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Related Concept Videos

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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Overview
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The Mitotic Spindle02:27

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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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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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Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

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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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A functional eukaryotic chromosome must contain three elements: a centromere, telomeres, and numerous origins of replication.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations
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Spindle architecture constrains karyotype evolution.

Jana Helsen1,2, Md Hashim Reza3, Ricardo Carvalho4

  • 1Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany. jana.helsen@embl.de.

Nature Cell Biology
|August 8, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chromosome fusions in budding yeast are tolerated until cells have fewer than five centromeres. This critical point triggers the spindle assembly checkpoint, impacting karyotype evolution.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Eukaryotic cell division requires precise chromosome duplication and segregation.
  • Genome chromosome numbers can change rapidly over evolutionary time.
  • The mechanisms by which cell division machinery adapts to karyotypic changes are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how the cell division machinery senses and responds to changes in chromosome number.
  • To determine the limits of tolerance for chromosome fusions in budding yeast.
  • To understand the role of spindle architecture in karyotype evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized budding yeast strains with successively fused native chromosomes.
  • Employed cell biological profiling to assess cell division.
  • Applied genetic engineering and experimental evolution techniques.

Main Results:

  • Chromosome fusions are generally well tolerated up to a critical threshold.
  • Budding yeast strains with fewer than five centromeres exhibit insufficient kinetochore-microtubule attachments.
  • This deficiency triggers the spindle assembly checkpoint, leading to prolonged metaphase.

Conclusions:

  • Spindle architecture acts as a significant constraint on karyotype evolution.
  • The number of centromeres is crucial for maintaining proper spindle function during mitosis.
  • The spindle assembly checkpoint plays a key role in responding to karyotypic instability.