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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
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...
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...
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 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

Elevated polar ejection forces stabilize kinetochore-microtubule attachments.

Stuart Cane1, Anna A Ye, Sasha J Luks-Morgan

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

The Journal of Cell Biology
|January 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polar ejection forces (PEFs) generated by kinesin-10 motors stabilize chromosome-microtubule attachments. These forces push chromosomes away from spindle poles, enhancing chromosome alignment during cell division.

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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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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 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

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles
07:47

Directly Measuring Forces Within Reconstituted Active Microtubule Bundles

Published on: May 10, 2022

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

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Kinetochore-microtubule (kt-MT) interactions are crucial for chromosome alignment, stabilized by tension.
  • Molecular motors contribute to chromosome alignment, but their role in kt-MT attachment stability is not fully understood.
  • Polar ejection forces (PEFs), driven by kinesin-10, are proposed to aid chromosome congression by pushing chromosomes from spindle poles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of polar ejection forces (PEFs) on kinetochore-microtubule (kt-MT) attachment stability.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which kinesin-10 motors generate PEFs.
  • To determine how PEFs modulate chromosome alignment and error correction during cell division.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a live-cell assay to apply tension to chromosomes by manipulating NOD (Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-10) levels.
  • Utilized NOD chimeras with altered motility or tip-tracking activity to study PEF generation.
  • Observed the effects of NOD on syntelic kt-MT attachments and Aurora B-mediated error correction.

Main Results:

  • Manipulating NOD levels stabilized syntelic kt-MT attachments in a dose- and motor-dependent manner.
  • PEFs generated by NOD overwhelmed Aurora B's error correction activity.
  • NOD-coated chromatin stretched via lateral and end-on microtubule interactions, generating PEFs.

Conclusions:

  • PEFs generated by kinesin-10 motors modulate kt-MT attachment stability.
  • Distinct force-producing interactions between chromosomes and dynamic microtubules can generate PEFs.
  • PEFs play a significant role in chromosome congression and accurate cell division.