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Science 301 (5632): 518-521

Copyright © 2003 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

The Distribution of Active Force Generators Controls Mitotic Spindle Position

Stephan W. Grill,1,2* Jonathon Howard,1* Erik Schäffer,1 Ernst H. K. Stelzer,2 Anthony A. Hyman1

Abstract: During unequal cell divisions a mitotic spindle is eccentrically positioned before cell cleavage. To determine the basis of the net force imbalance that causes spindle displacement in one-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, we fragmented centrosomes with an ultraviolet laser. Analysis of the mean and variance of fragment speeds suggests that the force imbalance is due to a larger number of force generators pulling on astral microtubules of the posterior aster relative to the anterior aster. Moreover, activation of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide– binding protein (Gprotein) {alpha} subunits is required to generate these astral forces.

1 Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, D-01307 Dresden, Germany. 2 European Molecular Biology Laboratory, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: grill{at}mpi-cbg.de, howard{at}mpi-cbg.de

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