Lattice defects in microtubules: protofilament numbers vary within individual microtubules

We have used cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified specimens to study microtubules assembled both from three cycle purified tubulin (3x- tubulin) and in cell free extracts of Xenopus eggs. In vitro assembled 3x-tubulin samples have a majority of microtubules with 14 protofilaments whereas in cell extracts most microtubules have 13 protofilaments. Microtubule polymorphism was observed in both cases. The number of protofilaments can change abruptly along individual microtubules usually by single increments but double increments also occur. For 3x-tubulin, increasing the magnesium concentration decreases the proportion of 14 protofilament microtubules and decreases the average separation between transitions in these microtubules. Protofilament discontinuities may correspond to dislocation-like defects in the microtubule surface lattice.

• Publication year

  1992

• Venue

  Journal of Cell Biology

• Publication date

  1992-06-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1083/JCB.117.5.1031PMID 1577866PMCID 2289483
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Microtubule dynamics and microtubule caps: a time-resolved cryo- electron microscopy study

  1991cited by this paper
• New data on the microtubule surface lattice

  1991influential reference
• Real-time visualization of cell cycle-dependent changes in microtubule dynamics in cytoplasmic extracts.

  1990cited by this paper
• Microtubular diversity in insect spermatozoa: Results obtained with a new fixative

  1990cited by this paper
• Characterization of microtubule protofilament numbers. How does the surface lattice accommodate?

  1990influential reference
• Regulation of microtubule dynamics by cdc2 protein kinase in cell-free extracts of Xenopus eggs

  1990cited by this paper
• Taxol influences control of protofilament number at microtubule-nucleating sites in Drosophila.

  1990cited by this paper
• Effects of magnesium on the dynamic instability of individual microtubules.

  1990cited by this paper
• mec-7 is a beta-tubulin gene required for the production of 15-protofilament microtubules in Caenorhabditis elegans.

  1989cited by this paper
• Early changes in the substructure of the marginal bundle in human blood platelets responding to adenosine diphosphate.

  1988cited by this paper
• Microtubule structure at 18 A resolution.

  1987cited by this paper
• Evidence for microtubule nucleation at plasma membrane-associated sites in Drosophila.

  1987cited by this paper
• Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: periodic cross-links connect microtubules in vitro

  1986cited by this paper
• End-to-end annealing of microtubules in vitro

  1986cited by this paper
• Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated biological material

  1986cited by this paper
• Centrosomal microtubule-organizing centres and a switch in the control of protofilament number for cell surface-associated microtubules during Drosophila wing morphogenesis

  1986influential reference
• Spindle microtubule differentiation and deployment during micronuclear mitosis in Paramecium

  1985cited by this paper
• Generation of microtubule stability subclasses by microtubule- associated proteins: implications for the microtubule "dynamic instability" model

  1985cited by this paper
• Spatiotemporal control of functional specification and distribution of spindle microtubules with 13, 14 and 15 protofilaments during mitosis in the ciliate Nyctotherus.

  1985cited by this paper
• Influence of the centrosome on the structure of nucleated microtubules

  1985influential reference
• Microtubules with more than 13 protofilaments in the dividing nuclei of ciliates

  1984cited by this paper
• Effect of microtubule-associated proteins on the protofilament number of microtubules assembled in vitro.

  1984cited by this paper
• Structural diversity of microtubules in the supporting cells of the sensory epithelium of guinea pig organ of Corti.

  1982cited by this paper
• Structural and functional diversity in the neuronal microtubules of Caenorhabditis elegans

  1982cited by this paper
• Control of the structural fidelity of microtubules by initiation sites.

  1982cited by this paper
• Reassembly of flagellar B (alpha beta) tubulin into singlet microtubules: consequences for cytoplasmic microtubule structure and assembly

  1981cited by this paper
• Evidence for a mixed lattice in microtubules reassembled in vitro.

  1980cited by this paper
• Isolation of bovine brain microtubule protein without glycerol: polymerization kinetics change during purification cycles.

  1979cited by this paper
• Review of the Folin phenol protein quantitation method of Lowry, Rosebrough, Farr and Randall.

  1979cited by this paper
• The in vitro assembly of flagellar outer doublet tubulin

  1978cited by this paper
• Alterations in number of protofilaments in microtubules assembled in vitro

  1978cited by this paper
• Microtubules with 15 subunits in cockroach epidermal cells

  1975cited by this paper
• Tannic acid-stained microtubules with 12, 13, and 15 protofilaments

  1975cited by this paper
• Arrangement of subunits in flagellar microtubules.

