This work is conducted to obtain mechanical properties of microtubule. For this aim, interaction energy in alpha-beta, beta-alpha, alpha-alpha, and beta-beta dimers was calculated using the molecular dynamic simulation. Force-distance diagrams for these dimers were obtained using the relation between potential energy and force. Afterwards, instead of each tubulin, one sphere with 55 KDa weight ...

In an effort to understand how polarity is established in Xenopus oocytes, we have analyzed the process of localization of the maternal mRNA, Vg1. In fully grown oocytes, Vg1 mRNA is tightly localized at the vegetal cortex. Biochemical fractionation shows that the mRNA is preferentially associated with a detergent-insoluble subcellular fraction. The use of cytoskeletal inhibitors suggests that ...

Errors in chromosome orientation in mitosis and meiosis are inevitable, but normally they are quickly corrected. We find that such errors usually are not corrected in cells treated with protein kinase inhibitors. Highly inaccurate chromosome distribution is the result. When grasshopper spermatocytes were treated with the kinase inhibitor 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP), 84% of maloriented chromoso...

Several cytological observations support the idea that actin filaments interact with microtubules, but the strongest evidence comes from biochemical experiments. The cytological observations include the colocalization of microtubules and actin in the mitotic spindle of dividing cells by electron microscopy (1-3) and light microscopy with fluorescent probes for actin (4-6) . There is, however, d...