Depolymerization shrinkage

A EXPERIMENTAL FIGURE 20-10 Fluorescence microscopy reveals in vivo growth and shrinkage of individual microtubules. Fluorescently-labeled tubulin was microinjected into cultured human fibroblasts. The cells were chilled to depolymerize preexisting microtubules into tubulin dimers and were then incubated at 37 °C to allow repolymerization. 

FIGURE 20-11 Dynamic instability model of microtubule growth and shrinkage. GTP-bound a(3-tubulin subunits (red) add preferentially to the (-t) end of a preexisting microtubule. After incorporation of a subunit, the GTP (red dot) bound to the (i-tubulin monomer is hydrolyzed to GDP Only microtubules whose (+) ends are associated with GTP-tubulin (those with a GTP cap) are stable and can serve as primers for the polymerization of additional tubulin. Microtubules with GDP-tubulin (blue) at the (+) end (those with a GDP cap) are rapidly depolymerized and may disappear within 1 minute. At high concentrations of unpolymerized GTP-tubulin, the rate of addition of tubulin is faster than the rate of hydrolysis of the GTP bound in the microtubule or the rate of dissociation of GTP-tubulin from microtubule ends thus the microtubule grows. At low concentrations of unpolymerized GTP-tubulin, the rate of addition of tubulin is decreased consequently, the rate of GTP hydrolysis exceeds the rate of addition of tubulin subunits and a GDP cap forms. Because the GDP cap is unstable, the microtubule end peels apart to release tubulin subunits. [See T Mitchison and M. Kirschner, 1984, Nature 312 237 ... 

Depolymerized rubber High viscosity, low cure shrinkage, low cost, variable cure times and temperature, one-part material available Low strength, flexible, low vapor transmission, good electrical properties... 

Depolymerized High viscosity, low cure shrinkage. Low strength, flexible. 

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