Microtubules self-repair in response to mechanical stress

Nature Materials
Laura SchaedelManuel Théry

Abstract

Microtubules--which define the shape of axons, cilia and flagella, and provide tracks for intracellular transport--can be highly bent by intracellular forces, and microtubule structure and stiffness are thought to be affected by physical constraints. Yet how microtubules tolerate the vast forces exerted on them remains unknown. Here, by using a microfluidic device, we show that microtubule stiffness decreases incrementally with each cycle of bending and release. Similar to other cases of material fatigue, the concentration of mechanical stresses on pre-existing defects in the microtubule lattice is responsible for the generation of more extensive damage, which further decreases microtubule stiffness. Strikingly, damaged microtubules were able to incorporate new tubulin dimers into their lattice and recover their initial stiffness. Our findings demonstrate that microtubules are ductile materials with self-healing properties, that their dynamics does not exclusively occur at their ends, and that their lattice plasticity enables the microtubules' adaptation to mechanical stresses.

References

Jun 1, 1992·The Journal of Cell Biology·D ChrétienR H Wade
Jan 11, 1992·Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton·R B DyeR C Williams
Jan 1, 1991·Methods in Enzymology·A HymanT Mitchison
Mar 1, 1986·The Journal of Cell Biology·E M MandelkowE Mandelkow
Jun 1, 1973·The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry : Official Journal of the Histochemistry Society·M L Shelanski
Jul 5, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·A M YvonP Wadsworth
May 23, 2002·Biophysical Journal·Liza J DavisSteven P Gross
Dec 18, 2002·Physical Review Letters·A KisL Forró
Dec 24, 2002·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·José Fernando DíazJosé Manuel Andreu
Feb 6, 2004·European Biophysics Journal : EBJ·Iwan A T SchaapChristoph F Schmidt
Sep 30, 2004·Biophysical Journal·Marcel E Janson, Marileen Dogterom
Jun 7, 2006·The Journal of Cell Biology·Clifford P BrangwynneDavid A Weitz
Jun 28, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Francesco PampaloniErnst-Ludwig Florin
Jul 7, 2007·Methods in Cell Biology·Andrew D BicekDavid J Odde
Aug 9, 2007·Current Biology : CB·Henry T SchekAlan J Hunt
Oct 4, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Clifford P BrangwynneDavid A Weitz
Feb 1, 2008·Physical Review Letters·Hervé Mohrbach, Igor M Kulić
Feb 22, 2008·Nature·Philippe CordierLudwik Leibler
May 1, 2009·Molecular Biology of the Cell·Andrew D BicekDavid J Odde
Sep 17, 2009·Biochemical Society Transactions·Babet van der VaartAnne Straube
Oct 10, 2009·Journal of Biomechanics·Taviare HawkinsJennifer L Ross
Dec 1, 1998·Analytical Chemistry·D C DuffyG M Whitesides
Sep 9, 2011·Journal of Biomechanics·David A HoeyChristopher R Jacobs
Dec 17, 2011·European Biophysics Journal : EBJ·Hervé MohrbachIgor M Kulić
Oct 3, 2012·Trends in Cell Biology·Timothée VignaudManuel Théry
Jan 5, 2013·Current Opinion in Cell Biology·Marileen Dogterom, Thomas Surrey
Feb 25, 2014·Cell Reports·Jacky G GoetzJulien Vermot
Feb 25, 2014·Nature Cell Biology·Michael KriegMiriam B Goodman

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 15, 2016·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Amélie RobertVladimir I Gelfand
Mar 6, 2016·Current Opinion in Cell Biology·Tom WyattGuillaume Charras
May 26, 2016·Biophysical Journal·Winnie H LiangJing Xu
May 31, 2016·Current Biology : CB·Andreas EttingerTorsten Wittmann
Oct 26, 2016·Brain Research Bulletin·André VoelzmannAndreas Prokop
Sep 13, 2016·Nature Cell Biology·Charlotte AumeierManuel Théry
Oct 21, 2016·Molecular Neurobiology·D Cartelli, G Cappelletti
Nov 18, 2016·Molecular Biology of the Cell·Zhen ZhangPakorn Kanchanawong
Mar 3, 2017·Nature Cell Biology·Didier PortranMaxence V Nachury
Oct 19, 2016·Scientific Reports·Nathalie LyGuillaume Montagnac
Mar 14, 2017·Scientific Reports·Michael W GramlichJennifer L Ross
Mar 23, 2017·Chemical Society Reviews·H Hess, Jennifer L Ross
Dec 10, 2016·Cytoskeleton·Nan JiangRuxandra I Dima
Jul 14, 2017·Chemical Society Reviews·Susan A P van RossumJob Boekhoven
Nov 24, 2017·Molecular Biology of the Cell·Elea PrezelIsabelle Arnal
Sep 30, 2017·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Jonathon Howard, Carlos Garzon-Coral
Aug 16, 2017·Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal·Valeri BarsegovRuxandra I Dima
Oct 23, 2015·Nature Materials·Bela M Mulder, Marcel E Janson
Jul 1, 2017·Biology Open·Taylor A ReidMelissa K Gardner
Jun 2, 2018·ELife·Edvin MemetL Mahadevan
Aug 26, 2018·Cytoskeleton·Konstantinos NakosElias T Spiliotis
Jan 18, 2019·Macromolecular Rapid Communications·Zhongxiao LiJunping Zheng
Apr 14, 2019·Cytoskeleton·Liudmila BelonogovJennifer L Ross
May 30, 2019·Molecular Biology of the Cell·V V MustyatsaI A Vorobjev
Aug 11, 2019·Experimental Biology and Medicine·Matthew A CaporizzoBenjamin L Prosser
Sep 19, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Muneyoshi IchikawaKhanh Huy Bui
Oct 12, 2019·Science·Pedro Guedes-Dias, Erika L F Holzbaur
Dec 11, 2019·Nature Materials·Ankit RaiAnna Akhmanova
Nov 22, 2019·Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility·Hugo WiolandAntoine Jegou
Apr 18, 2020·Developmental Neurobiology·Sara C Sousa, Mónica M Sousa
May 12, 2020·ELife·Thomas Ct MichaelsL Mahadevan
Nov 22, 2016·FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·Chen ZhangMian Long
Mar 28, 2020·Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society·Saikat ChakrabortyWolfgang Baumeister
Apr 21, 2018·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·Gary J Brouhard, Luke M Rice
Jun 7, 2018·Acta Crystallographica. Section D, Structural Biology·Joseph AthertonCarolyn A Moores
Oct 6, 2018·Essays in Biochemistry·Alexander James ZwetslootAnne Straube
Mar 10, 2019·Nature Communications·Mikito OwaMasahide Kikkawa
Jun 7, 2019·Nanoscale·Haneen MartinezGeorge D Bachand
May 22, 2020·The Journal of Cell Biology·Alexandra F LongSophie Dumont
Jul 20, 2016·Advanced Materials·Yan HuangChunyi Zhi
Jul 25, 2017·Scientific Reports·Jakia Jannat KeyaAkira Kakugo
Jul 18, 2018·Physical Review. E·Brandon J HarrisTaviare L Hawkins

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
chip

Software Mentioned

Fluigent
MFCS
07p
AUTO
Metamorph
ImageJ
Flex

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The Journal of Cell Biology
L T Haimo, J L Rosenbaum
Cell Structure and Function
K Takahashi
Essays in Biochemistry
E H Byard, B M Lange
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved