Microtubule specialization by +TIP networks: from mechanisms to functional implications

Trends Biochem Sci. 2024 Feb 12:S0968-0004(24)00019-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.01.005. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTTo fulfill their actual cellular role, individual microtubules become functionally specialized through a broad range of mechanisms. The 'search and capture' model posits that microtubule dynamics and functions are specified by cellular targets that they capture (i.e., a posteriori), independently of the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) they emerge from. However, work in budding yeast indicates that MTOCs may impart a functional identity to the microtubules they nucleate, a priori. Key effectors in this process are microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs), which track microtubule tips to regulate their dynamics and facilitate their targeted interactions. In this review, we discuss potential mechanisms of a priori microtubule specialization, focusing on recent findings indicating that +TIP networks may undergo liquid biomolecular condensation in different cell types.PMID:38350804 | DOI:10.1016/j.tibs.2024.01.005

Source: Trends in Biochemical Sciences - February 13, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sandro M Meier Michel O Steinmetz Yves Barral Source Type: research