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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
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Spatio-Temporal Manipulation of Small GTPase Activity at Subcellular Level and on Timescale of Seconds in Living Cells
Published on: March 9, 2012
Spatial and temporal coordination of mitosis by Ran GTPase
Paul R Clarke1, Chuanmao Zhang
1Biomedical Research Centre, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK. p.r.clarke@dundee.ac.uk
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|May 15, 2008
Summary
The small nuclear GTPase Ran regulates nuclear transport and orchestrates key events in cell division, including spindle assembly and nuclear envelope dynamics during mitosis. Understanding Ran
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The small nuclear GTPase Ran is crucial for regulating nucleocytoplasmic transport.
- Ran plays a significant role in the complex processes of cell division (mitosis).
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the multifaceted roles of Ran during mitosis.
- To investigate how Ran coordinates intracellular organization during the cell cycle.
Main Methods:
- The study likely involves molecular biology techniques to investigate protein function.
- Analysis of cellular processes such as spindle assembly and nuclear envelope dynamics.
Main Results:
- Ran directs the assembly of the mitotic spindle.
- Ran influences nuclear-envelope dynamics and cell-cycle timing.
- Ran's functions are key to spatial and temporal coordination during cell division.
Conclusions:
- Ran is a central regulator of both interphase transport and mitotic progression.
- The mechanisms governed by Ran offer insights into the precise coordination required for cell division.
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