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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
Published on: August 13, 2016
The mechanism of spindle assembly: functions of Ran and its target TPX2
Oliver J Gruss1, Isabelle Vernos
1Cell Biology and Biophysics Program, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg 69117, Germany. o.gruss@zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de
Abstract:
Recent work has provided new insights into the mechanism of spindle assembly. Growing evidence supports a model in which the small GTPase Ran plays a central role in this process. Here, we examine the evidence for the existence of a RanGTP gradient around mitotic chromosomes and some controversial data on the role that chromosomes play in spindle assembly. We review the current knowledge on the Ran downstream targets for spindle assembly and we focus on the multiple roles of TPX2, one of the targets of RanGTP during cell division.
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