Measuring microtubule polarity in spindles with second-harmonic generation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Che Hang Yu - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Noah Langowitz - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Hai Yin Wu - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Reza Farhadifar - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Jan Brugues - , Harvard University, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Author)
  • Tae Yeon Yoo - , Harvard University (Author)
  • Daniel Needleman - , Harvard University (Author)

Abstract

The spatial organization of microtubule polarity, and the interplay between microtubule polarity and protein localization, is thought to be crucial for spindle assembly, anaphase, and cytokinesis, but these phenomena remain poorly understood, in part due to the difficulty of measuring microtubule polarity in spindles. We develop and implement a method to nonperturbatively and quantitatively measure microtubule polarity throughout spindles using a combination of second-harmonic generation and two-photon fluorescence. We validate this method using computer simulations and by comparison to structural data on spindles obtained from electron tomography and laser ablation. This method should provide a powerful tool for studying spindle organization and function, and may be applicable for investigating microtubule polarity in other systems.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1578-1587
Number of pages10
JournalBiophysical journal
Volume106
Issue number8
Publication statusPublished - 15 Apr 2014
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 24739157

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas