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Science 25 July 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5632, pp. 518 - 521
DOI: 10.1126/science.1086560
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Reports

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

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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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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Local cortical pulling-force repression switches centrosomal centration and posterior displacement in C. elegans.
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PAR-3 and PAR-1 Inhibit LET-99 Localization to Generate a Cortical Band Important for Spindle Positioning in Caenorhabditis elegans Embryos.
J.-C. Wu and L. S. Rose (2007)
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Heterotrimeric G protein signaling functions with dynein to promote spindle positioning in C. elegans.
C. Couwenbergs, J.-C. Labbe, M. Goulding, T. Marty, B. Bowerman, and M. Gotta (2007)
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Force-Induced Polarized Mitosis of Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells in Arterial Remodeling.
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Hypertension 50, 255-260
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A default mechanism of spindle orientation based on cell shape is sufficient to generate cell fate diversity in polarised Xenopus blastomeres.
B. Strauss, R. J. Adams, and N. Papalopulu (2006)
Development 133, 3883-3893
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The PAR-aPKC system: lessons in polarity..
A. Suzuki and S. Ohno (2006)
J. Cell Sci. 119, 979-987
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Cortical localization of the G{alpha} protein GPA-16 requires RIC-8 function during C. elegans asymmetric cell division.
K. Afshar, F. S. Willard, K. Colombo, D. P. Siderovski, and P. Gonczy (2005)
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Early Spindle Assembly in Drosophila Embryos: Role of a Force Balance Involving Cytoskeletal Dynamics and Nuclear Mechanics.
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Functional Analysis of Cytoplasmic Dynein Heavy Chain in Caenorhabditis elegans with Fast-acting Temperature-sensitive Mutations.
D. J. Schmidt, D. J. Rose, W. M. Saxton, and S. Strome (2005)
Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 1200-1212
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Centrosome fragments and microtubules are transported asymmetrically away from division plane in anaphase.
N. M. Rusan and P. Wadsworth (2005)
J. Cell Biol. 168, 21-28
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The forces that position a mitotic spindle asymmetrically are tethered until after the time of spindle assembly.
J.-C. Labbe, E. K. McCarthy, and B. Goldstein (2004)
J. Cell Biol. 167, 245-256
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Embryonic handedness choice in C. elegans involves the G{alpha} protein GPA-16.
D. C. Bergmann, M. Lee, B. Robertson, M.-F. B. Tsou, L. S. Rose, and W. B. Wood (2003)
Development 130, 5731-5740
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Pulling backwards.
W. A. Wells (2003)
J. Cell Biol. 162, 532
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