A Mechanochemical Model of the Microtubule Growing Dynamic

Microtubule dynamics is largely influenced by the hydrolysis of nucleotides bound on tubulins and the associated configuration changes. The growth-stabilizing mechanism considering the hydrolysis effect is supposed as a “GTP cap” model. Meanwhile, there exists an open sheet structure curving outward at the end of the microtubule, and the growth process experiences a “sheet-to-tube” curvature transition. This growth mode may also help stabilize the growth, which is referred to as a “conformational cap” model. Here, we present a novel mechanochemical model to simulate the microtubule growth process at the resolution of monomer, and look into the stabilizing mechanism of the microtubule growth.