Motor-mediated cortical versus astral microtubule organization in lipid-monolayered droplets.

ABSTRACT: The correct spatial organization of microtubules is of crucial importance for determining the internal architecture of eukaryotic cells. Microtubules are arranged in space by a multitude of biochemical activities and by spatial constraints imposed by the cell boundary. The principles underlying the establishment of distinct intracellular architectures are only poorly understood. Here, we studied the effect of spatial confinement on the self-organization of purified motors and microtubules that are encapsulated in lipid-monolayered droplets in oil, varying in diameter from 5-100 μm, which covers the size range of typical cell bodies. We found that droplet size alone had a major organizing influence. The presence of a microtubule-crosslinking motor protein decreased the number of accessible

SUBMITTER: Baumann H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4139258 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature