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Stilgoe A, Favre-Bulle IA, Watson ML, Gomez-Godinez V, Berns MW, Preece D, Rubinsztein-Dunlop H. Shining Light in Mechanobiology: Optical Tweezers, Scissors, and Beyond. ACS PHOTONICS 2024; 11:917-940. [PMID: 38523746 PMCID: PMC10958612 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.4c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Mechanobiology helps us to decipher cell and tissue functions by looking at changes in their mechanical properties that contribute to development, cell differentiation, physiology, and disease. Mechanobiology sits at the interface of biology, physics and engineering. One of the key technologies that enables characterization of properties of cells and tissue is microscopy. Combining microscopy with other quantitative measurement techniques such as optical tweezers and scissors, gives a very powerful tool for unraveling the intricacies of mechanobiology enabling measurement of forces, torques and displacements at play. We review the field of some light based studies of mechanobiology and optical detection of signal transduction ranging from optical micromanipulation-optical tweezers and scissors, advanced fluorescence techniques and optogenentics. In the current perspective paper, we concentrate our efforts on elucidating interesting measurements of forces, torques, positions, viscoelastic properties, and optogenetics inside and outside a cell attained when using structured light in combination with optical tweezers and scissors. We give perspective on the field concentrating on the use of structured light in imaging in combination with tweezers and scissors pointing out how novel developments in quantum imaging in combination with tweezers and scissors can bring to this fast growing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander
B. Stilgoe
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE in Quantum Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, 4074, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Itia A. Favre-Bulle
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- Queensland
Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
| | - Mark L. Watson
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
| | - Veronica Gomez-Godinez
- Institute
of Engineering and Medicine, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Michael W. Berns
- Institute
of Engineering and Medicine, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, United States
- Beckman
Laser Institute, University of California
Irvine, Irvine, California 92612, United States
| | - Daryl Preece
- Beckman
Laser Institute, University of California
Irvine, Irvine, California 92612, United States
| | - Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE in Quantum Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, 4074, Brisbane, Australia
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Forer A, Otsuka S. Structural evidence for elastic tethers connecting separating chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302303. [PMID: 37591724 PMCID: PMC10435969 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Different types of anaphase bridges are reported to form between segregating chromosomes during cell division. Previous studies using laser microsurgery suggested that elastic tethers connect the telomeres of separating anaphase chromosomes in many animal meiotic and mitotic cells. However, structural evidence is lacking for their existence. In this study, by correlating live imaging with electron tomography, we examined whether visible structures connect separating telomeres in meiosis I of crane-fly primary spermatocytes. We found structures extending between separating telomeres in all stages of anaphase. The structures consist of two components: one is darkly stained, looking somewhat like chromatin, whereas the other is more lightly stained, appearing filamentous. Although in early anaphase both structures extend between telomeres, in later anaphase, the darker structure extends shorter distances from the telomeres but the lighter structure still extends between the separating telomeres. From these observations, we deduced that these structures represent the "tethers" inferred from the laser-cutting experiments. Because elastic tethers have been detected in a variety of animal cells, they probably are present during anaphase in all animal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, North York, Canada
| | - Shotaro Otsuka
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
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3
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Favre-Bulle IA, Scott EK. Optical tweezers across scales in cell biology. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:932-946. [PMID: 35672197 PMCID: PMC9588623 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers (OT) provide a noninvasive approach for delivering minute physical forces to targeted objects. Controlling such forces in living cells or in vitro preparations allows for the measurement and manipulation of numerous processes relevant to the form and function of cells. As such, OT have made important contributions to our understanding of the structures of proteins and nucleic acids, the interactions that occur between microscopic structures within cells, the choreography of complex processes such as mitosis, and the ways in which cells interact with each other. In this review, we highlight recent contributions made to the field of cell biology using OT and provide basic descriptions of the physics, the methods, and the equipment that made these studies possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itia A Favre-Bulle
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4067, Brisbane, Australia; School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, 4067, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Ethan K Scott
