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Related Concept Videos

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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Centrosome Duplication02:25

Centrosome Duplication

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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...
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Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

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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...
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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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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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Microtubule Formation01:23

Microtubule Formation

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Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo continuous assembly and disassembly. They originate from specialized multi-protein complexes known as microtubule organizing centers or MTOCs. Within the MTOC, the point of origin of the microtubule is known as the minus end, while the end radiating outward is the plus end. Microtubules serve two primary functions — the organization of spindle complexes to separate sister chromatids during mitotic or meiotic cell division and the formation...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 21, 2025

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

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Centrosome structure and biogenesis: Variations on a theme?

Swadhin Chandra Jana1

  • 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; National Centre for Biological Sciences-TIFR, Bellary Road, 560065 Bangalore, India.

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|January 18, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Centrosomes, crucial for cell division and function, are detailed by recent high-resolution imaging. This review explores their structure, protein components, and biogenesis, highlighting evolutionary conservation and diversity.

Keywords:
9-foldCentrioleConservationDiversityPericentriolar materialSymmetry

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Centrosomes, comprising centrioles and pericentriolar material (PCM), are vital MT-organising centres in animal cells.
  • They organize microtubules and actin, influencing cell division and cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation.
  • In specialized cells, centrosomes form the base of cilia, essential for signaling and motility across eukaryotes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding centrosome and centriole structure and biogenesis.
  • To explore the molecular principles governing centrosome properties, including protein composition and structural elements.
  • To discuss how variations in centrosome biogenesis contribute to diversity in structure and function across species and cell types.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution imaging techniques (Å-to-nm scale) applied to centrioles.
  • Analysis of protein components and structural elements of centrosomes.
  • Comparative studies across various model organisms to understand biogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Recent techniques have elucidated the high-resolution structures of centrioles.
  • Molecular principles of centrosome properties, including protein composition and structural organization, are being uncovered.
  • The review synthesizes current knowledge on the features and processes critical for the biogenesis of these conserved structures.

Conclusions:

  • Centrosome ultrastructure has been known for decades, but recent advances reveal molecular details of their components and assembly.
  • Understanding centrosome biogenesis is key to comprehending their essential roles in development and homeostasis.
  • Variations in centrosome structure and function arise from differences in their biogenesis, contributing to biological diversity.