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Related Concept Videos

Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
Attachment of Sister Chromatids02:57

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 Chromatids02:57

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...
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

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...
Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations
07:14

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

Published on: September 20, 2019

Deviant kinetochore microtubule dynamics underlie chromosomal instability.

Samuel F Bakhoum1, Giulio Genovese, Duane A Compton

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|November 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Cancer cells with chromosomal instability (CIN) show more stable kinetochore-microtubule attachments, hindering error correction. This defect in correcting malattachments contributes to widespread CIN in tumors.

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations
07:14

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

Published on: June 14, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Persistent malattachment of microtubules to chromosomes at kinetochores is a major driver of chromosomal instability (CIN).
  • While normal cells efficiently correct these attachment errors, the capacity of cancer cells with CIN to do so remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether cancer cells with CIN can efficiently correct kinetochore-microtubule attachment errors.
  • To determine the role of attachment stability in chromosomal missegregation in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of kinetochore-microtubule attachment stability in cancer cells with CIN versus normal diploid RPE-1 cells.
  • Experimental manipulation of attachment stability in normal cells by depleting APC or MCAK proteins.

Main Results:

  • Kinetochore-microtubule attachments are inherently more stable in cancer cells with CIN compared to normal RPE-1 cells.
  • This increased stability leads to persistent malattachments into anaphase, causing chromosome missegregation.
  • Depleting APC or MCAK in normal cells increased segregation defects to levels seen in CIN cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer cells exhibit a diminished capacity to correct erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachments.
  • This defect in error correction is a key factor contributing to the high prevalence of chromosomal instability in tumors.