Building the Microtubule Cytoskeleton Piece by Piece. Author Ray Alfaro-Aco, Sabine Petry Publication Year 2015 Type Journal Article Abstract The microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton gives cells their shape, organizes the cellular interior, and segregates chromosomes. These functions rely on the precise arrangement of MTs, which is achieved by the coordinated action of MT-associated proteins (MAPs). We highlight the first and most important examples of how different MAP activities are combined in vitro to create an ensemble function that exceeds the simple addition of their individual activities, and how the Xenopus laevis egg extract system has been utilized as a powerful intermediate between cellular and purified systems to uncover the design principles of self-organized MT networks in the cell. Keywords Animals, Humans, Models, Biological, Female, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Xenopus laevis, Microtubules, Spindle Apparatus, Cytoskeleton, Molecular Motor Proteins Journal J Biol Chem Volume 290 Issue 28 Pages 17154-62 Date Published 2015 Jul 10 ISSN Number 1083-351X DOI 10.1074/jbc.R115.638452 Alternate Journal J Biol Chem PMCID PMC4498055 PMID 25957410 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML