Skip to main content

Analysis of Microtubule Dynamics by Polarized Light

  • Protocol
Microtubule Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Medicineā„¢ ((MIMM,volume 137))

Abstract

In this article, the author describes the needed instrumentation and the methods to be followed for the observation and measurement of the birefringence of single and bundled microtubules and of their ordered arrays using a polarizing microscope. As instruments, the traditional polarizing microscope and the recently developed LC-PolScope are discussed. As methods, we describe qualitative and quantitative observations, including notes on specimen preparations, which optimize the sensitivity and accuracy of measuring specimen retardance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. InouĆ©, S. (1952) The effect of cholchicine on the microscopic and submicroscopic structure of the mitotic spindle. Exp. Cell Res. Suppl. 2, 305ā€“318.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  2. InouĆ©, S. (1964) Organization and function of the mitotic spindle, in Primitive Motile Systems in Cell Biology, (Allen, R. H. and Kamiya, N., eds.), Academic Press, New York pp. 549ā€“598.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  3. InouĆ©, S. and Sato, H. (1967) Cell motility by labile association of molecules: the nature of mitotic spindle fibers and their role in chromosome movement. J. Gen. Physiol. 50, 259ā€“292.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  4. Salmon, E. D. (1975) Pressure-induced depolymerization of spindle microtubules. I. Changes in birefringence and spindle length. J. Cell Biol. 65, 603ā€“614.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  5. Sato, H., Ellis, G. W., and InouĆ©, S. (1975) Microtubular origin of mitotic spindle form birefringence Demonstration of the applicability of Wienerā€™s equation. J. Cell Biol. 67, 501ā€“517.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  6. InouĆ©, S. and Salmon, E. D. (1995) Force generation by microtubule assembly/disassembly in mitosis and related movements. Mol. Biol. Cell 6, 1619ā€“1640.

    PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  7. InouĆ©, S. and Hyde, W. L. (1957) Studies on depolarization of light at microscope lens surfaces II. The simultaneous realization of high resolution and high sensitivity with the polarizing microscope. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 3, 831ā€“838.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  8. InouĆ©, S. and Kubota, H. (1958) Diffraction anomaly in polarizing microscopes. Nature 182, 1725ā€“1726.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  9. Oldenbourg, R. and Mei, G. (1995) New polarized light microscope with precision universal compensator. J. Microsc. 180, 140ā€“147.

    CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  10. Shribak, M. and Oldenbourg, R. (2003) Techniques for fast and sensitive measurements of two-dimensional birefringence distributions. Appl. Opt. 42, 3009ā€“3017.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  11. Oldenbourg, R. (2005) Polarization microscopy with the LC-PolScope, in Live Cell Imaging: A Laboratory Manual, (Goldman, R. D. and Spector, D. L., eds.), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, pp. 205ā€“237.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  12. LaFountain, J. R., Jr. and Oldenbourg, R. (2004) Maloriented bivalents have metaphase positions at the spindle equator with more kinetochore microtubules to one pole than to the other. Mol. Biol. Cell 15, 5346ā€“5355.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  13. Liu, L., Oldenbourg, R., Trimarchi, J. R., and Keefe, D. L. (2000) A reliable, noninvasive technique for spindle imaging and enucleation of mammalian oocytes. Nat. Biotechnol. 18, 223ā€“225.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  14. Wang, W. H. and Keefe, D. L. (2002) Prediction of chromosome misalignment among in vitro matured human oocytes by spindle imaging with the PolScope. Fertil. Steril. 78, 1077ā€“1081.

    ArticleĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  15. Sammak, P. J. and Borisy, G. G. (1988) Direct observation of microtubule dynamics in living cells. Nature 332, 724ā€“726.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  16. Horio, T. and Hotani, H. (1986) Visualization of the dynamic instability of individual microtubules by dark-field microscopy. Nature 321, 605ā€“607.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  17. Walker, R. A., Oā€™Brien, E. T., Pryer, N. K., et al. (1988) Dynamic instability of individual microtubules analyzed by video light microscopy: rate constants and transition frequencies. J. Cell Biol. 107, 1437ā€“1448.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  18. Oldenbourg, R., Salmon, E. D., and Tran, P. T. (1998) Birefringence of single and bundled microtubules. Biophys. J. 74, 645ā€“654.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  19. Waterman-Storer, C. M. (1998) Microtubules and microscopes: how the development of light microscopic imaging technologies has contributed to discoveries about microtubule dynamics in living cells. Mol. Biol. Cell 9, 3263ā€“3271.

    CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  20. Cassimeris, L., Pryer, N. K., and Salmon, E. D. (1988) Real-time observations of microtubule dynamic instability in living cells. J. Cell Biol. 107, 2223ā€“2231.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  21. InouĆ©, S. (2002) Polarization microscopy, in Current Protocols in Cell Biology, (Bonifacino, J. S., Dasso, M., Harford, J. B., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., and Yamada, K. M., eds.), John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 4.9.1ā€“4.9.27.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  22. InouƩ, S. (1986) Video Microscopy. Plenum Press, New York.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  23. Oldenbourg, R. (1999) Polarized light microscopy of spindles. Methods Cell Biol. 61, 175ā€“208.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  24. Shribak, M., InouĆ©, S., and Oldenbourg, R. (2002) Polarization aberrations caused by differential transmission and phase shift in high NA lenses: theory, measurement and rectification. Opt. Eng. 41, 943ā€“954.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  25. Oldenbourg, R. (1996) A new view on polarization microscopy. Nature 381, 811ā€“812.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  PubMedĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  26. InouĆ©, S. and Dan, K. (1951) Birefringence of the dividing cell. J. Morphol. 89, 423ā€“456.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  27. InouĆ©, S. and Sato, H. (1966) Deoxyribonucleic acid arrangement in living sperm, in Molecular Architecture in Cell Physiology, (Hayashi, T. and Szent-Gyorgyi, A. G., eds.), Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 209ā€“248.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  28. InouƩ, S. and Spring, K. R. (1997) Video Microscopy. Plenum Press, New York.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  29. IhouƩ, S. and Spring, K. R. (1997) Video Microscopy. Plenum Press, New York.

    Google ScholarĀ 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

Ā© 2007 Humana Press Inc.

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Oldenbourg, R. (2007). Analysis of Microtubule Dynamics by Polarized Light. In: Zhou, J. (eds) Microtubule Protocols. Methods in Molecular Medicineā„¢, vol 137. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-442-1_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-442-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-642-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-442-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics