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Related Concept Videos

Attachment of Sister Chromatids02:57

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

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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...
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Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

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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...
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Spindle Assembly02:50

Spindle Assembly

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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...
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Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

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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...
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The Mitotic Spindle02:27

The Mitotic Spindle

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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...
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Centrioles and Centrosomes01:13

Centrioles and Centrosomes

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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...
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Updated: Feb 21, 2026

Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos
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Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos

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Kinetochore Function from the Bottom Up.

Stephen M Hinshaw1, Stephen C Harrison1

  • 1Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Trends in Cell Biology
|October 8, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Accurate chromosome segregation is vital for cell survival, preventing errors that cause cell death. Kinetochore-microtubule connections ensure this process by linking DNA to cellular machinery.

Keywords:
chromosome segregationkinetochore structure and regulation

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Studying Mitotic Checkpoint by Illustrating Dynamic Kinetochore Protein Behavior and Chromosome Motion in Living Drosophila Syncytial Embryos
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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Chromosome segregation is essential for cell division and viability.
  • Errors in segregation can lead to cell death.
  • Kinetochores are crucial for accurate chromosome segregation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular mechanisms of kinetochore function.
  • To explain how kinetochores connect chromosomal DNA to microtubules.
  • To highlight regulatory points and functions in chromosome segregation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent advancements in kinetochore research.
  • Analysis of protein connectivity from DNA to microtubules.
  • Synthesis of findings related to regulation and function.

Main Results:

  • Kinetochores function as large molecular machines.
  • Detailed understanding of kinetochore-microtubule interactions.
  • Identification of key regulatory mechanisms in segregation.

Conclusions:

  • Recent progress has elucidated kinetochore's role in faithful chromosome segregation.
  • Kinetochores are molecular machines that link DNA to microtubules.
  • Understanding kinetochore connectivity is key to interpreting its functions and regulation.