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Attachment of Sister Chromatids

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

As cells progress into mitosis, the nuclear envelope breaks down, and the condensed chromosomes are exposed to the array of bipolar microtubules of the mitotic spindle. The kinetochore, a large, disc-shaped protein complex, is present at the centromere region of the sister chromatids and acts as a binding site for the microtubules. Usually, the plus-end of a single microtubule is embedded within the kinetochore. However, some kinetochores first establish lateral contact with the side-wall of a...

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

As cells progress into mitosis, the nuclear envelope breaks down, and the condensed chromosomes are exposed to the array of bipolar microtubules of the mitotic spindle. The kinetochore, a large, disc-shaped protein complex, is present at the centromere region of the sister chromatids and acts as a binding site for the microtubules. Usually, the plus-end of a single microtubule is embedded within the kinetochore. However, some kinetochores first establish lateral contact with the side-wall of a...

Cohesins

Cohesins

Cohesin protein complexes are a molecular glue that holds two sister chromatids together. They play an important role both in mitosis and meiosis. In mitosis, all cohesin complexes present on the chromosomes are removed before the start of the anaphase stage.
Cohesin complexes in Meiotic Division
Meiosis involves two distinct rounds of chromosomal segregation and cell divisions— Meiosis I followed by Meiosis II – producing four daughter cells. Meiosis I includes the separation of homologous...

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
Near the end of the prophase, also called late prophase or "prometaphase,"...

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis.
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...

Condensins

Condensins

Condensins are large protein complexes that use ATP to fuel the assembly of chromosomes during mitosis. They transform the tangled, shapeless mass of post-interphase DNA into individualized chromosomes by compacting, organizing, and segregating chromosomal DNA.
The plant and animal cells contain two types of condensin complexes—condensin I and condensin II. Both complexes have five subunits: two SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) subunits, a kleisin subunit, and two HEAT-repeat...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Kinetochore attachment: how the hec can a cell do it?

Shang Cai¹, Claire E Walczak

¹Biochemistry Program and Medical Sciences, Indiana University, 915 E. 3rd Street, Myers Hall 262, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|December 17, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Stable kinetochore-microtubule attachments are vital for chromosome dynamics. Two studies reveal how the Ndc80 complex achieves this crucial, dynamic linkage for cell division.

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Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

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Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

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Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos

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Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Published on: April 10, 2018

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Accurate chromosome segregation during cell division relies on stable kinetochore-microtubule attachments.
The Ndc80 complex is a key protein mediating these attachments, but its precise mechanism remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the Ndc80 complex establishes and regulates kinetochore-microtubule attachments.
To understand how these attachments contribute to chromosome congression, segregation, and checkpoint signaling.

Main Methods:

Utilized structural biology techniques (e.g., cryo-electron microscopy) to visualize the Ndc80 complex at the kinetochore.
Employed biochemical assays and in vitro reconstitution experiments to study complex interactions.
Leveraged genetic and cell biological approaches to probe the in vivo function of the Ndc80 complex.

Main Results:

Detailed the structural basis of Ndc80 complex interaction with both kinetochore components and microtubule outerᲘ.
Identified key residues and conformational changes within the Ndc80 complex essential for attachment stability and flexibility.
Demonstrated the role of the Ndc80 complex in timely detachment, facilitating chromosome dynamics.

Conclusions:

The Ndc80 complex acts as a crucial molecular clutch, balancing the need for stable attachment with dynamic regulation.
These findings provide a deeper understanding of chromosome segregation fidelity and its implications for cell cycle control.