Plant cortical microtubule arrays influence plant morphogenesis, but the nature of microtubule genesis and self-organization has long puzzled cell biologists. In this issue, Murata and coworkers provide some answers by showing that γ-tubulin nucleates new microtubules along the lengths of existing microtubules, resulting in dispersed 'Y'-branched organizational centres.
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Cyr, R. How and Y plant microtubules branch. Nat Cell Biol 7, 927–929 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1005-927
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1005-927