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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

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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.
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The Mitotic Spindle

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations

Published on: September 20, 2019

A cell cycle timer for asymmetric spindle positioning.

Erin K McCarthy Campbell¹, Adam D Werts, Bob Goldstein

¹Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.

|April 24, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cell division timing is crucial for asymmetric cell division. Researchers found that the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) regulate mitotic spindle positioning, ensuring proper cell division.

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Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations

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Published on: September 20, 2019

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Published on: August 13, 2016

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Asymmetric cell division relies on precise mitotic spindle positioning.
The molecular mechanisms of spindle displacement timing remain largely unknown.
A conserved cell cycle progression mechanism involving the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) times cell division events.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of the APC/Cdc20/Fizzy-cyclin-CDK pathway in timing mitotic spindle displacement.
To determine if this cell cycle mechanism regulates the precise timing of spindle positioning during asymmetric cell division.

Main Methods:

Utilized the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote as a model system.
Manipulated the function of the proteasome, APC, Cdc20/Fizzy, and CDK.
Observed the timing of mitotic spindle displacement and its relationship to spindle assembly.

Main Results:

Reducing proteasome, APC, or Cdc20/Fizzy function delayed spindle displacement.
Inactivating CDK in prometaphase led to premature spindle displacement.
Unlinking spindle displacement from the timing mechanism resulted in premature movement of incompletely assembled spindles.

Conclusions:

The APC/Cdc20/Fizzy-cyclin-CDK pathway acts as a timer for mitotic spindle displacement in C. elegans zygotes.
This timing mechanism ensures that spindle displacement occurs only after the spindle is fully assembled, preventing errors in asymmetric cell division.
This study demonstrates for the first time that cell cycle progression times spindle displacement in animal cell asymmetric division, a mechanism potentially conserved across species.