Speaker: Veronica Ciocanel (Duke University)
Title: Modeling Mechanisms of Length and Polarity Regulation in Neuronal Microtubules
Zoom Link: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/82616248519?pwd=CAR0v0aaIpTnIVwxJDa59wFvusobot.1
Abstract: Microtubules are protein polymers which are known to be stable and to have specific orientations in neurons. This is crucial, since key proteins get transported along these polarized microtubules, which ensures long-term survival of neurons. However, microtubules also need to be dynamic and reorganize in response to injury events. How this balance is achieved remains an open question. Using information from experimental measurements, we seek to understand mechanisms that control microtubule length and numbers in dendrites of fruit fly neurons. We consider both stochastic and reduced continuous models that incorporate restrictions on filament growth, such as limited tubulin availability and the dependence of shrinking events on microtubule length. More recently, we have been interested in understanding how nucleation impacts the number of filaments in these cells, given that neuronal injury is known to regulate the formation of new microtubules. Ongoing work is focused on how these dynamics microtubule filaments collectively organize into polarized structures in neurons.