title: XMAP215 activity sets spindle length by controlling the total mass of spindle microtubules.
abstract: Metaphase spindles are microtubule-based structures that use a multitude of proteins to modulate their morphology and function. Today, we understand many details of microtubule assembly, the role of microtubule-associated proteins, and the action of molecular motors. Ultimately, the challenge remains to understand how the collective behaviour of these nanometre-scale processes gives rise to a properly sized spindle on the micrometre scale. By systematically engineering the enzymatic activity of XMAP215, a processive microtubule polymerase, we show that Xenopus laevis spindle length increases linearly with microtubule growth velocity, whereas other parameters of spindle organization, such as microtubule density, lifetime and spindle shape, remain constant. We further show that mass balance can be used to link the global property of spindle size to individual microtubule dynamic parameters. We propose that spindle length is set by a balance of non-uniform nucleation and global microtubule disassembly in a liquid-crystal-like arrangement of microtubules.
authors: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauer Str. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors: Simone B
authors: SB
authors: Reber
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Baumgart
authors: Per O
authors: PO
authors: Widlund
authors: Andrei
authors: A
authors: Pozniakovsky
authors: Jonathon
authors: J
authors: Howard
authors: Anthony A
authors: AA
authors: Hyman
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Jülicher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008677:Metaphase / Q000235:genetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013552:Swine; D014162:Transfection; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; C486738:CKAP5 protein, Xenopus; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
references: Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2012;28:113-35
references: 22804576
references: Cell. 2011 Jun 24;145(7):1062-74
references: 21703450
references: Nat Methods. 2009 Feb;6(2):167-72
references: 19151719
references: Cell. 2008 Jan 11;132(1):79-88
references: 18191222
references: Nat Protoc. 2006;1(5):2305-14
references: 17406472
references: J Cell Biol. 2010 Dec 27;191(7):1239-49
references: 21173114
references: Curr Biol. 2002 Aug 6;12(15):1326-30
references: 12176362
references: Methods Mol Biol. 2011;777:15-28
references: 21773918
references: J Cell Biol. 2008 Dec 15;183(6):1007-17
references: 19064669
references: Curr Biol. 2007 Aug 21;17(16):1373-83
references: 17702580
references: Cell. 2012 Apr 27;149(3):554-64
references: 22541427
references: Trends Cell Biol. 2011 Oct;21(10):604-14
references: 21782439
references: J Cell Biol. 1988 Oct;107(4):1437-48
references: 3170635
references: J Cell Biol. 1992 Sep;118(5):1097-108
references: 1387400
references: J Cell Sci. 1998 Aug;111 ( Pt 15):2077-83
references: 9664029
references: Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2007 Feb;19(1):31-5
references: 17184986
references: Mol Biol Cell. 2005 Jun;16(6):3064-76
references: 15788560
references: J Cell Biol. 2005 Sep 26;170(7):1047-55
references: 16172205
references: Curr Biol. 2012 May 8;22(9):R330-9
references: 22575475
references: Methods Cell Biol. 2010;95:583-600
references: 20466154
references: Phys Rev Lett. 1993 Mar 1;70(9):1347-1350
references: 10054353
references: Plant Physiol. 2009 Dec;151(4):1823-30
references: 19854856
references: PLoS One. 2009 Oct 23;4(10):e7585
references: 19851462
references: Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2008;24:1-28
references: 18631099
references: Mol Cell. 2007 Sep 21;27(6):976-91
references: 17889670
references: J Cell Biol. 2010 Feb 22;188(4):481-9
references: 20176922
references: Mol Biol Cell. 2009 Jun;20(11):2766-73
references: 19369413
references: Cell. 2011 Dec 9;147(6):1397-407
references: 22153081
references: J Cell Biol. 1994 Nov;127(4):985-93
references: 7962080
references: Cell. 2012 Apr 13;149(2):371-82
references: 22500803
references: Curr Biol. 2008 Aug 26;18(16):1256-61
references: 18718761
references: Cell. 2005 Sep 9;122(5):735-49
references: 16143105
references: Mol Biol Cell. 2004 Dec;15(12):5603-15
references: 15385629
references: J Cell Biol. 2007 Mar 12;176(6):765-70
references: 17339377
references: Science. 2012 Sep 7;337(6099):1186-9
references: 22955827
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Aug 30;108(35):14473-8
references: 21844347
references: Curr Biol. 2005 Nov 22;15(22):1979-88
references: 16303556
references: J Cell Biol. 2004 Sep 27;166(7):949-55
references: 15452138
references: Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Jan 15;21(2):323-33
references: 19940016
references: Science. 2001 Nov 9;294(5545):1340-3
references: 11701928
references: Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2010 May;21(3):248-54
references: 20109569
references: Nat Cell Biol. 2007 Nov;9(11):1233-42
references: 17934454
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Feb 15;108(7):2741-6
references: 21282620
references: Methods Enzymol. 1991;196:478-85
references: 2034137
references: Int Rev Cytol. 2008;265:111-58
references: 18275887
references: Nat Cell Biol. 2001 Mar;3(3):221-7
references: 11231570