Guided by light: Optical control of microtubule gliding assays

Force generation by molecular motors drives biological processes such as asymmetric cell division and cell migration. Microtubule gliding assays in which surface-immobilized motor proteins drive microtubule propulsion are widely used to study basic motor properties as well as the collective behavior of active self-organized systems....

Understanding force-generating microtubule systems through in vitro reconstitution

Microtubules switch between growing and shrinking states, a feature known as dynamic instability. The biochemical parameters underlying dynamic instability are modulated by a wide variety of microtubule-associated proteins that enable the strict control of microtubule dynamics in cells. The forces generated by controlled growth and shrinkage...