Length-dependent dynamics of microtubules

TL;DR

This paper investigates how regulatory proteins that induce length-dependent catastrophe rates affect microtubule dynamics, revealing that steady-state length distributions decay faster than exponential, which differs from previous models.

Contribution

It introduces a discrete model demonstrating the impact of length-dependent catastrophe rates on microtubule length distributions.

Findings

Steady-state distributions decay faster than exponential with length.

Length-dependent catastrophe rates significantly alter microtubule dynamics.

The model provides insights into regulatory protein effects on microtubules.

Abstract

Certain regulatory proteins influence the polymerization dynamics of microtubules by inducing catastrophe with a rate that depends on the microtubule length. Using a discrete formulation, here we show that, for a catastrophe rate proportional to the microtubule length, the steady-state probability distributions of length decay much faster with length than an exponential decay as seen in the absence of these proteins.