Week 7
Major concept goals
-The cytoskeleton is a dynamic protein filament structure
-The similarities and differences between microtubules and microfilaments
-The significance of GTP binding and hydrolysis by tubulin and the molecular polarity of a microtubule
-What is occurring during the three phases of microtubule assembly in vitro
-The structure and function of the MTOC
-Dynamic instability of a microtubule
Overview of content
I. How do cells move?
A. Cell swimming
B. Cell crawling
II. The cytoskeleton mediates cell movement
A. Microfilaments
B. Microtubules
C. Intermediate filaments (part of the cytoskeleton-but not involved in cell movement)
III. Building the microtubule (MT) array that mediates cell swimming
A. MTs in cilia mediate swimming
B. MTs are composed of tubulin
C. Assembly of MTs in vitro: lag, assembly, plateau
D. Assembly of MTs in vivo: structure and function of the MTOC
E. MTs have structural polarity
F. Dynamic instability