Desai A, Mitchison T J
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 1997;13:83-117. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.13.1.83.
The polymerization dynamics of microtubules are central to their biological functions. Polymerization dynamics allow microtubules to adopt spatial arrangements that can change rapidly in response to cellular needs and, in some cases, to perform mechanical work. Microtubules utilize the energy of GTP hydrolysis to fuel a unique polymerization mechanism termed dynamic instability. In this review, we first describe progress toward understanding the mechanism of dynamic instability of pure tubulin and then discuss the function and regulation of microtubule dynamic instability in living cells.
微管的聚合动力学是其生物学功能的核心。聚合动力学使微管能够形成空间排列，这种排列可根据细胞需求迅速改变，在某些情况下还能执行机械工作。微管利用鸟苷三磷酸（GTP）水解产生的能量来推动一种独特的聚合机制，即动态不稳定性。在本综述中，我们首先描述在理解纯微管蛋白动态不稳定性机制方面取得的进展，然后讨论活细胞中微管动态不稳定性的功能和调控。
