Microtubule Cartoon (IMAGE)

Penn State

Microtubule Cartoon

Caption

This is a model for maintenance of proper microtubule polarity in dendrites. Polymerizing microtubules entering junctions encounter existing static filaments. A complex consisting of end-binding protein 1 (EB1) and a kinesin molecular motor binds to the tip of the growing filament and moves along the static filament to co-align the filaments and maintain proper uniform orientation. The present work demonstrates that an EB1-kinesin complex is able to steer a growing microtubule in this manner without the requirement for any other cellular components.

Credit

William Hancock, Penn State

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