Microtubule polymerization in alignment by an on-chip temperature gradient platform

•A microfluidic device, which creates a defined temperature gradient through feedback control, for on-chip microtubule (MT) polymerization.•The temperature gradient allows asymmetrical MT polymerization, leading unidirectional MT assembly and good alignment within an angular range, in a confined env...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Chemical, 2019-11, Vol.298, p.126813, Article 126813
Main Authors: Liu, Jia-Hong, Hsia, Kuo-Chiang, Yokokawa, Ryuji, Lu, Yen-Wen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alignment
Asymmetric polymerization
Bundling
Filaments
Image processing
Microfluidics
Polymerization
Temperature distribution
Temperature gradient
Temperature gradients
Tensors
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Summary:•A microfluidic device, which creates a defined temperature gradient through feedback control, for on-chip microtubule (MT) polymerization.•The temperature gradient allows asymmetrical MT polymerization, leading unidirectional MT assembly and good alignment within an angular range, in a confined environment.•The MT alignment is quantified by using structure-tensor image processing technique, which gives a more precise determination of the main orientation.•At the similar temperature, the MTs show an alignment within 30° under the temperature gradient field, whereas they are widely dispersed under the uniform temperature field.•MT polymerization and alignment are shown to be controlled across a distance by the temperature gradient and tubulin concentration We propose the utilization of a microfluidic platform, which generates a defined temperature gradient, for on-chip microtubule (MT) polymerization. The temperature gradient allows the MTs to be asymmetrically polymerized in a spatially-restricted, nature-mimicking environment. MTs are unidirectionally assembled and neatly aligned along the temperature gradient direction. To quantify the MT alignment, a structure-tensor-based image processing technique is employed. At the similar temperature, the MTs show an alignment within 30° under the temperature gradient field, whereas they are widely dispersed under the uniform temperature field. Further, the MT polymerization and alignments at two different tubulin concentrations are examined. The MTs polymerized at the higher concentration are aligned for a longer distance than the ones at the lower concentration due to sufficient tubulin concentration.
ISSN:0925-4005
1873-3077
DOI:10.1016/j.snb.2019.126813