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Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale.

Publication ,  Journal Article
de Pablo, PJ; Schaap, IAT; MacKintosh, FC; Schmidt, CF
Published in: Physical review letters
August 2003

We probe the local mechanical properties of microtubules at the nanometer scale by radial indentation with a scanning force microscope tip. We find a linear elastic regime that can be described by both thin-shell theory and finite element methods, in which microtubules are modeled as hollow tubes. We also find a nonlinear regime and catastrophic collapse of the microtubules under large loads. The main physics of protein shells at the nanometer scale shows simultaneously aspects of continuum elasticity in their linear response, as well as molecular graininess in their nonlinear behavior.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Physical review letters

DOI

EISSN

1079-7114

ISSN

0031-9007

Publication Date

August 2003

Volume

91

Issue

9

Start / End Page

098101

Related Subject Headings

  • Swine
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Nanotechnology
  • Microtubules
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • General Physics
  • Elasticity
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 51 Physical sciences
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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de Pablo, P. J., Schaap, I. A. T., MacKintosh, F. C., & Schmidt, C. F. (2003). Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale. Physical Review Letters, 91(9), 098101. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.91.098101
Pablo, P. J. de, I. A. T. Schaap, F. C. MacKintosh, and C. F. Schmidt. “Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale.Physical Review Letters 91, no. 9 (August 2003): 098101. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.91.098101.
de Pablo PJ, Schaap IAT, MacKintosh FC, Schmidt CF. Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale. Physical review letters. 2003 Aug;91(9):098101.
de Pablo, P. J., et al. “Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale.Physical Review Letters, vol. 91, no. 9, Aug. 2003, p. 098101. Epmc, doi:10.1103/physrevlett.91.098101.
de Pablo PJ, Schaap IAT, MacKintosh FC, Schmidt CF. Deformation and collapse of microtubules on the nanometer scale. Physical review letters. 2003 Aug;91(9):098101.

Published In

Physical review letters

DOI

EISSN

1079-7114

ISSN

0031-9007

Publication Date

August 2003

Volume

91

Issue

9

Start / End Page

098101

Related Subject Headings

  • Swine
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Nanotechnology
  • Microtubules
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • General Physics
  • Elasticity
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 51 Physical sciences