Luzula and the Mechanism of Chromosome Movements

Östergren, Gunnar

doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1949.tb02884.x

Cited by 57 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The first ideas that attempted to explain the process of chromosome congression date back to 1895 from the works of Drüner [12], and later further developed in the works of Belar, Darlington, Rashevsky, Wada and Östergren [1,13,14,15,16,17] (reviewed in [18]). These models conceived that chromosomes are either repelled from the pole by a pushing force that decreases with distance, or attracted to the pole by a pulling force that increases with distance, until all chromosomes eventually reach an equilibrium condition at the equator (Figure 1).…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Chromosome Congressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Chromosome Congression during Mitosis

Maiato

Gomes

Sousa

et al. 2017

Biology

174

176

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Chromosome congression during prometaphase culminates with the establishment of a metaphase plate, a hallmark of mitosis in metazoans. Classical views resulting from more than 100 years of research on this topic have attempted to explain chromosome congression based on the balance between opposing pulling and/or pushing forces that reach an equilibrium near the spindle equator. However, in mammalian cells, chromosome bi-orientation and force balance at kinetochores are not required for chromosome congression, whereas the mechanisms of chromosome congression are not necessarily involved in the maintenance of chromosome alignment after congression. Thus, chromosome congression and maintenance of alignment are determined by different principles. Moreover, it is now clear that not all chromosomes use the same mechanism for congressing to the spindle equator. Those chromosomes that are favorably positioned between both poles when the nuclear envelope breaks down use the so-called “direct congression” pathway in which chromosomes align after bi-orientation and the establishment of end-on kinetochore-microtubule attachments. This favors the balanced action of kinetochore pulling forces and polar ejection forces along chromosome arms that drive chromosome oscillatory movements during and after congression. The other pathway, which we call “peripheral congression”, is independent of end-on kinetochore microtubule-attachments and relies on the dominant and coordinated action of the kinetochore motors Dynein and Centromere Protein E (CENP-E) that mediate the lateral transport of peripheral chromosomes along microtubules, first towards the poles and subsequently towards the equator. How the opposite polarities of kinetochore motors are regulated in space and time to drive congression of peripheral chromosomes only now starts to be understood. This appears to be regulated by position-dependent phosphorylation of both Dynein and CENP-E and by spindle microtubule diversity by means of tubulin post-translational modifications. This so-called “tubulin code” might work as a navigation system that selectively guides kinetochore motors with opposite polarities along specific spindle microtubule populations, ultimately leading to the congression of peripheral chromosomes. We propose an integrated model of chromosome congression in mammalian cells that depends essentially on the following parameters: (1) chromosome position relative to the spindle poles after nuclear envelope breakdown; (2) establishment of stable end-on kinetochore-microtubule attachments and bi-orientation; (3) coordination between kinetochore- and arm-associated motors; and (4) spatial signatures associated with post-translational modifications of specific spindle microtubule populations. The physiological consequences of abnormal chromosome congression, as well as the therapeutic potential of inhibiting chromosome congression are also discussed.

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Section: Mechanisms Of Chromosome Congressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Chromosome Congression during Mitosis

Maiato

Gomes

Sousa

et al. 2017

Biology

174

176

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“…Numerous hypotheses were advanced for how chromosomes are brought to the spindle midplane. A simple and important idea emerged from the studies by Rashevsky [171], Hughes-Schrader [131], and Ostergren [172,173]: the poleward force on a chromosome might increase with distance from the pole. Paired chromosomes would then congress to the spindle equator because that position allowed the opposing forces to be balanced.…”

Section: Insights Into Mitotic Mechanism From Studies Of Mitotic Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brief History of Research on Mitotic Mechanisms

McIntosh

Hays

2016

Biology

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This chapter describes in summary form some of the most important research on chromosome segregation, from the discovery and naming of mitosis in the nineteenth century until around 1990. It gives both historical and scientific background for the nine chapters that follow, each of which provides an up-to-date review of a specific aspect of mitotic mechanism. Here, we trace the fruits of each new technology that allowed a deeper understanding of mitosis and its underlying mechanisms. We describe how light microscopy, including phase, polarization, and fluorescence optics, provided descriptive information about mitotic events and also enabled important experimentation on mitotic functions, such as the dynamics of spindle fibers and the forces generated for chromosome movement. We describe studies by electron microscopy, including quantitative work with serial section reconstructions. We review early results from spindle biochemistry and genetics, coupled to molecular biology, as these methods allowed scholars to identify key molecular components of mitotic mechanisms. We also review hypotheses about mitotic mechanisms whose testing led to a deeper understanding of this fundamental biological event. Our goal is to provide modern scientists with an appreciation of the work that has laid the foundations for their current work and interests.

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“…In 1949, Östergren postulated that spindle fibers were composed of aggregates in a dynamic equilibrium with their subunit molecules, and that subtraction or addition of subunits results in shortening or lengthening of spindle fibers thus moving chromosomes [37]. Bungo Wada working with living Tradescantia stamen hair cells proposed that "the disintegration of each fiber from its distal end to the kinetochore […] takes place in the spindle poles, and the traction fibers are drawn continuosly into the spindle poles […] and bring their kinetochore to the spindle poles" [38].…”

Section: Force Generation By Microtubule Depolymerization At Minus-endsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The perpetual movements of anaphase

Maiato

Lince-Faria

2010

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

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One of the most extraordinary events in the lifetime of a cell is the coordinated separation of sister chromatids during cell division. This is truly the essence of the entire mitotic process and the reason for the most profound morphological changes in cytoskeleton and nuclear organization that a cell may ever experience. It all occurs within a very short time window known as "anaphase", as if the cell had spent the rest of its existence getting ready for this moment in an ultimate act of survival. And there is a good reason for this: no space for mistakes. Problems in the distribution of chromosomes during cell division have been correlated with aneuploidy, a common feature observed in cancers and several birth defects, and the main cause of spontaneous abortion in humans. In this paper we critically review the mechanisms of anaphase chromosome motion that resisted the scrutiny of more than one hundred years of research as part of a tribute to the pioneering work of Miguel Mota.

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Luzula and the Mechanism of Chromosome Movements

Cited by 57 publications

References 16 publications

Mechanisms of Chromosome Congression during Mitosis

Mechanisms of Chromosome Congression during Mitosis

A Brief History of Research on Mitotic Mechanisms

The perpetual movements of anaphase

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