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Imagine the inside of a cell is like a large and crowded metropolitan city (think New York City) where a variety of activities are taking place each day. People need to move around the city to attend school, get to work, shop at the grocery store or dine out at a restaurant. In order for every activity to happen, the people in the city need to find their way to the right location. They rely on city planning elements, such as public transportation, highways and traffic signals to help them reach their destination.
The same thing happens in our cells every day all day long. Microtubules are like a system of highways inside the cell that help to organize and coordinate the movement of everything inside the cell.
How microtubules affect cell shape and function
Every cell in our body contains a variety of organelles. You can think of organelles as little machines that carry out specific jobs for the cell. The way that these organelles are arranged within the cell is very important for keeping the cell stable and functioning properly, and for making different types of cells with different functions. When a cell changes shape or moves, like when it divides or moves to a new location, the organelles also need to move to new locations within the cell. This movement requires special transport systems and checks to make sure everything is in the right place.
Microtubules are like a system of highways inside the cell that help to organize the movement of the organelles, proteins and molecules. The microtubule highway is made of proteins that connect different parts of the cell for transport and communication. Motor proteins act like trucks, moving along these highways to carry cell parts and other materials from one location to another. Microtubules play a role in keeping cells healthy. Problems with the microtubule highway can lead to diseases like cancer and neurodevelopmental (aka brain) disorders.
The research team of Jeffrey Moore, PhD, associate professor of cell and developmental biology at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, studies how cells use the microtubule highway system to keep all of the organelles, proteins and important molecules in the correct location to keep the cell healthy and functioning. They use different types of cells in their experiments, from rat neurons to human cancer cells to a yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Combined with advanced microscopy and protein studies, the Moore lab is learning about how the microtubule network organizes the contents within the cell and how problems can cause diseases in humans.
The following is a Q&A about what’s happening in the Moore lab.
