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Related Concept Videos

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

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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.
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Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
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The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint02:19

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The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
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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.
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Anaphase A and B01:39

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
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Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

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Active forces shape the metaphase spindle through a mechanical instability.

David Oriola1,2,3,4, Frank Jülicher5,3,4, Jan Brugués6,2,3,4

  • 1Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 1, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Molecular motors shape the cell division spindle, a dynamic liquid crystal, through barreling instability. This finding reveals how active forces generate biological structures and informs active soft material design.

Keywords:
Xenopus laevisactive matterdyneinliquid crystalsmitotic spindle

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 17, 2025

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • The metaphase spindle is crucial for chromosome segregation during cell division.
  • Recent studies suggest the spindle functions as an active liquid crystal.
  • The precise role of active force generation in shaping the spindle remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate how molecular motor-driven forces contribute to the spindle's characteristic shape.
  • To investigate the mechanism of spindle shape formation, specifically a barreling-type instability.

Main Methods:

  • Combined theoretical modeling with experimental approaches.
  • Utilized *Xenopus* egg extracts to create and manipulate spindle structures.
  • Titrated dynein motor activity to observe effects on spindle shape and microtubule orientation.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that molecular motor-driven forces shape the spindle via a barreling instability.
  • Quantified the relationship between dynein activity, spindle shape, and microtubule alignment.
  • Showed that spindle shape arises from the interplay of surface tension, nematic elasticity, and active forces.

Conclusions:

  • The spindle's shape is actively molded by motor proteins and physical forces.
  • This study provides a physical model for how active forces shape liquid crystalline structures.
  • Findings have implications for designing novel active soft materials.