Techniques for Measuring Microtubule Stiffness

Title: Techniques for Measuring Microtubule Stiffness

Volume: 3 Issue: 1

Author(s): S. Kasas and G. Dietler

Affiliation:

Keywords: Phospholipid Vesicles, microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), Tubulin-GMPCPP, Optical-Tweezer, Osmotic Stress

Abstract: Studies conducted during the past few decades have revealed the existence of a close connection between the mechanical responses of biological structures to stimuli and the functions of different cells, tissues and organs. The cornerstone to understanding this chain of reactions lies in a knowledge of the mechanical properties of the structures implicated in the transduction of mechanical signals. A progress in this direction has evolved rapidly in recent years, owing to innovations in the techniques used for measuring forces in the piconewton range and displacements smaller than a nanometer. In this short review, we survey the technologies that have been applied to measure the mechanical properties of one cytoskeletal component: the microtubules.

Cite this article as:

Kasas S. and Dietler G., Techniques for Measuring Microtubule Stiffness, Current Nanoscience 2007; 3 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157341307779940526