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Measuring the persistence length of MCF7 cell microtubules in vitro
Author(s) -
Feizabadi Mitra Shojania,
Mutafopulos Kiryako S.,
Behr Adam
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.144
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1860-7314
pISSN - 1860-6768
DOI - 10.1002/biot.201000465
Subject(s) - microtubule , tubulin , persistence length , persistence (discontinuity) , in vitro , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , chemistry , genetics , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , polymer
The dynamic and mechanical properties of mammalian neural microtubules have been widely studied; however, similar knowledge about these properties is limited for non‐neural microtubules, which, unlike neural microtubules, consist of different β‐tubulin isotypes. In this study, we report, for the first time, an estimated value for the persistence length of a single non‐neural microtubule polymerized from purified tubulin from human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 tubulin). The method of measurement is based on an analysis of the local curvature of a microtubule as a result of thermal fluctuations. In parallel, we measured the persistence length of a single bovine brain microtubule under similar conditions. The results of our measurements indicate a higher value for the persistence length of MCF7 microtubules in vitro as compared to the persistence length of a neural microtubule. The difference can be associated with different β‐tubulin isotypes in the structure of MCF7 microtubules.