  1974cited by this paper
• MICROTUBULES: EVIDENCE FOR 13 PROTOFILAMENTS

  1973cited by this paper
• Diffraction by helical structures

  1958cited by this paper

• In situ structural mechanism of epothilone-B-induced CNS axon regeneration

  2025cites this paper
• KDM4A serves as an α-tubulin demethylase regulating microtubule polymerization and cell mitosis

  2025cites this paper
• Optical Tweezers as a Tool for Quantitative Imaging

  2025cites this paper
• Microtubule lattice defects facilitate spastin-mediated severing

  2025cites this paper
• Tubulin isotypes of C. elegans harness the mechanosensitivity of the lattice for microtubule luminal accessibility

  2025cites this paper
• Rethinking tubulin acetylation: From regulation to cellular adaptation.

  2025cites this paper
• Exploring tubulin-paclitaxel binding modes through extensive molecular dynamics simulations

  2025cites this paper
• Cryo-ET suggests tubulin chaperones form a subset of microtubule lumenal particles with a role in maintaining neuronal microtubules

  2025cites this paper
• Thermodynamic and Molecular Dynamic Study of Physical and Chemical Stabilities on Microtubules Structure during Assembling and Disassembling

  2025cites this paper
• Mechanics of Single Cytoskeletal Filaments.

  2025cites this paper
• Structural switching of tubulin in the microtubule lattice

  2025cites this paper
• Tubulin Homologs in Bacteria and Archaea

  2024cites this paper
• Cryo-electron tomography suggests tubulin chaperones form a subset of microtubule lumenal particles with a role in maintaining neuronal microtubules

  2024cites this paper
• Tau accelerates tubulin exchange in the microtubule lattice

  2024cites this paper
• Structure of the γ-tubulin ring complex-capped microtubule

  2024cites this paper
• Regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics and its interplay with force in plant cells.

  2024cites this paper
• Beyond uniformity: Exploring the heterogeneous and dynamic nature of the microtubule lattice.

  2023cites this paper
• Mechanical coupling coordinates microtubule growth

  2023cites this paper
• Mechanical coupling coordinates microtubule growth

  2023cites this paper
• Katnip is needed to maintain microtubule function and lysosomal delivery to autophagosomes and phagosomes

  2023cites this paper
• Causes, costs and consequences of kinesin motors communicating through the microtubule lattice

  2023cites this paper
• Non-equilibrium processes in an unconserved network model with limited resources

  2023cites this paper
• Regulation of the microtubule network; the shaft matters!

  2023cites this paper
• Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications: The Elusive Roles of Acetylation

  2023cites this paper
• Phenol-soluble modulins PSMα3 and PSMβ2 form nanotubes that are cross-α amyloids

  2022cites this paper
• The Role of Spastin in Axon Biology

  2022cites this paper
• Role of endothelial cell junctions in transendothelial cancer cell migration. A review

  2022cites this paper
• Katnip is required to maintain microtubule function and lysosomal delivery to autophagosomes and phagosomes

  2022cites this paper
• Dynamic microtubules slow down during their shrinkage phase

  2022cites this paper
• Microtubules self-repair in living cells

  2022cites this paper
• Visualization and Quantification of Microtubule Self-Repair.

  2022cites this paper
• Role of tubulin post-translational modifications in peripheral neuropathy.

  2022cites this paper
• Cryo-EM of Helical Polymers.

  2022cites this paper
• Revealing the architecture and composition of the sperm flagellum tip

  2021cites this paper
• A cryo-ET study of microtubules in axons

  2021cites this paper
• A cryo-ET study of microtubules in axons

  2021cites this paper
• Mitotic poleward flux: Finding balance between microtubule dynamics and sliding

  2021cites this paper
• A cryo-ET survey of microtubules and intracellular compartments in mammalian axons

  2021cites this paper
• Distinguishing synaptic vesicle precursor navigation of microtubule ends with a single rate constant model

  2021cites this paper
• Deterministic chaos in the self-assembly of β sheet nanotubes from an amphipathic oligopeptide.

  2021cites this paper
• Micron-scale geometrical features of microtubules as regulators of microtubule organization

  2021cites this paper
• Shape multistability in flexible tubular crystals through interactions of mobile dislocations

  2021cites this paper
• Changes in seam number and location induce holes within microtubules assembled from porcine brain tubulin and in Xenopus egg cytoplasmic extracts

  2021cites this paper
• Lattice defects induced by microtubule-stabilizing agents exert a long-range effect on microtubule growth by promoting catastrophes

  2021cites this paper
• Visualising the cytoskeletal machinery in neuronal growth cones using cryo-electron tomography

  2021cites this paper
• Microtubule self-repair.

  2020cites this paper
• Self-Assembly of Solubilized Human Hair Keratins.

