Microtubules

The author of this remarkably comprehensive review, PIERRE DUSTIN, has performed an invaluable service in bringing to gether in one volume the observations and theory on micro tubules that have accumulated over the last fifteen years. He has understood the magnitude of the task from the beginning and has met it thoroughly and, I must say, courageously. From here on, and for many years to come, young investiga tors, and some not so young, will have a ready reference as they seek to discover what has been done and remains to be done in achieving a better understanding of these important cell components. Since the early 1960's when it became clear that the fila ments (micro tubules) making up the 9 + 2 complex of cilia and flagella were to be found very widely in cells, microtub ules have attracted an ever-increasing amount of attention. Now it is known, as reviewed in this volume, that they influ ence the morphogenesis of anisometry in the shapes of cells and cell extensions; that they function as frames for the intra cellular movement of granules and chromosomes; that they are subject to control in their assembly and disassembly by externally applied substances such as colchicine and cyclic AMP; and that they display abnormalities in their numbers and orientations in transformed (malignant) cells, to mention only a few of their several functions.

This book presents the first comprehensive exploration of the dynamic potential of microtubules anti-cancer targets. Written by leading anti-cancer researchers, this groundbreaking volume collects the most current microtubule research available and investigates the potential of microtubules in cancer therapy.

Microtubules are at the heart of cellular self-organization, and their dynamic nature allows them to explore the intracellular space and mediate the transport of cargoes from the nucleus to the outer edges of the cell and back. In Microtubule Dynamics: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field provide an up-to-date collection of methods and approaches that are used to investigate microtubule dynamics in vitro and in cells. Beginning with the question of how to analyze microtubule dynamics, the volume continues with detailed descriptions of how to isolate tubulin from different sources and with different posttranslational modifications, methods used to study microtubule dynamics and microtubule interactions in vitro, techniques to investigate the ultrastructure of microtubules and associated proteins, assays to study microtubule nucleation, turnover, and force production in cells, as well as approaches to isolate novel microtubule-associated proteins and their interacting proteins. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Definitive and practical, Microtubule Dynamics: Methods and Protocols provides the key protocols needed by novices and experts on how to perform a broad range of well-established and newly-emerging techniques in this vital field.

Microtubules are essential components of the cytoskeleton, and play critical roles in a variety of cell processes, including cell shaping, intracellular tracking, cell division, and cell migration. Microtubule Protocols presents a comprehensive collection of essential and up-to-date methods for studying both the biology of microtubules and the mechanisms of action of microtubule-interacting drugs. The straightforward presentation of readily reproducible protocols is a hallmark of the Methods in Molecular MedicineTM series, and is evident in this volume. Methods presented range from the purification and characterization of microtubule proteins, analysis of post-translational modifications of tubulin, and determination of microtubule structure, to the visualization of microtubule and spindle behavior, measurement of microtubule dynamics, and examination of microtubule-mediated cellular processes. Both basic scientists and clinical researchers will benefit from this collection of state-of-the-art protocols for microtubule research.

The decision, in 1975, to write alone a monograph on micro tubules was not without risks. While I was familiar from its start in Brussels in 1934 with the work on col chicine and other mitotic poisons, the literature on microtubules was, 8 years ago, already increasing at an impressive rate. However, this monograph, which, contrary to other works on microtubules, tried to cover the whole field of research, from the fundamentals of the tubulin molecule and the possible role of these organelles in some aspects of human pathology, to some medical applications of microtubule poisons, has been accepted as a useful tool for workers in these fields. Since 1976, (date of the last references mentioned in the monograph) until the middle of 1983, papers on microtubule research have literally been pouring in, at the rate of several hundred a year. This may justify a second edition, although the considerable difficulties in keeping the size of the book within the same limits while not forgetting to mention some important work, could not be overlooked. The need for an entirely revised and rewritten edition prompted this new venture and was possible with the help of the considerable amount of reprints kindly sent to me day after day over the years. This work would have been unthinkable if the author had not maintained the same enthusiasm for microtubule research, which has been disclosing new facts every day.

This book provides an overview on the organization and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton, which is essential to many cellular processes and profoundly linked to a range of human diseases. Covering basic concepts as well as molecular details, the book discusses how microtubules are nucleated and organized into ordered arrays, at different cell cycle stages and in distinct cell types. In addition, the book highlights how defects in the microtubule cytoskeleton are linked to diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders. The book is intended for students, graduates and more senior researchers in cell and developmental biology as well as for medical doctors.

Since the publication of the first edition of Plant Microtubules in 2000, our understanding of microtubules and their manifold functions have advanced substantially. This revised edition highlights the morphogenetic potential of plant microtubules from three general viewpoints: Microtubules and Morphogenesis, Microtubules and Environment, Microtubules and Evolution. The book is an invaluable source of information for researchers as well as for graduate and advanced students.