Cells' inner scaffolding, the cytoskeleton, is composed of many different proteins working in harmony as a lattice to accommodate the cell's movement and shape-changing needs. Microtubules (polymers of tubulin) are a major cytoskeletal component and they're regulated by enzymes that prune their length and growth. This study finds the enzyme spastin responds to lattice instability caused by microtubule defects as a signal to sever microtubules
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