  2020cites this paper
• Understanding in vitro microtubule degradation

  2020cites this paper
• The Mechanical Role of Microtubules in Tissue Remodeling

  2020cites this paper
• Vesicle Navigation of Microtubule Ends Distinguished by A Single Rate-Constant Model

  2020cites this paper
• Three‐dimensional organization of the cytoskeleton: A cryo‐electron tomography perspective

  2020cites this paper
• Microtubule instability driven by longitudinal and lateral strain propagation

  2020cites this paper
• Tensile properties of microtubules: A study by nonlinear molecular structural mechanics modelling

  2020cites this paper
• Synchronous operation of biomolecular engines

  2020cites this paper
• The emerging role of tubulin posttranslational modifications in cilia and ciliopathies

  2020cites this paper
• Mechanics and kinetics of dynamic instability

  2020cites this paper
• Dynamical decoration of stabilized-microtubules by Tau-proteins

  2019cites this paper
• Dynamic reorganization of microtubule networks:building the new by breaking down the old

  2019cites this paper
• Integration of Soft Actuators Based on a Biomolecular Motor System to Develop Artificial Machines

  2019cites this paper
• Microtubule-Associated Proteins: Structuring the Cytoskeleton.

  2019cites this paper
• The Effect of Defects and Surface Modification on Biomolecular Assembly and Transport

  2019cites this paper
• Mechanisms of the Ase1/PRC1/MAP65 family in central spindle assembly

  2019cites this paper
• Computational modelling of protein-protein and cell-cell interaction across multiple scales

  2018cites this paper
• On the atomistic-based continuum viscoelastic constitutive relations for axonal microtubules.

  2018cites this paper
• Tipping microtubule dynamics, one protofilament at a time.

  2018cites this paper
• Nucleosome conformational variability in solution and in interphase nuclei evidenced by cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections

  2018cites this paper
• Measuring Microtubule Supertwist and Defects by Three-Dimensional-Force-Clamp Tracking of Single Kinesin-1 Motors.

  2018cites this paper
• Lattice defects induce microtubule self-renewal

  2018cites this paper
• A unified model for microtubule rescue

  2018cites this paper
• Microtubule architecture in vitro and in cells revealed by cryo-electron tomography

  2018cites this paper
• High Resolution Three-Dimensional Tracking of Motor Proteins with Optical Tweezers

  2017cites this paper
• Tubulins and brain development - The origins of functional specification.

  2017cites this paper
• Causes and Consequences of Microtubule Acetylation.

  2017cites this paper
• Assembly and regulation of ASC specks

  2017cites this paper
• Single Molecule Investigation of Kinesin-1 Motility Using Engineered Microtubule Defects

  2017cites this paper
• Insights into the Distinct Mechanisms of Action of Taxane and Non-Taxane Microtubule Stabilizers from Cryo-EM Structures.

  2017cites this paper
• Defect formation dynamics in curved elastic surface crystals.

  2017cites this paper
• Nucleotide-dependent stiffness suggests role of interprotofilament bonds in microtubule assembly

  2017cites this paper
• Tubulin acetylation protects long-lived microtubules against mechanical aging

  2017influential citation
• Évaluation de l'activité anticancéreuse d’un nouveau dérivé pyrrolo-pyrimidine (PP-13) ciblant les microtubules dans les cancers broncho-pulmonaires non-à-petites cellules résistants

  2017cites this paper
• Investigating the Specific Interactions Between Microtubule Stabilising Agents and β-Tubulin

  2017cites this paper
• Modeling the effects of lattice defects on microtubule breaking and healing

  2017cites this paper
• Dynamic instabilities in the kinetics of growth and disassembly of microtubules

  2016cites this paper
• Localized Mechanical Stress Promotes Microtubule Rescue.

  2016cites this paper
• Intermediate Filaments: Structure and Assembly.

  2016cites this paper
• Dynamic and Active Proteins: Biomolecular Motors in Engineered Nanostructures.

  2016cites this paper
• Termination of Protofilament Elongation by Eribulin Induces Lattice Defects that Promote Microtubule Catastrophes.

  2016cites this paper
• Microtubule aging probed by microfluidics-assisted tubulin washout

  2016cites this paper
• αTAT1 controls longitudinal spreading of acetylation marks from open microtubules extremities

  2016cites this paper
• Microtubule Defects Influence Kinesin-Based Transport In Vitro.

  2016influential citation
• Assembly and Regulation of the Inflammasome Governed by a Unified Polymerization Mechanism

  2016influential citation
• Characterization of Tau and Anticancer Drug Interactions with Microtubules via Cryo-Electron Microscopy Studies

  2016cites this paper
• The significance of γ-and λ-dislocations in transient states of phyllotaxis: how to get more from less – sometimes!

  2016cites this paper
• Power spectra of totally asymmetric exclusion processes on lattices with a junction

  2016cites this paper
• Plastic deformation of tubular crystals by dislocation glide.

  2016cites this paper
• Plasticity in PYD assembly revealed by cryo-EM structure of the PYD filament of AIM2

  2015cites this paper
• Radial glial cells organize the central nervous system via microtubule dependant processes.

  2015cites this paper
• Resistance to microtubule-stabilising agents following point mutation of human βI-tubulin

  2015cites this paper
• Microtubules self-repair in response to mechanical stress

  2015cites this paper
• Cryo-EM structure of the PYD filament of AIM2

  2015cites this paper