Electron tomography reveals a flared morphology on growing microtubule ends

• DOI: 10.1242/jcs.072967
• Publication Date: 2011-02-09T03:02:57Z
• Authors: Johanna L. Höög; Stephen M. Huisman; Zsofia Sebö-Lemke; Linda Sandblad; J. Richard McIntosh; Claude Antony; Damian Brunner
• Keywords: Schizosaccharomyces

Microtubules (MTs) exhibit dynamic instability, alternating between phases of growth and shortening, mostly at their uncapped plus ends. Based on results from cryo-electron microscopy it was proposed that growing MTs display mainly curved sheets blunt ends; during depolymerisation curled ‘ramshorns’ predominate. Observations in mitotic cells have suggested the situation vivo differs vitro, but so far, a clear comparison vitro has not been possible because MT end structures could be correlated directly with state particular MT. Here we combine light electron tomography (ET) to show ends fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe predominantly flared morphology. This indicates polymerisation can follow different paths.