Abstract
The microtubule's mechanical rigidity (persistence length) has been the subject of substantive study: characterized in freely fluctuating microtubules, in surface-attached microtubules, microtubules interacting with electric fields, and microtubules bent using optical traps. Unsurprisingly, microtubules characterized by different environments, display different mechanical properties. Tubulin from different sources, salt and buffering agents, small-molecules such as paclitaxel and GTP analogs, microtubule age, and microtubule-associated proteins all result in inconsistent microtubule rigidity measurements. An open question remains, however, particularly for statistical measurements of fluctuating microtubules: how does the experimental setup itself impact the measured rigidity? Here, we explore the impact of two frequently used experimental techniques on the same batch of microtubules, with the same buffers, and at the same time. Specifically, we explore the differences between microtubule rigidity measured using a free-fluctuation method and a kinesin-1-driven gliding technique.
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