The functional significance of microtubule quaternary structure

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Microtubules (MTs) are long, slender polymers of α-β tubulin dimers that form the mitotic spindle, axonemes, and the cytoskeleton. Tubulin subunits associate head-to-tail to form protofilaments (pfs), and typically 13 pfs are associated laterally to form the MT. MTs are "plastic" polymers, which is to say that tubulin can form structures that differ in their lateral and longitudinal curvature. This plasticity is made possible by flexibility in the links between tubulin dimers and may give microtubules their unique mechanical properties. Structural plasticity creates a challenge for cells, however, in terms of controlling the quaternary structure of the microtubule lattice.