title: Dynamics of Microtubule Instabilities.
abstract: We investigate an idealized model of microtubule dynamics that involves: (i) attachment of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) at rate λ, (ii) conversion of GTP to guanosine diphosphate (GDP) at rate 1, and (iii) detachment of GDP at rate μ. As a function of these rates, a microtubule can grow steadily or its length can fluctuate wildly. For μ = 0, we find the exact tubule and GTP cap length distributions, and power-law length distributions of GTP and GDP islands. For μ = ∞, we argue that the time between catastrophes, where the microtubule shrinks to zero length, scales as e(λ). We also discuss the nature of the phase boundary between a growing and shrinking microtubule.
authors.affiliation: Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Antal
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Krapivsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redner