Figure 2. Loss of αK40Ac alters the size and shape of TRN microtubules.
(A) Histograms showing the distribution of the area enclosed by microtubules in TRNs as a function of genotype. Dotted lines are at 244 nm2, the mean area in wild-type TRNs. Schematics show 15-pf and 11-pf microtubules positioned along the x-axis according to their predicted internal area.
(B) Cumulative distribution functions comparing the size of wild-type and αTAT-deficient mec-17;atat-2 double mutants. αTAT-deficient TRNs have an increase in smaller microtubules and a concomitant decrease in larger ones. The size distribution of mutant microtubules differs from wild type (p<0.001, KS test).
(C) Histograms of microtubule eccentricity as a function of genotype. Dotted lines are at 0.44, the mean eccentricity for wild type microtubules. Profiles show the shape of ellipses with eccentricity values of 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75.
(D) Cumulative distribution functions comparing the shape of wild-type and αTAT-deficient mec-17;atat-2 double mutants. αTAT-deficient microtubules have more elliptical cross-sections.
(E) Fifteen-pf microtubules in wild type (left) and αTAT-deficient double mutants (right). Area increases from left to right; eccentricity increases from bottom to top. The scale bar applies to both panels. See also Figure S2.