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4067, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
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Forer A, Adil A, Berns MW. Blocking Protein Phosphatase 1 [PP1] Prevents Loss of Tether Elasticity in Anaphase Crane-Fly Spermatocytes. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:636746. [PMID: 34169091 PMCID: PMC8218814 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.636746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In normal anaphase cells, telomeres of each separating chromosome pair are connected to each other by tethers. Tethers are elastic at the start of anaphase: arm fragments cut from anaphase chromosomes in early anaphase move across the equator to the oppositely-moving chromosome, telomere moving toward telomere. Tethers become inelastic later in anaphase as the tethers become longer: arm fragments no longer move to their partners. When early anaphase cells are treated with Calyculin A (CalA), an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), at the end of anaphase chromosomes move backward from the poles, with telomeres moving toward partner telomeres. Experiments described herein show that in cells treated with CalA, backwards movements are stopped in a variety of ways, by cutting the tethers of backwards moving chromosomes, by severing arms of backwards moving chromosomes, by severing arms before the chromosomes reach the poles, and by cutting the telomere toward which a chromosome is moving backwards. Measurements of arm-fragment velocities show that CalA prevents tethers from becoming inelastic as they lengthen. Since treatment with CalA causes tethers to remain elastic throughout anaphase and since inhibitors of PP2A do not cause the backwards movements, PP1 activity during anaphase causes the tethers to become inelastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aisha Adil
- Biology Department, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael W Berns
- Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.,Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Kite E, Forer A. The role of phosphorylation in the elasticity of the tethers that connect telomeres of separating anaphase chromosomes. Nucleus 2020; 11:19-31. [PMID: 31948316 PMCID: PMC6973318 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2019.1710329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastic tethers, connecting telomeres of all separating anaphase chromosome pairs, lose elasticity when they lengthen during anaphase. Treatment with phosphatase inhibitor CalyculinA causes anaphase chromosomes to move backwards after they reach the poles, suggesting that dephosphorylation causes loss of tether elasticity. We added 50nM CalyculinA to living anaphase crane-fly spermatocytes with different length tethers. When tethers were short, almost all partner chromosomes moved backwards after nearing the poles. When tethers were longer, fewer chromosomes moved backwards. With yet longer tethers none moved backward. This is consistent with tether elasticity being lost by dephosphorylation. 50nM CalyculinA blocks both PP1 and PP2A. To distinguish between PP1 and PP2A we treated cells with short tethers with 50nM okadaic acid which blocks solely PP2A, or with 1µM okadaic acid which blocks both PP1 and PP2A. Only 1µM okadaic acid caused chromosomes to move backward. Thus, tether elasticity is lost because of dephosphorylation by PP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Kite
- Biology Department, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Fegaras-Arch E, Berns M, Forer A. Evidence of Non-microtubule Spindle Forces in Mesostoma ehrenbergii Spermatocytes. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:557990. [PMID: 33330616 PMCID: PMC7711074 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.557990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We tested conclusions reached in previous experiments in which Mesostoma spermatocyte chromosomes moved rapidly to a pole in the absence of microtubules: after 10 μM nocodazole (NOC) depolymerized metaphase spindle microtubules, kinetochores from each of the 3 bivalents detached from the same pole and rapidly moved to the other pole, at speeds averaging 37.7 μm/min. with some as high as 100 μm/min. We concluded that these very fast movements were due to non-microtubule forces arising from a spindle matrix. However, since the chromosomes stretch out before detaching, there is tension in the chromosomes from the stretch. Thus the movements of detached kinetochores conceivably might be due to recoil from the tension, though we argued against this possibility (Fegaras and Forer, 2018a). In this article we test whether recoil causes the movements. We cut bivalents into 2 pieces, using a femtosecond laser, before addition of NOC. When 1 bivalent was severed, all kinetochores moved to one pole in 12/15 cells; when 2 bivalents were severed, all kinetochores moved to one pole in 4/6 cells; and when all 3 bivalents were severed all kinetochores moved to one pole in 3/9 cells. The bivalent “halves” moved rapidly, with average speeds of 47 μm/min, velocities that are not significantly different from those in cells without any laser-cut bivalents (p > 0.05). Since kinetochores move at the same speeds whether they are part of bivalents or not, NOC-induced chromosome movements are not due to recoil from tension along the full-length bivalent, strongly supporting the idea that non-microtubule forces move chromosomes in Mesostoma spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Berns
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Cell Biology, Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Institute for Engineering in Medicine and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arthur Forer
