Motorless transport of microtubules along tubulin, RanGTP, and salt gradients.

Publication Year
2024

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Microtubules are dynamic filaments that assemble spindles for eukaryotic cell division. As the concentration profiles of soluble tubulin and regulatory proteins are non-uniform during spindle assembly, we asked if diffusiophoresis - motion of particles under solute gradients - can act as a motorless transport mechanism for microtubules. We identify the migration of stable microtubules along cytoplasmic and higher concentration gradients of soluble tubulin, MgCl, Mg-ATP, Mg-GTP, and RanGTP at speeds O(100) nm/s, validating the diffusiophoresis hypothesis. Using two buffers (BRB80 and CSF-XB), microtubule behavior under MgCl gradients is compared with negatively charged particles and analyzed with a multi-ion diffusiophoresis and diffusioosmosis model. Microtubule diffusiophoresis under gradients of tubulin and RanGTP is also compared with the charged particles and analyzed with a non-electrolyte diffusiophoresis model. Further, we find that tubulin and RanGTP display concentration dependent cross-diffusion that influences microtubule diffusiophoresis. Finally, using Xenopus laevis egg extract, we show that diffusiophoretic transport occurs in an active cytoplasmic environment.

Journal
Nature communications
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
9434
Date Published
11/2024
ISSN Number
2041-1723
Alternate Journal
Nat Commun
PMCID
PMC11530526
PMID
39487112