Investigating GTP as a Calcium Regulator in Microtubule Structures

Interns

Ashley Ajtun Tayun, Zoe Imansjah, Jacqueline Lamas, Chloe Lopez

Project Description

Microtubules are ubiquitous protein structures found in all eukaryotic cell types, where they serve a variety of functional roles from separating chromosomes during mitosis to supporting the transport of cargo through the axons of neurons. The diversity of microtubule function stems in large part from their ability to grow and shrink in response to their chemical environment. This "dynamic instability" is highly regulated, depending on cell type, stage in the cell cycle, and compartmentalization within the cell. For example, the microtubule associated protein, tau, is exclusively expressed in the axons of neurons, where it binds to and stabilizes microtubules against  depolymerization. While tau is also known to mediate interactions between microtubules, the specific mechanisms by which tau's binding to microtubules is able to alter dynamic instability and alter microtubule-microtubule interactions remain unclear. Examining this protein system in vitro using light microscopy, electron microscopy, and small-angle x-ray scattering allows us to better understand these phenomena in the hopes of uncovering the role of tau in neural development and in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, and to elucidate principles of biological self-assembly that can be used for bio-engineering technology.

Project Files

investigating_gtp_as_a_calcium_regulator_in_microtubule_structures.pdf