Gray Fox Lung Fibroblast Cells Expressing mEGFP-Tubulin

Although typically anchored near the cell center close to the nucleus, microtubules can reach out across the cell to influence events at the cell cortex and plasma membrane. In contrast to actin filaments, which are far more numerous in most cells and are typically grouped in interconnected bundles and meshworks, microtubules are usually solitary structures. One of their chief functions is providing distinct tracks through the cell along which vesicles, organelles, and other cell components can be transported through the cytoplasm. It is this capacity to mobilize traffic that enables microtubules to impart polarity to the cell, to control cell shape and motility, and to dictate the plane of cell division. In the digital videos presented above, normal Gray fox lung fibroblast cells (FoLu line) are expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fused to human alpha-tubulin.