Current approaches for the analysis of spindle organization
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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Analysis of Chromosome Segregation, Histone Acetylation, and Spindle Morphology in Horse Oocytes
Published on: May 11, 2017
Stefanie Redemann1, Sebastian Fürthauer2, Michael Shelley3
1Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology & Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Abstract:
The organization of microtubules in spindles is complex and not fully understood. Here we report on current advances in generating 3D reconstructions of staged spindles by serial-section electron tomography, exemplified by the first mitotic spindle in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. We then review how advances in correlative light microscopy and quantitative electron tomography enable the development of theory and stochastic simulations, which describe how the microtubule organization in spindles emerges from their dynamics. We show how theory and simulations can be used to address long-standing questions in cell division research, advancing the field beyond a pure structural description of microtubules in spindles.
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