External seminar – Laura Schaedel, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

Kinesin-induced buckling reveals the limits of microtubule self-repair

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal polymers capable to self-repair when damaged through tubulin incorporation within their lattice. We investigated whether this intrinsic self-repair can preserve microtubule integrity during kinesin-driven buckling, a common source of mechanical stress in cells. Using in vitro reconstitution, we found that motor-induced buckling causes severe lattice damage and extensive tubulin incorporation, yet often exceeds the microtubules’ repair capacity, leading to breakage. Remarkably, microtubules exposed to continuous buckling remain intact substantially longer in the presence of intracellular factors. These results highlight the limits of intrinsic microtubule self-repair and show that additional cellular mechanisms are required to maintain microtubule integrity under sustained mechanical stress.
Contact : Denis Chrétien

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