Related topics: cells

Cellular scaffolding rewired to make microscopic railways

Princeton researchers have learned to harness the gossamer scaffolding that maintains the structure of living cells and used it to develop a nanotechnology platform. The technique eventually could lead to advances in soft ...

Understanding drivers of egg cell development

Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified how cytoskeletal proteins contribute to the growth of developing eggs in fruit flies, findings that further the field's understanding of how egg cells form and differentiate ...

Physicists solve mysteries of microtubule movers

Active matter is any collection of materials or systems composed of individual units that can move on their own, thanks to self-propulsion or autonomous motion. They can be of any size—think clouds of bacteria in a petri ...

How the 'treadmill conveyor belt' ensures proper cell division

Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have discovered how proteins work in tandem to regulate "treadmilling," a mechanism used by the network of microtubules inside cells to ensure proper cell division. The ...

'Designer' tubulins help crack the tubulin code

Tubulin is a protein that plays a crucial role in the structure and function of cells. It is the main component of microtubules, which are long, hollow fibers that provide structural support, help the cell divide, give it ...

Behind the formation and protection of microtubules

Cellular life hinges on a network of hollow cables called microtubules dynamically lengthening and shortening according to the needs of the moment. During cell division, for instance, these cables latch onto chromosomes and ...

page 1 from 17

Microtubule

Microtubules are a component of the cytoskeleton. These rope-like polymers of tubulin can grow as long as 25 micrometers and are highly dynamic. The outer diameter of microtubule is about 25 nm. Microtubules are important for maintaining cell structure, providing platforms for intracellular transport, forming the spindle during mitosis, as well as other cellular processes. There are many proteins that bind to the microtubule, including motor proteins such as kinesin and dynein, severing proteins like katanin, and other proteins important for regulating microtubule dynamics.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA