Microtubule nanospool formation by active self-assembly is not initiated by thermal activation

Isaac Luria, Jasmine Crenshaw, Matthew Downs, Ashutosh Agarwal, Shruti Banavara Seshadri, John Gonzales, Ofer Idan, Jovan Kamcev, Parag Katira, Shivendra Pandey, Takahiro Nitta, Simon R. Phillpot, Henry Hess

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Biotinylated microtubules partially coated with streptavidin and gliding on a surface coated with kinesin motors can cross-link with each other and assemble into nanospools with a diameter of a few micrometres. The size distribution of these nanospools is determined, and it is shown with simulations of microtubule gliding that these spools are too small to be formed by thermally activated turns in the gliding direction (a Brownian ratchet mechanism). Instead, spool formation is primarily the result of two processes: pinning of gliding microtubules to inactive motors and simultaneous cross-linking of multiple microtubules.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3108-3115
Number of pages8
JournalSoft Matter
Volume7
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

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