Synchrotron Small Angle X-ray Scattering Studies Reveals the Role of Neuronal Protein Tau in Microtubule Bundle Formation with Architectures Mimicking those found in Neurons

Microtubules (MTs) are hollow, nanometer-scale cylinders comprised of globular dimeric tubulin subunits that are involved in a variety of cellular functions, including intracellular trafficking and cell division. Tubulin subunits align end-to-end to form linear protofilaments that interact laterally in stabilizing the tubular wall. MTs occur in two types of populations: those undergoing dynamic instability (i.e. stochastic cycling between periods of MT growth and shrinkage) or more stable MTs in the axons and dendrites of post-mitotic mature neurons MTs. These two populations and other MT functionalities are controlled, in part, with the assistance of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs).