Nanomechanics of Microtubules

A. Kis, S. Kasas, B. Babić, A. J. Kulik, W. Benoît, G. A. D. Briggs, C. Schönenberger, S. Catsicas, and L. Forró

Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 248101 – Published 21 November 2002

Abstract

We have determined the mechanical anisotropy of a single microtubule by simultaneously measuring the Young’s and the shear moduli in vitro. This was achieved by elastically deforming the microtubule deposited on a substrate tailored by electron-beam lithography with a tip of an atomic force microscope. The shear modulus is 2 orders of magnitude lower than the Young’s, giving rise to a length-dependent flexural rigidity of microtubules. The temperature dependence of the microtubule’s bending stiffness in the $(5 - 40) ° C$ range shows a strong variation upon cooling coming from the increasing interaction between the protofilaments.

Received 16 August 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.248101

Authors & Affiliations

A. Kis^1,*, S. Kasas^2,3, B. Babić⁴, A. J. Kulik¹, W. Benoît¹, G. A. D. Briggs^1,†, C. Schönenberger⁴, S. Catsicas², and L. Forró¹

¹Institute of Physics of Complex Matter, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
²Institut de Neurosciences, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
³Institut de Biologie Cellulaire et de Morphologie, UNIL, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
⁴Institute of Physics, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland

^*Corresponding author. Email address: andras.kis@epfl.ch
^†Visiting from Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PH, United Kingdom.

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Vol. 89, Iss. 24 — 9 December 2002

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