Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018[Jan]; 115 (3): 537-42 PMID29295928show ga
Eukaryotic cells use microtubule (MT)-based transport to control the distribution of cargos across their complex and crowded environment. Prior models of MT-based motility considered cargo behavior on single filaments or simple networks. However, numerous recent reports revealed surprisingly complex 3D MT networks and associated complex cargo motility in cells. Such phenomena could not be modeled in previous studies. We show (via a recently developed experimental approach and in silico modeling) that network geometry plays a significant role in MT-based motility: The 3D properties of a single intersection can determine cargo routing, depending on cargo properties (e.g., size), opening the possibility that tuning 3D network geometry allows for selective targeting of cargos around the cell.