Nature Communications (Sep 2018)

The mitotic spindle is chiral due to torques within microtubule bundles

  • Maja Novak,
  • Bruno Polak,
  • Juraj Simunić,
  • Zvonimir Boban,
  • Barbara Kuzmić,
  • Andreas W. Thomae,
  • Iva M. Tolić,
  • Nenad Pavin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06005-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Forces are required for congression of chromosomes by microtubule spindles. Here, using super-resolution microscopy and computational modelling, the authors find that in addition to forces, torques caused by the microtubule motor protein kinesin-5 induce chirality and curves into the spindle.