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The Mitotic Spindle

The Mitotic Spindle

The mitotic spindle—or spindle apparatus—is a eukaryotic, cytoskeletal structure made up of long protein fibers called microtubules. Formed during cell division, the spindle separates sister chromatids and moves them to opposite ends of a parental cell, where the now individual chromosomes are distributed to two daughter cell nuclei.
The bipolar configuration of the mitotic spindle facilitates chromosomal segregation, preparing the cell for division. One mechanism that ensures bipolar mitotic...

The Mitotic Spindle

The Mitotic Spindle

The mitotic spindle—or spindle apparatus—is a eukaryotic, cytoskeletal structure made up of long protein fibers called microtubules. Formed during cell division, the spindle separates sister chromatids and moves them to opposite ends of a parental cell, where the now individual chromosomes are distributed to two daughter cell nuclei.
The bipolar configuration of the mitotic spindle facilitates chromosomal segregation, preparing the cell for division. One mechanism that ensures bipolar mitotic...

Spindle Assembly

Spindle Assembly

Spindle assembly occurs through three, often coexisting, pathways – the centrosome-mediated pathway, the chromatin-mediated pathway, and the microtubule-mediated pathway – collectively contributing to form a robust spindle apparatus.
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a microtubule array...

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

Chapter 24: Computational modeling of self-organized spindle formation.

Stuart C Schaffner¹, Jorge V José

¹Physics Department, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Methods in Cell Biology

|January 3, 2009

Summary

We present a biophysical model for self-organized mitotic spindle formation in Xenopus egg extracts. This computational model accurately simulates microtubule dynamics during mitosis, aiding biological research.

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Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Computational Biology

Background:

The mitotic spindle is crucial for cell division (mitosis and cytokinesis).
Its formation and function in chromosome-dominated pathways remain incompletely understood.
Complex biological systems like mitosis require interdisciplinary modeling approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

To derive and detail a biophysical model for self-organized mitotic spindle formation.
To provide computational methods for simulating microtubule dynamics in Xenopus meiotic extracts.
To bridge the gap between biological experimentation and biophysical modeling.

Main Methods:

Developed a coarse-grained biophysical model for microtubule self-organization.
Created a numerical simulator for the biophysical model.
Focused on the chromosome-dominated pathway in Xenopus meiotic extracts.

Main Results:

The model's simulation results align with experimental findings in Xenopus.
Demonstrated the utility of biophysical modeling in understanding complex biological processes.
Identified effective trade-offs between model reliability, simulation speed, and accuracy.

Conclusions:

Biophysical modeling offers a powerful complement to biological experimentation for studying mitosis.
The developed model provides a framework for analyzing mitotic spindle self-organization.
Coarse-grained approximations are suitable for modeling large biological components like microtubules.