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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
Published on: August 13, 2016
Kinesin-8 motors improve nuclear centering by promoting microtubule catastrophe
Matko Glunčić1, Nicola Maghelli2, Alexander Krull2
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Abstract:
In fission yeast, microtubules push against the cell edge, thereby positioning the nucleus in the cell center. Kinesin-8 motors regulate microtubule catastrophe; however, their role in nuclear positioning is not known. Here we develop a physical model that describes how kinesin-8 motors affect nuclear centering by promoting a microtubule catastrophe. Our model predicts the improved centering of the nucleus in the presence of motors, which we confirmed experimentally in living cells. The model also predicts a characteristic time for the recentering of a displaced nucleus, which is supported by our experiments where we displaced the nucleus using optical tweezers.
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