Helical Twist and Rotational Forces in the Mitotic Spindle

Scientific paper - Review paper

• Author: Iva M. Tolić
• Author: Maja Novak
• Author: Nenad Pavin
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Biology

Abstract (english)

The mitotic spindle segregates chromosomes into two daughter cells during cell division. This process relies on the precise regulation of forces acting on chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. The forces in the spindle are difficult to directly measure using the available experimental techniques. Here, we review the ideas and recent advances of how forces can be determined from the spindle shape. By using these approaches, it has been shown that tension and compression coexist along a single kinetochore fiber, which are balanced by a bridging fiber between sister kinetochore fibers. An extension of this approach to three dimensions revealed that microtubule bundles have rich shapes, and extend not simply like meridians on the Earth’s surface but, rather, twisted in a helical manner. Such complex shapes are due to rotational forces, which, in addition to linear forces, act in the spindle and may be generated by motor proteins such as kinesin-5. These findings open new questions for future studies, to understand the mechanisms of rotational forces and reveal their biological roles in cells.

• Keywords (english): mitotic spindle; forces; microtubules; motor proteins; rotational forces; torque
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Review paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Biomolecules
• Numbering: vol. 9, no. 4, 132
• e-ISSN: 2218-273X
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9040132
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:285862
• Publication: 2019-04-01
• Project: Number: IP-2014-09-4753; Title (croatian): Oscilatorna genomika citoskeleta; Acronym: OSCITON; Leader: Iva TOLIC; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funding stream: IP
• Document URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/9/4/132
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: © This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Received: 29 January 2019. Revised: 24 March 2019. Accepted: 28 March 2019. Published: 1 April 2019.
• Created on: 2020-07-24 11:30:28