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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...
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos
13:59

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

Published on: June 14, 2012

Kinetochore flexibility: creating a dynamic chromosome-spindle interface.

Christopher B O'Connell1, Alexey Khodjakov, Bruce F McEwen

  • 1Nikon Instruments Inc., Melville, NY 11747, United States.

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|January 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Kinetochores, crucial for cell division, are not rigid structures but flexible assemblies. This adaptability allows them to effectively interact with the mitotic spindle during chromosome segregation.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos
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Published on: June 14, 2012

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular and Structural Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics

Background:

  • Kinetochores are essential macromolecular complexes that connect chromosomes to the mitotic spindle.
  • They play critical roles in chromosome movement and ensuring accurate cell division through the spindle assembly checkpoint.
  • While kinetochore composition is known, their detailed molecular and atomic-level structural organization remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the structural organization of kinetochores at molecular and atomic levels.
  • To understand how kinetochore structure facilitates interactions with microtubules.
  • To investigate the dynamic and flexible nature of kinetochores.

Main Methods:

  • Recent structural studies utilizing advanced imaging and biochemical techniques.
  • Analysis of kinetochore interactions with microtubules across different scales.
  • Comparative structural analysis of kinetochore organization.

Main Results:

  • Kinetochores are not static scaffolds but exhibit significant flexibility.
  • This structural plasticity enables rapid adaptation to diverse microtubule interactions.
  • Emerging structural data reveals dynamic organization at molecular and atomic levels.

Conclusions:

  • Kinetochore flexibility is a key feature enabling their function in chromosome segregation.
  • The dynamic nature of kinetochores is crucial for precise interactions with the mitotic spindle.
  • Future research should focus on the dynamic structural aspects of kinetochore-microtubule engagement.