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Why is the microtubule lattice helical?
Author(s) -
Hunyadi Viktória,
Chrétien Denis,
Flyvbjerg Henrik,
Jánosi Imre M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1042/bc20060059
Subject(s) - microtubule , helicity , tubulin , biology , lattice (music) , physics , counterfactual thinking , semiclassical physics , microbiology and biotechnology , particle physics , quantum mechanics , epistemology , philosophy , acoustics , quantum
Microtubules polymerize from identical tubulin heterodimers, which form a helical lattice pattern that is the microtubule. This pattern always has left‐handed chirality, but it is not known why. But as tubulin, similar to other proteins, evolved for a purpose, the question of the title of this artcile appears to be meaningful. In a computer simulation that explores the ‘counterfactual biology’ of microtubules without helicity, we demonstrate that these have the same mechanical properties as Nature's microtubules with helicity. Thus only a dynamical reason for helicity is left as potential explanation. We find that helicity solves ‘the problem of the blind mason’, i.e. how to correctly build a structure, guided only by the shape of the bricks. This answer in turn raises some new questions for researchers to address.