Bridging the gap between sister kinetochores

Scientific paper - Other

• Author: Iva Marija Tolić; MBZ: 260543
• Author: Nenad Pavin; MBZ: 204800
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics

Abstract (english)

The main task of the mitotic spindle is to generate forces that position the chromosomes at the metaphase plate and subsequently pull them apart toward the opposite spindle poles. These forces in living cells are, unfortunately, not easily accessible by current experimental techniques. However, much about the forces can be inferred from the shape of the spindle because the shape is an outcome of forces. K-fibers, which are bundles of microtubules ending at the kinetochore, are typically curved, suggesting that they are under compression. By severing a k-fiber with a laser we have shown that the bridging fiber moves together with sister k-fibers, revealing that these 3 fibers are strongly linked and thus able to survive large physical perturbations such as cutting of k-fibers. Severing of a k-fiber at different locations also revealed that the bridging fiber is linked laterally to the k-fibers in the region away from the kinetochore, while these fibers separate from each other close to the kinetochore.

• Keywords (english): compression; forces; kinetochores; k-fibers; mitotic spindle; microtubules; mitosis; metaphase; PRC1; tension
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Other
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Cell cycle
• Numbering: vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 1169-1170
• p-ISSN: 1538-4101
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15384101.2016.1157976
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:182118
• Publication: 2016
• Document URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15384101.2016.1157976
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: © 2016 Iva M. Tolić and Nenad Pavin. Published with license by Taylor and Francis. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The moral rights of the named author(s) have been asserted. Received 8 February 2016. Accepted 22 February 2016. Published online: 25 Apr 2016.
• Created on: 2020-02-23 14:22:11