Microtubule assembly is vital for many fundamental cellular processes. Current models for microtubule assembly kinetics assume that the subunit disassociation rate from a microtubule tip is independent of free subunit concentration. Using Total-Internal-Reflection-Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and a laser tweezers assay to measure in vitro microtubule assembly with nanometer resolution, we find that the subunit dissociation rate from a microtubule tip increases as the free subunit concentration increases. These data are consistent with a two-dimensional model for microtubule assembly, and are explained by a shift in microtubule tip structure from a relatively blunt shape at low free concentrations to relatively tapered at high free concentrations. Because both the association and the dissociation rates increase at higher free subunit concentrations, we find that the kinetics of microtubule assembly are an order-of-magnitude higher than currently estimated in the literature.

Cytoplasmic linker protein 170 (CLIP-170) is the prototype microtubule (MT) plus-end tracking protein (؉TIP) and is involved in regulating MT dynamics. A comprehensive understanding of the process by which CLIP-170 tracks MT plus ends would provide insight into its function. However, the precise molecular mechanism of CLIP-170 ؉TIP behavior is unknown, and many potential models have been presented. Here, by separating the two CLIP-170 CAP-Gly domains and their adjacent serine-rich regions into fragments of varied size, we have characterized the minimal plus-end tracking unit of CLIP-170 in vivo. Each CLIP-170 fragment was also characterized for its tubulin polymerization activity in vitro. We found that the two CAP-Gly domains have different activities, whereas CAP-Gly-1 appears incompetent to mediate either ؉TIP behavior or MT nucleation, a CLIP-170 fragment consisting of the second CAPGly domain and its adjacent serine-rich region can both track MT plus ends in vivo and induce tubulin polymerization in vitro. These observations complement recent work on CLIP-170 fragments, demonstrate that CAP-Gly motifs do not require dimerization for ؉TIP and polymerization-promoting activities, and provide insight into CLIP-170 function and mechanism.

During cell division, chromosomes must faithfully segregate to maintain genome integrity, and this dynamic mechanical process is driven by the macromolecular machinery of the mitotic spindle. However, little is known about spindle mechanics. For example, spindle microtubules are organized by numerous cross-linking proteins yet the mechanical properties of those cross-links remain unexplored. To examine the mechanical properties of microtubule cross-links we applied optical trapping to mitotic asters that form in mammalian mitotic extracts. These asters are foci of microtubules, motors, and microtubule-associated proteins that reflect many of the functional properties of spindle poles and represent centrosome-independent spindle-pole analogs. We observed bidirectional motor-driven microtubule movements, showing that microtubule linkages within asters are remarkably compliant (mean stiffness 0.025 pN/nm) and mediated by only a handful of cross-links. Depleting the motor Eg5 reduced this stiffness, indicating that Eg5 contributes to the mechanical properties of microtubule asters in a manner consistent with its localization to spindle poles in cells. We propose that compliant linkages among microtubules provide a mechanical architecture capable of accommodating microtubule movements and distributing force among microtubules without loss of pole integrity-a mechanical paradigm that may be important throughout the spindle.

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