title: Spatial coordination of spindle assembly by chromosome-mediated signaling gradients.
abstract: During cell division, chromosomes are distributed to daughter cells by the mitotic spindle. This system requires spatial cues to reproducibly self-organize. We report that such cues are provided by chromosome-mediated interaction gradients between the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Ran and importin-beta. This produces activity gradients that determine the spatial distribution of microtubule nucleation and stabilization around chromosomes and that are essential for the self-organization of microtubules into a bipolar spindle.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Biophysics Department, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), EMBL, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maïwen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caudron
authors.forename: Gertrude
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bunt
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bastiaens
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karsenti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D003463:Cues; D004058:Diffusion; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008677:Metaphase; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013094:Spermatozoa; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis; D028961:beta Karyopherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020931:ran GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D028961:beta Karyopherins; C091775:ran-binding protein 1; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D020931:ran GTP-Binding Protein