Assembly of the microtubule nucleus is energetically unfavourable and,in vivo, microtubule nucleation requires support, such as a stable template, to stabilize the initial weak interactions between tubulin dimers. Microtubules can also be nucleated in the absence of a template by certain microtubule-associated proteins, which stabilize the nascent nucleation intermediates.
- Johanna Roostalu
- Thomas Surrey
