2012/04/25 by Anna Melbinger, Louis Reese, Erwin Frey · 3 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Microtubule and mitosis dynamics #Stochastic processes and statistical mechanics #Theoretical and Computational Physics #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.bio-ph #q-bio.SC
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.108.258104
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 258104 (2012) · 7 pages (5 p. letter, 3 p. supplementary information), 4 figures (3 f. letter, 1 f. supplementary information)
arxiv created 2012/04/25 · openalex publication_date 2012/06/22 · arxiv updated 2012/10/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Length regulation of microtubules (MTs) is essential for many cellular processes. Molecular motors like kinesin-8, which move along MTs and also act as depolymerases, are known as key players in MT dynamics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of length control remain elusive. Here, we investigate a stochastic model accounting for the interplay between polymerization kinetics and motor-induced depolymerization. We determine the dependence of MT length and variance on rate constants and motor concentration. Moreover, our analyses reveal how collective phenomena lead to a well-defined MT length.