Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
Near the end of the prophase, also called late prophase or...

Centrosome Duplication

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...

Centrosome Duplication

Centrosome Duplication

Spindle Assembly

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...

Histone Variants at the Centromere

Histone Variants at the Centromere

Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3...

The Mitotic Spindle

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Radial Profile-Based Quantification of Centrosomal Proteins.

Bio-protocol·2026

Same author

Toward more sustainable research: reducing the environmental impact when working with Drosophila.

Genetics·2025

Same author

The conserved Spd-2/CEP192 domain adopts a unique protein fold to promote centrosome scaffold assembly.

Science advances·2025

Same author

Asymmetric microtubule nucleation from Golgi stacks promotes opposite microtubule polarity in axons and dendrites.

Current biology : CB·2025

Same author

Centrioles generate two scaffolds with distinct biophysical properties to build mitotic centrosomes.

Science advances·2025

Same author

Humanoid robots to mechanically stress human cells grown in soft bioreactors.

Communications engineering·2024

Same journal

Human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases as integrators of translation and cell signalling networks.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

Same journal

How proteins fold.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

Same journal

Single-cell evidence for PANoptosome complexes.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

Same journal

Reply to 'Single-cell evidence for PANoptosome complexes'.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

Same journal

Plucking cellular ribosomes with Ribo-Tweezer.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

Same journal

COPII meets autophagy at the ER membrane.

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Published on: September 20, 2013

Centrosome function and assembly in animal cells.

Paul T Conduit¹, Alan Wainman², Jordan W Raff²

¹Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology

|September 17, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Centrosomes are crucial coordination centers in eukaryotic cells, regulating cell decisions and protein interactions. Future research aims to reconstitute functional centrosomes in vitro to understand their full role.

More Related Videos

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Published on: September 20, 2013

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Centrosomes are traditionally known as microtubule organizers.
Emerging evidence highlights their role as coordination centers for protein interactions and cell fate decisions in eukaryotic cells.
Hundreds of proteins, including cell cycle regulators and signaling molecules, concentrate at centrosomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the multifaceted roles of centrosomes beyond microtubule organization.
To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying centrosome assembly, particularly during mitosis.
To assess the essentiality of centrosomes in various cellular processes.

Main Methods:

Review of recent findings on centrosome function in animal cells.
Analysis of molecular mechanisms of centrosome assembly.
Discussion of implications for in vitro reconstitution.

Main Results:

Centrosomes act as critical hubs for protein concentration and interaction.
Specific cell cycle regulators and signaling molecules are localized at centrosomes.
Recent advances provide insights into centrosome assembly and function during mitosis.

Conclusions:

Centrosomes play a vital role in coordinating cellular activities and decisions.
Understanding centrosome assembly is key to deciphering their functions.
In vitro reconstitution of centrosomes is a promising future direction to fully understand these organelles.