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Related Concept Videos

Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
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...
Centrosome Duplication02:25

Centrosome Duplication

The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
To ensure that each daughter cell receives a centrosome after cell division, centrosome duplication...
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...
The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint02:19

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex
09:25

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Published on: June 4, 2014

Spindle orientation in mammalian cerebral cortical development.

Madeline A Lancaster1, Juergen A Knoblich

  • 1Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dr Bohr Gasse 3-5, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|May 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Spindle orientation guides cell division and fate in the mammalian neocortex. Recent studies reveal its role in generating specific progenitor cells, influencing neurogenesis and brain development.

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2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development

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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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex
09:25

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Published on: June 4, 2014

2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development
14:19

2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development

Published on: March 25, 2022

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

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Mitotic spindle orientation dictates cell division plane and daughter cell positioning.
  • Spindle orientation, coupled with cellular polarization, generates asymmetric cell fates.
  • In the mammalian neocortex, early planar spindle orientation is crucial for symmetric divisions, while later reorientation's role in asymmetric fates is less clear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the enigmatic role of spindle orientation in mammalian neocortical cell fate determination.
  • To investigate how spindle orientation influences the generation of specific progenitor populations.

Main Methods:

  • Focus on key regulators of spindle positioning, specifically mInsc and LGN.
  • Analysis of cell divisions and progenitor populations in the developing mammalian neocortex.

Main Results:

  • Recent work highlights mInsc and LGN's involvement in spindle orientation.
  • Spindle orientation is critical for determining specific asymmetric cell fates, including intermediate progenitors and outer radial glia.
  • This orientation influences the neurogenic outcome of progenitor divisions.

Conclusions:

  • Spindle orientation plays a vital role in specifying progenitor cell types during neocortical development.
  • It directly impacts neurogenesis and contributes to cerebral cortical expansion by regulating progenitor division outcomes.