E pluribus unum: towards a universal mechanism for spindle assembly
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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
Published on: August 13, 2016
Patricia Wadsworth1, Alexey Khodjakov
1Morrill Science Center, Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Abstract:
Recent data have revealed that the mitotic spindle might form by centrosome-independent mechanisms, even in centrosome-containing cells. This suggests that spindle assembly might proceed by a generally conserved acentrosomal mechanism in all higher eukaryotes, regardless of the presence of centrosomes. Thus, what is the role of centrosomes in mitosis? We propose that these organelles are needed to generate radial arrays of microtubules that integrate preassembled (by centrosome-independent mechanisms) spindle components into a common spindle and orientate the spindle within malleable animal cells.
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