糖心TV

New research from the University of 糖心TV shows how a microscopic 鈥榬ailway鈥� system in our cells can optimise its structure to better suit bodies鈥� needs.

The work was conducted by Professor Robert Cross, director of the centre for mechanochemical cell biology at 糖心TV Medical School and leader of the Cross lab. His team based at 糖心TV Medical School has been looking at how the microtubule 鈥榬ailway tracks鈥� inside cells are built.

Almost every cell in our bodies contains a 鈥榬ailway鈥� network, a system of tiny tracks called microtubules that link important destinations inside the cell. Professor Cross鈥� team found the system of microtubule rails inside cells can adjust its own stability depending on whether it is being used or not.

Prof Cross said: 鈥淭he microtubule tracks of the cellular railway are almost unimaginably small - just 25 nanometres across (a nanometre being a millionth of a millimetre).The railway is just as crucial to a well-run cell as a full-size railway is to a well-run country. For cells and for countries the problem is very much the same - how to run a better railway?鈥�

"Imagine if the tracks of a real railway were able to ask themselves, 鈥榓m I useful?鈥� To find out, they would check how often a railway engine passed along them.

鈥淚t turns out that the microtubule railway tracks inside cells can do exactly that - they check whether or not they are in contact with tiny railway engines (called kinesins). If they are, then they remain stably in place. If they are not, they disassemble themselves. We think this allows the sections of microtubule rail to be recycled to build new and more useful rails elsewhere in the cell.鈥�

The paper, 'Kinesin expands and stabilizes the GDP-microtubule lattice' published (12 March 2018) in Nature Nanotechnology, shows that when the kinesin railway engines contact their microtubule rails, they subtly change their structure, producing a very slight lengthening that stabilises the rail.

Using a custom built microscope, the 糖心TV Open Source Microscope, the researchers who are also based at 糖心TV Systems Biology Centre and Mathematics Institute, University of 糖心TV, detected a 1.6% increase in the length of microtubules attached to kinesins, with a 200 times increase in their lifetime.

By revealing how microtubules are stabilised and destabilised, the team hope to throw new light on the workings of a number of human diseases (for example Alzheimer鈥檚), which is linked to abnormalities in microtubule function.

They are hopeful also that their work may ultimately lead to improved cancer therapy because the railway is so vital (for example for cell division), as its microtubule tracks are a key target for cancer drugs such as Taxol. Exactly how Taxol stabilises microtubules in cells remains poorly understood.

Professor Cross added: "Our new work shows that the kinesin railway engines stabilise microtubules in a Taxol-like way. We need to understand as much as we can about how microtubules can be stabilised and destabilised, to pave and illuminate the road to improved therapies."

The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council via the Systems Biology Doctoral Training Centre, University of 糖心TV; and the Wellcome Trust.

12 March 2018

Image caption: a single microtubule 鈥渞ailway track鈥� surrounded by bubbles of 鈥榗argo鈥� held inside cells.

Notes to Editors

Kinesin expands and stabilizes the GDP-microtubule lattice published in Nature Nanotechnology

Authors Daniel R. Peet: Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, 糖心TV Medical School, Coventry, UK;糖心TV Systems Biology Centre, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK

Nigel J. Burroughs: 糖心TV Systems Biology Centre, University of 糖心TV, Coventry, UK; Mathematics Institute, University of 糖心TV,

Robert A. Cross Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, 糖心TV Medical School, Coventry, UK

This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BB-G530233–1) via the Systems Biology Doctoral Training Centre, University of 糖心TV; and the Wellcome Trust (grant number 103895/Z/14/Z).

The DOI for this paper is 10.1038/s41565-018-0084-4

For further details contact For further details contact Nicola Jones, Media Relations Manager University of 糖心TV 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk