Most neurons must last a lifetime and their microtubule cytoskeleton is an important contributor to their longevity. Neurons have some of the most stable microtubules of all cells, but the tip of every microtubule remains dynamic and, although requiring constant GTP consumption, microtubules are always being rebuilt. While some ongoing level of rebuilding always occurs, overall microtubule stability can be modulated in response to injury and stress as well as the normal developmental process of pruning. Specific microtubule severing proteins act in different contexts to increase microtubule dynamicity and promote degeneration and pruning. After axon injury, complex changes in dynamics occur and these are important for both neuroprotection induced by injury and subsequent outgrowth of a new axon. Understanding how microtubule dynamics is modulated in different scenarios, as well as the impact of the changes in stability, is an important avenue to explore for development of strategies to promote neuroprotection and regeneration.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7572564 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dneu.22746 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Recent developments of benzimidazole based analogs as potential tubulin polymerization inhibitors: A critical review.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett
March 2025
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad ad-500037, India. Electronic address:
Microtubules, as dynamic regulators in many cellular processes, remain pivotal targets in cancer chemotherapy. Among the structural motifs explored, the benzimidazole scaffold has emerged as a privileged heterocyclic ring system in the development of potent therapeutic agents, owing to its versatility and pharmacological relevance. This review critically examines the synthesis, anticancer activity, structure-activity relationships (SAR), and tubulin polymerization inhibitory properties of diverse benzimidazole derivatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDistinct Network Morphologies from In Situ Polymerization of Microtubules in Giant Polymer-Lipid Hybrid Vesicles.
Adv Biol (Weinh)
March 2025
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
Creating artificial cells with a dynamic cytoskeleton, akin to those in living cells, is a major goal in bottom-up synthetic biology. In this study, we demonstrate the in situ polymerization of microtubules encapsulated in giant polymer-lipid hybrid vesicles (GHVs) composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and an amphiphilic block copolymer. The block copolymer is comprised of poly(cholesteryl methacrylate-co-butyl methacrylate) as the hydrophobic block and either poly(6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactopyranose) or poly(carboxyethyl acrylate) as the hydrophilic extension.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExploring manzamine a: a promising anti-lung cancer agent from marine sponge sp.
Front Pharmacol
February 2025
State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Manzamine A (MA), a bioactive compound derived from the marine sponge sp., shows considerable therapeutic potential, particularly in the treatment of various cancer types. Extracted with acetone and purified through chromatography, MA exhibits a bioavailability of 20.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExploring tubulin-paclitaxel binding modes through extensive molecular dynamics simulations.
Sci Rep
March 2025
Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, 518172, China.
Cancer treatment remains a pressing challenge, with paclitaxel playing a pivotal role in chemotherapy by disrupting mitotic spindle dynamics through microtubule stabilization. However, the molecular details of paclitaxel interaction with β-tubulin, its target, remain elusive, impeding efforts to overcome drug resistance and optimize efficacy. Here, we employ extensive molecular dynamics simulations to probe the binding modes of paclitaxel within tubulin protofilaments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnraveling Solvent and Substituent Effects in the Photodynamics of Light-Dependent Microtubule Inhibitors for Cancer Phototherapy.
J Comput Chem
March 2025
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
In photopharmacology, molecular photoswitches enable light-controlled drug activities, offering precision in targeting biomolecular functions while minimizing side effects. Photostatins (PSTs) are photoswitchable analogs of combretastatin A-4 (CA4), designed to inhibit tubulin polymerization for cancer treatment. However, the influence of substituents and molecular environments on their photochemistry remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!