The Role of Molecular Microtubule Motors and the Microtubule Cytoskeleton in Stress Granule Dynamics

Figure 1

Model of microtubules and molecular motors in stress granule dynamics. When cells are exposed to stress-induced translational inhibition, SGs begin to form as small foci (A), assisted by assembly factors, and are transported along microtubules by molecular motors, enabling coalescence of SGs into larger foci (B). This process of coalescence continues while SGs are transported along microtubules to the perinuclear region where larger granules reside (C). Once the stress is removed SGs disassemble (D) aided by molecular motors as well as other disassembly factors. See Table 1 for the list of cytoskeletal proteins that function in these processes.