Uncoupling microtubule lifetime, stability and post-translational modifications.
- 1CEA
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) undergo continuous cycles of growth and disassembly. Because the transitions between these states are stochastic, MT age varies widely within a population. As MTs age, they are thought to accumulate post-translational modifications (PTMs) that, directly or indirectly, enhance their stability and thereby extend their lifetime. The rare MTs that withstand prolonged exposure to destabilizing drugs such as nocodazole (NZ) are indeed enriched in PTMs; yet the relationships between MT age, PTMs and stability remain unclear. Using microinjection of labelled tubulin, we measured microtubule network turnover in immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Half of the network was renewed within 3 minutes and 80% within 10 minutes, while approximately 5% of microtubules persisted for more than 20 minutes. These dynamics were comparable in quiescent and senescent cells, although the fraction of slowly renewing or non-renewing microtubules rose to 20% in senescent cells. Unexpectedly, neither the amount of PTMs (acetylation and detyrosination) nor resistance to NZ increased with MT age, and resistance to NZ was independent of these PTMs. Degrees of acetylation and detyrosination should therefore not be taken as readouts of MT age or stability. Because these PTMs do not accumulate on MTs over time, the chemical modification of polymerized tubulin is likely more reversible and dynamic than previously assumed.
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BibTeX
@misc{chocat2026uncoupling,
title = {{Uncoupling microtubule lifetime, stability and post-translational modifications.}},
author = {T. Chocat and B. Vianay and F. Silberzan and J. Gaillard and L. Bonnemay and A. Schaeffer and L. Blanchoin and M. THERY},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.10.750621},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750621v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Uncoupling microtubule lifetime, stability and post-translational modifications.
AU - T. Chocat
AU - B. Vianay
AU - F. Silberzan
AU - J. Gaillard
AU - L. Bonnemay
AU - A. Schaeffer
AU - L. Blanchoin
AU - M. THERY
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.10.750621
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750621v1
AB - Microtubules (MTs) undergo continuous cycles of growth and disassembly. Because the transitions between these states are stochastic, MT age varies widely within a population. As MTs age, they are thought to accumulate post-translational modifications (PTMs) that, directly or indirectly, enhance their stability and thereby extend their lifetime. The rare MTs that withstand prolonged exposure to destabilizing drugs such as nocodazole (NZ) are indeed enriched in PTMs; yet the relationships between MT age, PTMs and stability remain unclear. Using microinjection of labelled tubulin, we measured microtubule network turnover in immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Half of the network was renewed within 3 minutes and 80% within 10 minutes, while approximately 5% of microtubules persisted for more than 20 minutes. These dynamics were comparable in quiescent and senescent cells, although the fraction of slowly renewing or non-renewing microtubules rose to 20% in senescent cells. Unexpectedly, neither the amount of PTMs (acetylation and detyrosination) nor resistance to NZ increased with MT age, and resistance to NZ was independent of these PTMs. Degrees of acetylation and detyrosination should therefore not be taken as readouts of MT age or stability. Because these PTMs do not accumulate on MTs over time, the chemical modification of polymerized tubulin is likely more reversible and dynamic than previously assumed.
ER -