title: Nanomechanics of microtubules.
abstract: We have determined the mechanical anisotropy of a single microtubule by simultaneously measuring the Young's and the shear moduli in vitro. This was achieved by elastically deforming the microtubule deposited on a substrate tailored by electron-beam lithography with a tip of an atomic force microscope. The shear modulus is 2 orders of magnitude lower than the Young's, giving rise to a length-dependent flexural rigidity of microtubules. The temperature dependence of the microtubule's bending stiffness in the (5-40) degrees C range shows a strong variation upon cooling coming from the increasing interaction between the protofilaments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics of Complex Matter, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. andras.kis@epfl.ch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Babić
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kulik
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Benoît
authors.forename: G A D
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schönenberger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catsicas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forró
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D004548:Elasticity; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods