Microtubules, MAPs, and motor patterns

Cells have an amazing ability to self-organize and rearrange their interiors. Such morphology changes are essential to cell development, division, and motility. The core of a cell's internal organization lies with the cytoskeleton made of both microtubule and actin filaments with their associated proteins and ATP-utilizing enzymes. Despite years of in vitro reconstitution experiments, we still do not fully understand how the cytoskeleton can self-organize. In an attempt to create a simple system of self-organization, we have used a simple filament-gliding assay to examine how kinesin-1-driven motion of microtubules can generate cell-like organization in the presence of excess filaments and antiparallel cross-linkers.