Autocatalytic microtubule nucleation determines the size and mass of Xenopus laevis egg extract spindles.

ABSTRACT: Regulation of size and growth is a fundamental problem in biology. A prominent example is the formation of the mitotic spindle, where protein concentration gradients around chromosomes are thought to regulate spindle growth by controlling microtubule nucleation. Previous evidence suggests that microtubules nucleate throughout the spindle structure. However, the mechanisms underlying microtubule nucleation and its spatial regulation are still unclear. Here, we developed an assay based on laser ablation to directly probe microtubule nucleation events in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Combining this method with theory and quantitative microscopy, we show that the size of a spindle is controlled by autocatalytic growth of microtubules, driven by microtubule-stimulated microtubule nucleation. The

SUBMITTER: Decker F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5814149 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature