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Rockefeller University Press, Journal of Cell Biology, 6(175), p. 849-851, 2006

DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200611149

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Making more microtubules by severing: a common theme of noncentrosomal microtubule arrays?

Journal article published in 2006 by Antonina Roll-Mecak ORCID, Ronald D. Vale
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Two related enzymes, katanin and spastin, use the energy from ATP hydrolysis to sever microtubules. Two new studies (one in this issue; see McNally et al., p. 881) show that microtubule severing by katanin provides a means for increasing microtubule density in meiotic spindles. Interestingly, loss of spastin leads to a sparser microtubule array in axons and synaptic boutons. Together, these studies hint at a wider role for microtubule-severing enzymes in the formation and organization of noncentrosomal microtubule arrays by generating new seeds for microtubule growth.