title: Dynamic instability of microtubule growth.
abstract: We report here that microtubules in vitro coexist in growing and shrinking populations which interconvert rather infrequently. This dynamic instability is a general property of microtubules and may be fundamental in explaining cellular microtubule organization.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002474:Cell-Free System; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011108:Polymers; D011485:Protein Binding; D014404:Tubulin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D014404:Tubulin