Mitotic spindle morphogenesis and function

Mitotic spindle morphogenesis and function

The mitotic spindle is multiple component machinery made of microtubules and its associated proteins and motors. The mitotic spindle assembles in a bipolar manner to ensure faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis.

            Our work has revealed specific developmental stage factors that contribute to spindle morphogenesis and therefore mitotic fidelity in mammalian neural stem cells. Mutations in genes encoding mitotic spindle components are frequently found in a genetic disorder called primary recessive microcephaly. Using time lapse microscopy combined with micropattern technology and quantitative imaging, we are now investigating which extrinsic biomechanical parameters influence mitotic spindle architecture and in which way these influence chromosome behaviour during mitosis and brain size.

En face view of mitotic spindle from Neural Stem Cell

Microtubules in green, centrosomes in red and DNA in blue

Division of a neural stem cells in 3D

On the left: Movie of a mammalian neural stem cell in division. DNA is in red and microtubules in green.
On the right: its 3D reconstruction. DNA is in red and centrosomes are in green.