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Related Concept Videos

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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. 
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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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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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Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy
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Turning end-joining upside down in mitosis.

Marta Llorens-Agost1, Michael Ensminger1, Hang Phuong Le2

  • 1Radiation Biology and DNA Repair, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.

Molecular & Cellular Oncology
|April 14, 2022
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Summary

Cells utilize distinct DNA repair pathways during mitosis, with DNA polymerase theta-mediated end-joining becoming active when canonical non-homologous end-joining is suppressed. Break characteristics influence repair outcomes in dividing cells.

Keywords:
DNA repairTMEJc-NHEJmitosistethering

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) pose a significant threat to genomic integrity.
  • Canonical non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the primary DSB repair pathway during the interphase of the cell cycle.
  • NHEJ is inhibited during mitosis to prevent aberrant chromosome fusions, particularly at telomeres.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms of DNA break repair during mitosis.
  • To investigate the role of alternative DNA repair pathways, such as DNA polymerase theta (Polθ)-mediated end-joining, in mitotic cells.
  • To understand how the type and timing of DNA breaks influence their repair during cell division.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing cell culture models to introduce DNA double-strand breaks at specific cell cycle stages.
  • Employing molecular biology techniques to assess the activity of DNA repair proteins and pathways.
  • Analyzing DNA repair outcomes through techniques like DNA combing and sequencing.

Main Results:

  • Canonical non-homologous end-joining is significantly inhibited during mitosis.
  • DNA polymerase theta-mediated end-joining, typically repressed in interphase, is active and promotes break repair during mitosis.
  • The specific characteristics of DNA breaks, including their type and when they are induced, appear to dictate their repair fate during mitosis.

Conclusions:

  • Mitosis employs specialized DNA break repair strategies distinct from interphase.
  • DNA polymerase theta-mediated end-joining represents a critical pathway for repairing DNA breaks during cell division.
  • Further research into break characteristics is needed to fully comprehend mitotic DNA repair fidelity.