microtubule
Let an agent explain microtubules, relay structure, dynamics, functions and medical relevance from cell biology sources, describe the named microtubule populations, and distinguish microtubules from actin filaments, intermediate filaments, centrioles as structures built from microtubules and bacterial tubulin homologues.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain microtubules, relay structure, dynamics, functions and medical relevance from cell biology sources, describe the named microtubule populations, and distinguish microtubules from actin filaments, intermediate filaments, centrioles as structures built from microtubules and bacterial tubulin homologues.
A hollow cylindrical polymer of alpha- and beta-tubulin, about 25 nanometres in diameter, forming part of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells, with dynamic instability of growth and shrinkage described by Mitchison and Kirschner in 1984, organising the mitotic spindle, cilia and flagella and intracellular transport by motor proteins, found in populations the registry aliases name such as spindle, cytoplasmic, nuclear and dendritic microtubules, and specialised arrays such as subpellicular microtubules in trypanosomes and apicomplexans and intraconoid microtubules in the conoid of apicomplexan parasites; drugs such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids target microtubules in cancer therapy.
What it is for: Cell shape, division, transport and motility.
It can be explain structure and dynamics; relay functions; describe named populations; relay drug targeting.
Distinguishing features
Hollow tube
Polarity
Dynamic instability
Drug target
What it looks like
Not visible to the eye; seen in fluorescence and electron microscopy as fine tubes.
Physical character
outer diameter: about 25 nm
protofilaments: typically 13 count
dynamic instability described: 1984 year - Mitchison and Kirschner
How it is recognised
Tubulin polymer tube of the cytoskeleton
Spindle, cytoplasmic, nuclear, intraconoid, dendritic and subpellicular microtubules
Actin filaments are thinner; intermediate filaments are rope-like; centrioles are built from microtubules; FtsZ is a bacterial homologue
Related models
is a kind of - component
is made of -
forms -
is targeted by -
In practice
Families and kinds
spindle microtubules
cytoplasmic microtubules
axonemal microtubules in cilia
neuronal and dendritic microtubules
parasite subpellicular and conoid microtubules
Standards and regulation
Gene Ontology cellular component terms
Failure modes and hazards
Oversimplifying dynamics
Confusing cytoskeletal filament types
Overstating speculative roles such as in consciousness
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.microtubule
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What a microtubule is.
Science.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a microtubule, and how does it differ from actin and intermediate filaments, centrioles and FtsZ? definition
- Is the question about cell biology, cancer drugs, neurons or parasites? boundary
Populations
Named populations.
Populations
Populations.
- What are spindle, cytoplasmic, nuclear, dendritic, subpellicular and intraconoid microtubules? definition
- Which entry fits the specific population? action
Biology Structure and dynamics.
Science.
Structure
Structure.
Structure
Structure.
- How do tubulin dimers assemble into protofilaments and tubes? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Dynamics
Dynamic instability.
Dynamics
Dynamics.
- What is dynamic instability, and how is it regulated? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Function Functions.
Application.
Division
Cell division.
Division
Division.
- How do spindle microtubules separate chromosomes? provenance
- Which entry fits mitosis? action
Transport
Motor transport.
Transport
Transport.
- How do kinesin and dynein move cargo along microtubules? provenance
- Which entry fits kinesin? action
Context Medicine.
Context.
Drugs
Cancer drugs.
Drugs
Drugs.
- How do taxanes and vinca alkaloids affect microtubules? provenance
- Which entry fits vinca alkaloid? action
Disease
Disease links.
Disease
Disease.
- How are microtubule-associated proteins such as tau linked to neurodegeneration? provenance
- Which entry fits tau protein? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should parasite microtubule arrays be separate entries?
- How should Gene Ontology be linked?
- How should speculative hypotheses be flagged?