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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 May 24.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Biol. 2021 May 24;31(10):R560–R573. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.035

Figure 5. Cellular mechanisms for regulating microtubule growth.

Figure 5.

(A) Microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) that alter microtubule dynamics. Tip-tracking proteins (top) can be specific to either the plus- or minus-end, and can alter either microtubule growth rates, growth lifetimes, or both (denoted by arrows). Motors and microtubule severing enzymes (bottom) can enhance lattice turnover and enable formation of GTP islands. Motor binding can also drive expansion of the lattice.

(B) Mammalian microtubules are formed from a number of different α- and β-tubulin isotypes, creating a mosaic microtubule lattice. Each isotype has its own unique impact on the structure, kinetics, and stability of the microtubules. Each tubulin isotype can be post-translationally modified, which can influence microtubule structure and dynamics.