A role for the endoplasmic reticulum in the cellular distribution of microtubules

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton form a coextensive system that spreads throughout the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. While it is well known that MTs contribute to the dynamic distribution of the ER in the cell, a reciprocal role of the ER in influencing the spatial distribution of MTs in mammalian interphase cells not been characterized. Here, we use automated fluorescence microscopy, computer-vision and live-cell imaging to quantitatively characterize the changes in the spatial distribution of MTs when ER morphology is perturbed.