Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Mitotic Spindle02:27

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 Spindle02:27

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 Assembly02:50

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...
Role of Septins01:02

Role of Septins

Septins are the recently discovered fourth major protein component of the cytoskeleton, along with microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. These proteins can associate with other cytoskeletal filaments and carry out varied roles or can be free-floating in the cytoplasm.
Cellular Functions of Septins
Recent studies have revealed the multifaceted roles of septins in various cellular processes such as cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, and neurogenesis. Septins act as scaffolds and...
Microtubules in Signaling01:22

Microtubules in Signaling

The primary cilium, made up of microtubules, acts as antennae on the cell surfaces for relaying external stimuli into the cells. These fine hair-like structures are present, generally one per cell. These are non-motile cilia in a 9+0 microtubules arrangement, where the central pair of microtubules are absent. The primary cilia arise from the basal body embedded in the cell membrane. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) carries requisite proteins from the cytoplasm to the cilium because the primary...
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Agnostic material classification using differential de Bruijn graphs of DNA imprints.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Identifying membrane-bound transcriptional regulatory proteins from rare but evolutionarily conserved domain combinations.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Analysis of 173,303 exomes and genomes in the Pakistan Genome Resource.

Nature·2026
Same author

A cross-vertebrate brain protein interaction map identifies conserved neural and non-neural complexes.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

A protein interactome for the last eukaryotic common ancestor illuminates the biochemical basis of modern genetic diseases.

Cell genomics·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Phenome-wide analysis of copy number variants in 470,727 UK Biobank genomes.

Nature·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

A role for central spindle proteins in cilia structure and function.

Katherine R Smith1, Esther K Kieserman, Peggy I Wang

  • 1Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.

Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.)
|January 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Central spindle proteins involved in cell division are also crucial for cilia function and structure. This study reveals a conserved reuse of these proteins in both cellular processes, impacting microtubule organization and membrane trafficking.

More Related Videos

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes
09:39

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

Published on: December 20, 2014

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes
09:39

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

Published on: December 20, 2014

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cytokinesis (cell division) and ciliogenesis (cilium formation) are essential cellular processes requiring precise microtubule organization and membrane trafficking.
  • While extensively studied, the potential overlap in regulatory machinery between these two processes has not been well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the shared protein components between the central spindle/midbody involved in cytokinesis and the basal body complex of cilia.
  • To determine if proteins regulating cell division also play a role in ciliary function and structure.

Main Methods:

  • Localization studies of central spindle/midbody proteins (PRC1, MKLP-1, INCENP, centriolin) at the basal body complex in vertebrate ciliated epithelial cells.
  • Bioinformatic proteomic comparisons between midbody and cilia datasets.
  • Functional analysis using temperature-sensitive mutants (PRC1/spd-1, MKLP-1/zen-4) in *C. elegans* to assess ciliary function and morphology.

Main Results:

  • Several key central spindle/midbody proteins were found to localize to the basal body complex in ciliated cells.
  • Bioinformatic analysis revealed a significant overlap between the proteomes of the midbody and cilia.
  • Mutants lacking functional PRC1/spd-1 or MKLP-1/zen-4 exhibited defects in both cilia function and morphology.

Conclusions:

  • A substantial number of proteins are conserved and reused between the cytokinetic apparatus and cilia.
  • This finding highlights a previously underappreciated link between cell division machinery and ciliary biology.
  • The study suggests a conserved mechanism for protein reuse in fundamental cellular processes.