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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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Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

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Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
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Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

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A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
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Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

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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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Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

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Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 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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Acto-myosin network geometry defines centrosome position.

Ana Joaquina Jimenez1, Alexandre Schaeffer1, Chiara De Pascalis1

  • 1University of Paris, CEA, INSERM, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, UMRS1160-HIPI, CytoMorpho Lab, Avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris, France.

Current Biology : CB
|February 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Centrosome positioning is not fixed at the cell center but is guided by the actin network's architecture. Dynein-based forces help center the centrosome within a specific actin-defined zone.

Keywords:
centrosome, microtubule, dynein, cytoplast, nucleus, branched actin network, actin bundles, myosin, contraction, cell polarity

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Cytoskeleton Dynamics
  • Microtubule Organization

Background:

  • The centrosome organizes microtubules and influences cell polarity.
  • Centrosome positioning is crucial for cell functions but its regulation is poorly understood.
  • Centrosome positioning is often linked to nuclear positioning, creating confusion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms regulating centrosome positioning independently of the nucleus.
  • To determine the role of the actin cytoskeleton in defining centrosome location.
  • To elucidate how cell geometry and internal forces influence microtubule organization.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized enucleated cells cultured on adhesive micropatterns to control geometry.
  • Analyzed centrosome-microtubule networks under defined spatial conditions.
  • Investigated the relationship between actin network architecture and centrosome position.

Main Results:

  • Centrosome equilibrium position is not always the cell center; it can be near the cell edge.
  • Centrosome positioning accurately responds to actin network architecture and anisotropy, not just cell shape.
  • Actin network contraction creates compressive forces on microtubules, influencing their organization.
  • Microtubules are radially organized and dynein concentration is higher in inner zones with less actin.
  • Dynein-based forces drive centrosome centering within the actin-defined zone.

Conclusions:

  • Centrosome positioning is dictated by the actin network's architecture, rather than cell shape.
  • Cell adhesion and contractile forces shape the actin network, establishing boundary conditions for the centrosome-microtubule system.
  • Dynein-mediated forces are key in positioning the centrosome relative to the actin cytoskeleton.