Three dimensional microtubule map floating on a raw electron micrograph. Microtubules play important roles in eukaryotic cell morphogenesis, organelle transport, and mitosis. During mitosis, the microtubule network is restructured to form the mitotic apparatus. This requires considerable dynamics of the microtuble. Interaction between the component tubulin molecules is the key to understanding this dynamic property. In the 8Å resolution 3D map determined by cryo-EM and single particle image analysis, tubulin secondary structures, such as alpha helices, are well defined. This warrants an accurate positioning of the tubulin atomic structures into the microtubule map, and provides unambiguous information about the intermolecular interactions.

from:

Li H, DeRosier DJ, Nicholson WV, Nogales E, and Downing KH. The microtubule structure at 8Å resolution. Structure 10, 1317-28 (2002). PubMed

Updated 18 Feb 2003	Security Notice   Webteam   Site Map   Biology Home   BNL Home Page