Medical research

A potential active ingredient for nerve regeneration

Nerve fibers (axons) transmit brain and spinal cord signals through nerves to target muscles or skin, and vice versa. Damage to these fibers thus leads to a disruption of connections and, consequently, to paralysis or numbness. ...

Medical research

Ladies, this is why fertility declines with age

Researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM) have discovered a possible new explanation for female infertility. Thanks to cutting-edge microscopy techniques, they observed for the first time ...

Medical research

New structure discovered in human sperm tails

A highly effective tail is needed in order for a sperm to be able to swim, and for a baby to be conceived. By using cryo-electron tomography, researchers at the University of Gothenburg working in partnership with researchers ...

Medical research

A new hope for a therapy against retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative genetic disease of the eye, is characterized by progressive vision loss, usually leading to blindness. In some patients, structural defects in the photoreceptor cells have been observed, ...

Neuroscience

Stabilizing neuronal branching for healthy brain circuitry

Neurons form circuits in our brain by creating tree-like branches to connect with each other. Newly forming branches rely on the stability of microtubules, a railway-like system important for the transport of materials in ...

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Microtubule

Microtubules are a component of the cytoskeleton. These rope-like polymers of tubulin can grow as long as 25 micrometers and are highly dynamic. The outer diameter of microtubule is about 25 nm. Microtubules are important for maintaining cell structure, providing platforms for intracellular transport, forming the spindle during mitosis, as well as other cellular processes. There are many proteins that bind to the microtubule, including motor proteins such as kinesin and dynein, severing proteins like katanin, and other proteins important for regulating microtubule dynamics.

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