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Scaling, selection, and evolutionary dynamics of the mitotic spindle
Reza Farhadifar1, Charles F Baer2, Aurore-Cécile Valfort3
1School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|February 17, 2015
Summary
Cellular structure diversity arises from mutations and selection on cell size, not just one "wild-type" form. This cell size scaling influences mitotic spindle variation across development and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cellular structures exhibit significant interspecies diversity.
- Mechanisms driving this cell biology variation remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate mechanisms behind mitotic spindle morphology and dynamics variation.
- Explain within-species variation and evolutionary diversity of the spindle.
Main Methods:
- High-throughput imaging of early cell divisions in nematodes.
- Quantitative analysis of spontaneous mutations and stabilizing selection effects.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous mutations and selection on cell size explain spindle variation.
- Extensive within-species spindle variation exists, challenging the "wild-type" concept.
- Spindle diversity over evolutionary time is accounted for.
Conclusions:
- Natural selection primarily targets cell size, indirectly affecting the spindle.
- Spindle scaling with cell size drives variation across development and evolution.
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