Microtubules in cell migration, morphogenesis and metabolism: Making the connections

Abstract

Cell polarity refers to a fundamental property of eukaryotic cells, in which cellular components and structures are organized in an asymmetric fashion. In order to control their polarity, cells make use of microtubules, hollow polymers that extend throughout the cytoplasm. Due to the asymmetry of their building blocks, microtubules form polarized structures that play key roles in many biological processes. Their organization is tightly controlled by a wide range of intrinsic properties and associated factors. In this thesis we focus on the role of microtubules in three different cellular systems that strongly rely on tightly controlled polarity. We show that a wide range of microtubule associated proteins is involved in maintaining polarity thereby securing proper cell functioning. Despite the differences, we also identified multiple common factors indicating that the mechanisms that control microtubule organization are strongly conserved in many biological processes.