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Related Concept Videos

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...
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

Microtubules form through the end-to-end polymerization of tubulin heterodimers. Kinetochore microtubules originate from the spindle poles, and their plus-ends connect with the kinetochores on sister-chromatids. Ndc80 protein complexes, present on the kinetochore, form low-affinity links with the plus end of these kinetochore microtubules.
Plus-end depolymerization releases tubulin heterodimers from the terminal region of the microtubule. As tubulin subunits are lost, the Ndc80 complexes detach...
Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

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 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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
05:35

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Aurora B dynamics at centromeres create a diffusion-based phosphorylation gradient.

Enxiu Wang1, Edward R Ballister, Michael A Lampson

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|August 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Aurora B kinase creates a phosphorylation gradient essential for cell division. Its release and diffusion from centromeres allow it to reach distant substrates, ensuring proper spindle assembly and chromosome segregation.

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Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
05:35

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Real-Time Monitoring of Aurora kinase A Activation using Conformational FRET Biosensors in Live Cells
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Real-Time Monitoring of Aurora kinase A Activation using Conformational FRET Biosensors in Live Cells

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Mass Spectrometry Analysis to Identify Ubiquitylation of EYFP-tagged CENP-A (EYFP-CENP-A)
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Mass Spectrometry Analysis to Identify Ubiquitylation of EYFP-tagged CENP-A (EYFP-CENP-A)

Published on: June 10, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Aurora B kinase is crucial for accurate cell division, regulating spindle assembly and kinetochore-microtubule interactions.
  • The kinase localizes to the inner centromere but phosphorylates substrates at various chromosomal locations, with efficiency dependent on distance.
  • Mechanisms by which Aurora B reaches distant substrates and establishes spatial phosphorylation patterns remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Aurora B kinase reaches its substrates at a distance.
  • To understand how spatial phosphorylation patterns are established during cell division.
  • To investigate the role of Aurora B dynamics and diffusion in regulating cell division.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental manipulation of dynamic exchange of Aurora B kinase at centromeres.
  • Utilizing a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor to observe phosphorylation spreading.
  • Measuring kinase concentration at centromeric and chromosomal sites.

Main Results:

  • Aurora B kinase activity is dependent on its concentration at centromeres and other chromosomal sites.
  • The kinase reaches its substrates via diffusion from the inner centromere.
  • Direct observation confirmed phosphorylation spreading from centromeres post-kinase activation.

Conclusions:

  • Aurora B kinase dynamics and diffusion from the inner centromere generate spatial information crucial for cell division.
  • This diffusion-based mechanism allows Aurora B to phosphorylate substrates at varying distances, ensuring proper cell cycle progression.
  • Understanding this spatial regulation is key to comprehending the fidelity of cell division.