Academic Journal
Computational modeling of microtubule dynamic instability: From molecular mechanisms to emergent behavior.
| Τίτλος: | Computational modeling of microtubule dynamic instability: From molecular mechanisms to emergent behavior. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Ma A; Center for Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology, Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA. Electronic address: aoma@uic.edu., Tsui K; Center for Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology, Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA., Stewman S; Center for Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology, Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607, USA. |
| Πηγή: | Biophysical journal [Biophys J] 2026 Sep 15; Vol. 125 (18), pp. 4958-4978. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 08. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Cell Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0370626 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1542-0086 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00063495 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Biophys J Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Cambridge, MA : Cell Press Original Publication: New York, Published by Rockefeller University Press [etc.] for the Biophysical Society. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Microtubules*/metabolism , Microtubules*/chemistry , Models, Biological* , Computer Simulation*, Tubulin/metabolism ; Tubulin/chemistry ; Guanosine Triphosphate/metabolism ; Animals |
| Περίληψη: | Microtubule dynamic instability-the stochastic switching between growth, shortening, and pausing-is essential for cytoskeletal organization and cellular function. Despite decades of experimental and theoretical work, its molecular mechanism remains unresolved. In this review, we organize existing models based on their underlying conceptual framework and physical assumptions. We first discuss GTP-cap-based models, including stochastic GTP-cap models, mechanical-cap models, and lattice-as-allosteric-effector models, highlighting how different microscopic assumptions and computational implementations lead to distinct explanations of dynamic-instability processes, especially catastrophe. We then present a tubulin energy landscape framework in which dynamic instability emerges from nonequilibrium transitions of tubulin subunits among three experimentally characterized conformations constrained by lattice geometry. This approach provides a unified explanation for the full spectrum of dynamic instability behaviors, including growth, shortening, catastrophe, rescue, pausing, and distinct kinetics at the plus and minus ends. By making assumptions explicit, this review aims to clarify the physical logic underlying dynamic instability and provide a coherent foundation for future experimental and theoretical work. (Copyright © 2026 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests. |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Tubulin) 86-01-1 (Guanosine Triphosphate) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260709 Date Completed: 20260915 Latest Revision: 20260916 |
| Update Code: | 20260917 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.bpj.2026.07.004 |
| PMID: | 42421320 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1542-0086 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.bpj.2026.07.004 |