title: Motor driven microtubule shape fluctuations: force from within the lattice.
abstract: We develop a general theory of microtubule (MT) deformations by molecular motors generating internal force doublets within the MT lattice. We describe two basic internal excitations, the S and V shape, and compare them with experimental observations from literature. We explain the special role of tubulin vacancies and the dramatic deformation amplifying effect observed for katanin acting at positions of defects. Experimentally observed shapes are used to determine the ratio of MT stretch and shear moduli (approximately 6 x 10(5)) and to estimate the forces induced in the MT lattice by katanin (10's of pN). We conclude that molecular motors if acting cooperatively can "animate" MTs from within the lattice and induce slack even without cross bridging to other structures, a scenario very much reminiscent of the motor driven axoneme.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Moléculaire et des Collisions, Université Paul Verlaine-57012 Metz, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohrbach
authors.forename: Igor M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kulić
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D000074201:Katanin; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000074201:Katanin