Lattice defects induced by microtubule-stabilizing agents exert a long-range effect on microtubule growth by promoting catastrophes

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that spontaneously switch between phases of growth and shrinkage. The probability of transitioning from growth to shrinkage, termed catastrophe, increases with microtubule age, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we set out to test whether microtubule lattice defects formed during polymerization can affect growth at the plus end. To generate microtubules with lattice defects, we used microtubule-stabilizing agents that promote formation of polymers with different protofilament numbers. By employing different agents during nucleation of stable microtubule seeds and the subsequent polymerization phase, we could reproducibly induce switches in protofilament number and induce stable lattice defects. Such drug-induced defects led to frequent catastrophes, which were not observed when microtubules were grown in the same conditions but without a protofilament number mismatch. Microtubule severing at the site of the defect was sufficient to suppress catastrophes. We conclude that structural defects within the microtubule lattice can exert effects that can propagate over long distances and affect the dynamic state of the microtubule end.