microtubules

Individual cells must quickly repair any disruptions to their plasma membrane. Abreu-Blanco et al. describe how early Drosophila embryos remodel their membranes and cytoskeleton to seal cell surface wounds. This biosights episode presents the paper by Abreu-Blanco et al. from the May 2, 2011 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Susan Parkhurst (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. ...

The transcription factor HIF-1α is essential for a cell's response to low oxygen conditions. Carbonaro et al. demonstrate that production of HIF-1α protein is regulated by dynamic microtubules and that microtubule-targeting drugs shift HIF-1α mRNA into cytoplasmic P-bodies, where its translation is repressed by miRNAs. This biosights episode presents the paper by Carbonaro et al. from the January 10, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with authors Marisa...

Dynamic microtubules assemble into a steady state bipolar spindle structure but precisely how this is achieved is unclear. Loughlin et al. develop a computational model that predicts how a few key activities organize microtubules in Xenopus meiotic spindles. This biosights episode presents the paper by Loughlin et al. from the December 27, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with author François Nédélec (EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany). Produced by Caitlin...

The endoplasmic reticulum is highly dynamic, although little is known about why and how its membrane tubules move. Friedman et al. reveal that ER membranes slide along stable, acetylated microtubules, which might help them contact other organelles such as mitochondria. This biosights episode presents the paper by Friedman et al. from the August 9, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Gia Voeltz. Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. ...

Astral microtubules help position the cytokinetic furrow by confining actomyosin contractility to the cell equator. Rankin and Wordeman reveal that if astral microtubules grow too long, they expand membrane blebs at the mitotic cell poles that squeeze the mitotic spindle back and forth between the two daughter cells. This biosights episode presents the paper by Rankin and Wordeman from the July 12, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Linda...

Drosophila macrophages disperse themselves around the body during embryogenesis, ready to mount an immune response at the site of a wound. Stramer et al. image the cells in vivo, revealing that they form microtubule "arms" to point them in the right direction and push themselves away from their fellow leukocytes. This biosights episode presents the paper by Stramer et al. from the May 17th, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with lead author Brian Stramer....

A microtubule-independent network of proteins called the spindle matrix is involved in assembling mitotic and meiotic spindles, but whether the matrix makes a mechanical contribution to spindle shape is unclear. Gatlin et al. manipulate spindles with microneedles to directly probe the mechanical properties of the spindle matrix. This biosights episode presents the paper by Gatlin et al. from the February 22, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with lead author...