Synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of microtubules buckling and bundling under osmotic stress: a probe of interprotofilament interactions.
Microtubules are hollow cylinders composed of tubulin heterodimers that stack into linear protofilaments that interact laterally to form the microtubule wall. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction of microtubules under increasing osmotic stress shows they transition to rectangular bundles with noncircular buckled cross sections, followed by hexagonally packed bundles. This new technique probes the strength of interprotofilamen bonds, yielding insight into the mechanism by which associated proteins and the chemotherapy drug taxol stabilize microtubules.
Needleman
Daniel J
DJ
Materials Department, Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
Ojeda-Lopez
Miguel A
MA
Raviv
Uri
U
Ewert
Kai
K
Jones
Jayna B
JB
Miller
Herbert P
HP
Wilson
Leslie
L
Safinya
Cyrus R
CR
D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000737:chemistry; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000379:methods
D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D017239:Paclitaxel