Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Long-term Live-cell Imaging to Assess Cell Fate in Response to Paclitaxel
Published on: May 14, 2018
Segregation of genomes in polyploid tumour cells following mitotic catastrophe
Jekaterina Erenpreisa1, M Kalejs, F Ianzini
1Biomedicine Centre of the Latvia University, Ratsupites 1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia. katrina@biomed.lu.lv
Abstract:
Following irradiation p53-function-deficient tumour cells undergo mitotic catastrophe and form endopolyploid cells. A small proportion of these segregates nuclei, and give rise to viable descendants. Here we studied this process in five tumour cell lines. After mitotic failure, tumour cells enter the endocycle and form mono-nucleated or multi-nucleated giant cells (MOGC and MNGC). MNGC arise from arrested anaphases, MOGC, from arrested metaphases. In both cases the individual genomes establish a radial pattern by links to a single microtubule organizing centre. Segregation of genomes is also ordered. MNGC present features of mitosis being resumed from late anaphase. In MOGC the sub-nuclei retain arrangement of stacked metaphase plates and are separated by folds of the nuclear envelope. Mitosis then resumes in sub-nuclei directly from metaphase. The data presented indicate that endopolyploid tumour cells preserve the integrity of individual genomes and can potentially re-initiate mitosis from the point at which it was interrupted.
Related Concept Videos
Meiosis vs. Mitosis
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...
Abnormal Proliferation
Separation of Sister Chromatids
At the onset of anaphase, separase, a proteolytic enzyme, is...
Meiosis II
The timing and cell division patterns of meiosis differ between males and females. In male meiosis, the centrosomes are part of the formation of the meiotic spindle. However, in oocytes, including that of humans, Drosophila,...
Meiosis II
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

