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Cited by 294Microtubule and mitosis dynamicsCellular Mechanics and InteractionsForce Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Microtubules self-repair in response to mechanical stress

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Schaedel, Laura, John, Karin, Gaillard, Jérémie, Nachury, Maxence V., Blanchoin, Laurent, Théry, Manuel·2015·Nature Materials
DOI 10.1038/nmat4396PMC PMC4620915
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Abstract

Microtubules--which define the shape of axons, cilia and flagella, and provide tracks for intracellular transport--can be highly bent by intracellular forces, and microtubule structure and stiffness are thought to be affected by physical constraints. Yet how microtubules tolerate the vast forces exerted on them remains unknown. Here, by using a microfluidic device, we show that microtubule stiffness decreases incrementally with each cycle of bending and release. Similar to other cases of material fatigue, the concentration of mechanical stresses on pre-existing defects in the microtubule lattice is responsible for the generation of more extensive damage, which further decreases microtubule stiffness. Strikingly, damaged microtubules were able to incorporate new tubulin dimers into their lattice and recover their initial stiffness. Our findings demonstrate that microtubules are ductile materials with self-healing properties, that their dynamics does not exclusively occur at their ends, and that their lattice plasticity enables the microtubules' adaptation to mechanical stresses.

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  • Such regional variation is consistent with previous studies and suggests that lattice conformation can be locally influenced by lattice-binding microtubule-associated proteins, post-translational modifications, mechanical stress, or repair processes.

    “Such regional variation is consistent with previous studies58and suggest that lattice conformation can be locally influenced by lattice-binding microtuble-associated proteins (MAPs)59–61, post-translational modifications, mechanical stress50,51, or repair processes62–66.”

    From Ghost Neuron preparation unlocks high-resolution structural mapping of intracellular architecture in axons (2026) · cites this paper as [63]

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Authors
Schaedel, L., John, K., Gaillard, J., Nachury, M. V., Blanchoin, L., & Théry, M.
Affiliations
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
  • Blanchoin, Laurent
  • Théry, Manuel
ORCID
Venue
Nature Materials
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-09-07
Volume
14
Issue
11
Pages
1156-1163
ISSN
  • 1476-1122 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4660
DOI
10.1038/nmat4396
PMC
PMC4620915
OpenAlex
W1803436399
Cited by
294
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 2
FWCI
10.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Materials (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
microtubules, mechanical stress, self-healing, microtubule bending, material fatigue, structural defects, microtubule dynamics, microfluidics
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Microtubules, Stress, Mechanical, Tubulin, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices

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