Microtubule Length-Regulation by Molecular Motors
Subcellular Processes
2012-10-18 v1 Statistical Mechanics
Biological Physics
Abstract
Length-regulation of microtubules (MTs) is essential for many cellular processes. Molecular motors like kinesin 8, which move along MTs and also act as depolymerases, are known as key players in MT dynamics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of length control remain elusive. Here, we investigate a stochastic model accounting for the interplay between polymerization kinetics and motor-induced depolymerization. We determine the dependence of MT length and variance on rate constants and motor concentration. Moreover, our analyses reveal how collective phenomena lead to a well-defined MT length.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1204.5655,
title = {Microtubule Length-Regulation by Molecular Motors},
author = {Anna Melbinger and Louis Reese and Erwin Frey},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1204.5655},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
7 pages (5 p. letter, 3 p. supplementary information), 4 figures (3 f. letter, 1 f. supplementary information)