Structural basis of interprotofilament interaction and lateral deformation of microtubules.

ABSTRACT: The diverse functions of microtubules require stiff structures possessing sufficient lateral flexibility to enable bending with high curvature. We used cryo-electron microscopy to investigate the molecular basis for these critical mechanical properties. High-quality structural maps were used to build pseudoatomic models of microtubules containing 11-16 protofilaments, representing a wide range of lateral curvature. Protofilaments in all these microtubules were connected primarily via interprotofilament interactions between the M loops, and the H1'-S2 and H2-S3 loops. We postulate that the tolerance of the loop-loop interactions to lateral deformation provides the capacity for high-curvature bending without breaking. On the other hand, the local molecular architecture that surrounds these c

SUBMITTER: Sui H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2976607 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature