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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...
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...
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...
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 19, 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

Balancing the kinetochore ledger.

Stuart Cane1, Thomas J Maresca

  • 1Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|August 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) suppresses microtubule dynamics at kinetochores. This regulation helps establish kinetochore-microtubule attachments in prometaphase and promotes force generation in metaphase.

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Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
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Combining Mitotic Cell Synchronization and High Resolution Confocal Microscopy to Study the Role of Multifunctional Cell Cycle Proteins During Mitosis

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 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

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
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Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

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Combining Mitotic Cell Synchronization and High Resolution Confocal Microscopy to Study the Role of Multifunctional Cell Cycle Proteins During Mitosis
08:33

Combining Mitotic Cell Synchronization and High Resolution Confocal Microscopy to Study the Role of Multifunctional Cell Cycle Proteins During Mitosis

Published on: December 5, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Kinetochore Function

Background:

  • Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) is crucial for cell division.
  • Plk1 is typically found at kinetochores, structures involved in chromosome segregation.
  • Its role in stabilizing kinetochore-microtubule (kt-MT) attachments during prometaphase is established, but its reduction during metaphase is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of Plk1 at kinetochores during cell cycle progression.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Plk1 influences kinetochore-microtubule dynamics.
  • To understand the role of Plk1 reduction in metaphase for proper chromosome segregation.

Main Methods:

  • Immunofluorescence microscopy to visualize Plk1 localization.
  • Live-cell imaging to observe microtubule dynamics.
  • Biochemical assays to assess Plk1 activity and its effect on microtubules.

Main Results:

  • Kinetochore-associated Plk1 significantly suppresses microtubule plus-end dynamics.
  • Plk1 stabilizes microtubules during prometaphase, facilitating kt-MT attachment establishment.
  • Reduction of Plk1 in metaphase allows for increased microtubule dynamics, promoting force generation.

Conclusions:

  • Plk1 acts as a key regulator of microtubule dynamics at kinetochores.
  • The dynamic regulation of Plk1 levels is essential for the transition from prometaphase to metaphase.
  • This mechanism ensures proper establishment and maturation of kinetochore-microtubule attachments for accurate chromosome segregation.