuronal morphology.
The approach enables researchers to compare tubulin organization with visible neuronal morphology and broader functional characteristics. Changes in the microtubule network can then be examined alongside axonal or dendritic structure, helping identify relationships between cytoskeletal regulation and cellular connectivity. This connection is valuable when investigating development, degeneration, or structural responses to injury.
A typical workflow begins by selecting a tubulin detection strategy, such as fluorescent tags, labeled antibodies, or a live-cell probe. Researchers then visualize the labeled tubulin and, when dynamic behavior is important, collect time-lapse observations. The resulting images can be examined for organization, assembly, disassembly, movement, and differences between axons and dendrites.
Tubulin imaging is useful when a study needs to examine neuronal development, polarity, axonal transport, or structural responses to injury or disease. It also supports research into neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration by showing how cytoskeletal organization relates to neuronal morphology and connectivity. Time-resolved measurements are particularly relevant when changes over time are central to the question.