Microtubules 2026

This collection highlights recent advances in microtubule research, with articles providing insights into microtubule interactions, formation, and organization. Selected articles explore how kinesins coordinate stepping behavior during transport or generate mechanical stress, as well as mechanisms underlying dynein activation. Studies in this collection investigate actin-microtubule interactions that govern nuclear positioning and how intercellular bridge microtubules are stabilized. The collection highlights work showing how microtubule nucleation is regulated by spindle matrix proteins, how spindle assembly affects microtubule organization, and how centriole cap proteins cooperatively regulate microtubule elongation. It further includes a new tool for subcellular structure segmentation, as well as a perspective on microtubule dynamics.

We hope this collection, which bridges topics related to mechanobiology, biophysics, and developmental biology, will engage readers interested in microtubule research. We welcome your feedback on X at @JCellBiol and Bluesky at @jcb.org. Sign up to receive notifications about future special collections here.

Image © 2025 Geng et al.