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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,"...

Centrosome Duplication

Centrosome Duplication

The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
To ensure that each daughter cell receives a centrosome after cell division, centrosome duplication...

Centrosome Duplication

Centrosome Duplication

The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
To ensure that each daughter cell receives a centrosome after cell division, centrosome duplication...

Histone Variants at the Centromere

Histone Variants at the Centromere

Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3 variants are also...

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 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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Published on: September 20, 2013

Centriole evolution.

Wallace F Marshall¹

¹Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. wmarshall@biochem.ucsf.edu

Current Opinion in Cell Biology

|February 7, 2009

Summary

Centrioles, essential cell structures, exhibit robust self-assembly and can be built from minimal genetic components. Their complex form evolves from a simple core, challenging notions of irreducible complexity in cell biology.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Structural Biology

Background:

Centrioles are cylindrical cell structures crucial for the mitotic spindle and cilia formation.
Their complex, ninefold symmetric structure and self-reproduction have led to evolutionary questions.
Some view centrioles as 'irreducibly complex,' a concept often linked to intelligent design arguments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary origins and structural basis of centrioles.
To address the 'irreducible complexity' debate surrounding centriole formation.
To understand the minimal genetic requirements for centriole self-assembly.

Main Methods:

Analysis of centriole structure and duplication mechanisms.
Examination of genetic components involved in centriole formation.

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Isolation and Fluorescence Imaging for Single-particle Reconstruction of Chlamydomonas Centrioles

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Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

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Published on: September 20, 2013

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Isolation and Fluorescence Imaging for Single-particle Reconstruction of Chlamydomonas Centrioles

Isolation and Fluorescence Imaging for Single-particle Reconstruction of Chlamydomonas Centrioles

Published on: September 21, 2018

Perturbation studies to assess centriole functional robustness.

Main Results:

Centrioles demonstrate remarkable self-assembly capabilities.
They can withstand significant structural disruptions while retaining function.
The formation of centrioles relies on a surprisingly small set of genes.

Conclusions:

Centriole complexity is not irreducible; they arise from a minimal core structure.
The self-assembly and robustness of centrioles provide insights into their evolution.
Findings challenge teleological explanations for cellular structures, supporting evolutionary principles.