The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature
Abstract Microtubules, cylindrical assemblies of tubulin proteins with a 25 nm diameter and micrometer lengths, are a central part of the cytoskeleton and also serve as building blocks for nanobiodevices. Microtubule breaking can result from the activity of severing enzymes and mechanical stress. Br...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24912-0 |
| _version_ | 1811315551612436480 |
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| author | Stanislav Tsitkov Juan B. Rodriguez Neda M. Bassir Kazeruni May Sweet Takahiro Nitta Henry Hess |
| author_facet | Stanislav Tsitkov Juan B. Rodriguez Neda M. Bassir Kazeruni May Sweet Takahiro Nitta Henry Hess |
| author_sort | Stanislav Tsitkov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Microtubules, cylindrical assemblies of tubulin proteins with a 25 nm diameter and micrometer lengths, are a central part of the cytoskeleton and also serve as building blocks for nanobiodevices. Microtubule breaking can result from the activity of severing enzymes and mechanical stress. Breaking can lead to a loss of structural integrity, or an increase in the numbers of microtubules. We observed breaking of taxol-stabilized microtubules in a gliding motility assay where microtubules are propelled by surface-adhered kinesin-1 motor proteins. We find that over 95% of all breaking events are associated with the strong bending following pinning events (where the leading tip of the microtubule becomes stuck). Furthermore, the breaking rate increased exponentially with increasing curvature. These observations are explained by a model accounting for the complex mechanochemistry of a microtubule. The presence of severing enzymes is not required to observe breaking at rates comparable to those measured previously in cells. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:32:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c494df2e73d84972847dff9091961052 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:32:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c494df2e73d84972847dff90919610522022-12-22T02:48:32ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-12-0112111110.1038/s41598-022-24912-0The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvatureStanislav Tsitkov0Juan B. Rodriguez1Neda M. Bassir Kazeruni2May Sweet3Takahiro Nitta4Henry Hess5Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia UniversityApplied Physics Course, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu UniversityApplied Physics Course, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu UniversityColumbia UniversityAbstract Microtubules, cylindrical assemblies of tubulin proteins with a 25 nm diameter and micrometer lengths, are a central part of the cytoskeleton and also serve as building blocks for nanobiodevices. Microtubule breaking can result from the activity of severing enzymes and mechanical stress. Breaking can lead to a loss of structural integrity, or an increase in the numbers of microtubules. We observed breaking of taxol-stabilized microtubules in a gliding motility assay where microtubules are propelled by surface-adhered kinesin-1 motor proteins. We find that over 95% of all breaking events are associated with the strong bending following pinning events (where the leading tip of the microtubule becomes stuck). Furthermore, the breaking rate increased exponentially with increasing curvature. These observations are explained by a model accounting for the complex mechanochemistry of a microtubule. The presence of severing enzymes is not required to observe breaking at rates comparable to those measured previously in cells.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24912-0 |
| spellingShingle | Stanislav Tsitkov Juan B. Rodriguez Neda M. Bassir Kazeruni May Sweet Takahiro Nitta Henry Hess The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature Scientific Reports |
| title | The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| title_full | The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| title_fullStr | The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| title_full_unstemmed | The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| title_short | The rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| title_sort | rate of microtubule breaking increases exponentially with curvature |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24912-0 |
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