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Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Erickson, HP
Published in: Biophys J
June 18, 2019

A paradigm shift for models of MT assembly is suggested by a recent cryo-electron microscopy study of microtubules (MTs). Previous assembly models have been based on the two-dimensional lattice of the MT wall, where incoming subunits can add with longitudinal and lateral bonds. The new study of McIntosh et al. concludes that the growing ends of MTs separate into flared single protofilaments. This means that incoming subunits must add onto the end of single protofilaments, forming only a longitudinal bond. How can growth of single-stranded protofilaments exhibit cooperative assembly with a critical concentration? An answer is suggested by FtsZ, the bacterial tubulin homolog, which assembles into single-stranded protofilaments. Cooperative assembly of FtsZ is thought to be based on conformational changes that switch the longitudinal bond from low to high affinity when the subunit is incorporated in a protofilament. This novel mechanism may also apply to tubulin assembly and could be the primary mechanism for assembly onto single flared protofilaments.

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Published In

Biophys J

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

Publication Date

June 18, 2019

Volume

116

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2240 / 2245

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Biological
  • Microtubules
  • Guanosine Diphosphate
  • Biophysics
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 03 Chemical Sciences
  • 02 Physical Sciences
 

Citation

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Erickson, H. P. (2019). Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner? Biophys J, 116(12), 2240–2245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2019.05.005
Erickson, Harold P. “Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner?Biophys J 116, no. 12 (June 18, 2019): 2240–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2019.05.005.
Erickson HP. Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner? Biophys J. 2019 Jun 18;116(12):2240–5.
Erickson, Harold P. “Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner?Biophys J, vol. 116, no. 12, June 2019, pp. 2240–45. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2019.05.005.
Erickson HP. Microtubule Assembly from Single Flared Protofilaments-Forget the Cozy Corner? Biophys J. 2019 Jun 18;116(12):2240–2245.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biophys J

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

Publication Date

June 18, 2019

Volume

116

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2240 / 2245

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Biological
  • Microtubules
  • Guanosine Diphosphate
  • Biophysics
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 03 Chemical Sciences
  • 02 Physical Sciences