Re-evaluating centrosome function.
Over the past 100 years, the centrosome has risen in status from an enigmatic organelle, located at the focus of microtubules, to a key player in cell-cycle progression and cellular control. A growing body of evidence indicates that centrosomes might not be essential for spindle assembly, whereas recent data indicate that they might be important for initiating S phase and completing cytokinesis. Molecules that regulate centrosome duplication have been identified, and the expanding list of intriguing centrosome-anchored activities, the functions of which have yet to be determined, promises continued discovery.
Doxsey
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Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 373 Plantation Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA. stephen.doxsey@umassmed.edu
D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism