Figure 1.

Microtubule stabilization and dynamic instability. Microtubules are typically characterized by cycles of polymerization and depolymerization, termed dynamic instability (b, c). However, some subpopulations of microtubules can be stabilized, a process that involves GTP capping of terminal α-tubulin monomers and is promoted by microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), formins and microtubule plus-end binding proteins (+TIPs) (a, b). This stabilization can then give rise to post-translational modifications of microtubules including acetylation and detyrosination (a).