Mechanical communication within the microtubule through network-based analysis of tubulin dynamics

Abstract

The identification of the mechanisms underlying the transfer of mechanical vibrations in protein complexes is crucial to understand how these super-assemblies are stabilized to perform specific functions within the cell. In this context, the study of the structural communication and the propagation of mechanical stimuli within the microtubule (MT) is important given the pivotal role of the latter in cell viability. In this study, we employed molecular modelling and the dynamical network analysis approaches to analyse the MT. The results highlight that $\beta$ -tubulin drives the transfer of mechanical information between protofilaments (PFs), which is altered at the seam due to a different interaction pattern. Moreover, while the key residues involved in the structural communication along the PF are generally conserved, a higher diversity was observed for amino acids mediating the lateral communication. Taken together, these results might explain why MTs with different PF numbers are formed in different organisms or with different $\beta$ -tubulin isotypes.

Keywords: Microtubule; Molecular dynamics; Network analysis; Structural communication.