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Forer A, Berns MW. Elastic Tethers Between Separating Anaphase Chromosomes Regulate the Poleward Speeds of the Attached Chromosomes in Crane-Fly Spermatocytes. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:161. [PMID: 32850955 PMCID: PMC7405647 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastic "tethers" connect separating anaphase chromosomes in most (or all) animal cells. We tested whether tethers are involved in coordinating movements of separating anaphase chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes. In these cells the coupled movements of separating chromosomes become uncoupled after the tethers are severed by laser microbeam irradiation of the interzone region between the chromosomes (Sheykhani et al., 2017). While this strongly suggests that tethers are involved with coordinating the poleward chromosome movements, the experiments are open to another interpretation: laser irradiations that cut the tethers also might damage something else in the interzone, and those non-tether components might regulate chromosome movements. In the experiments reported herein we distinguish between those two possibilities by disabling the tethers without cutting the interzone. We cut the arms from individual chromosomes, thereby severing the mechanical connection between separating chromosomes, disconnecting them, without damaging components in the interzone. Disabling tethers in this way uncoupled the movements of the separating chromosomes. We thus conclude that tethers are involved in regulating the speeds of separating anaphase chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, North York, ON, Canada
| | - Michael W. Berns
- Department of Surgery, Biomedical Engineering and Developmental and Cell Biology, Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Berns MW. Laser Scissors and Tweezers to Study Chromosomes: A Review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:721. [PMID: 32850689 PMCID: PMC7401452 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Starting in 1969 laser scissors have been used to study and manipulate chromosomes in mitotic animal cells. Key studies demonstrated that using the “hot spot” in the center of a focused Gaussian laser beam it was possible to delete the ribosomal genes (secondary constriction), and this deficiency was maintained in clonal daughter cells. It wasn’t until 2020 that it was demonstrated that cells with focal-point damaged chromosomes could replicate due to the cell’s DNA damage repair molecular machinery. A series of studies leading up to this conclusion involved using cells expressing different GFP DNA damage recognition and repair molecules. With the advent of optical tweezers in 1987, laser tweezers have been used to study the behavior and forces on chromosomes in mitotic and meiotic cells. The combination of laser scissors and tweezers were employed since 1991 to study various aspects of chromosome behavior during cell division. These studies involved holding chromosomes in an optical while gradually reducing the laser power until the chromosome recovered their movement toward the cell pole. It was determined in collaborative studies with Prof. Arthur Forer from York University, Toronto, Canada, cells from diverse group vertebrate and invertebrates, that forces necessary to move chromosomes to cell poles during cell division were between 2 and 17pN, orders of magnitude below the 700 pN generally found in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Berns
- Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Forer A, Sheykhani R, Berns MW. Anaphase Chromosomes in Crane-Fly Spermatocytes Treated With Taxol (Paclitaxel) Accelerate When Their Kinetochore Microtubules Are Cut: Evidence for Spindle Matrix Involvement With Spindle Forces. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:77. [PMID: 30087895 PMCID: PMC6066604 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Various experiments have indicated that anaphase chromosomes continue to move after their kinetochore microtubules are severed. The chromosomes move poleward at an accelerated rate after the microtubules are cut but they slow down 1-3 min later and move poleward at near the original speed. There are two published interpretations of chromosome movements with severed kinetochore microtubules. One interpretation is that dynein relocates to the severed microtubule ends and propels them poleward by pushing against non-kinetochore microtubules. The other interpretation is that components of a putative "spindle matrix" normally push kinetochore microtubules poleward and continue to do so after the microtubules are severed from the pole. In this study we distinguish between these interpretations by treating cells with taxol. Taxol eliminates microtubule dynamics, alters spindle microtubule arrangements, and inhibits dynein motor activity in vivo. If the dynein interpretation is correct, taxol should interfere with chromosome movements after kinetochore microtubules are severed because it alters the arrangements of spindle microtubules and because it blocks dynein activity. If the "spindle matrix" interpretation is correct, on the other hand, taxol should not interfere with the accelerated movements. Our results support the spindle matrix interpretation: anaphase chromosomes in taxol-treated crane-fly spermatocytes accelerated after their kinetochore microtubules were severed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, North York, ON, Canada
| | | | - Michael W Berns
- Beckman Laser Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Bioengineering and Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Fegaras E, Forer A. Chromosomes selectively detach at one pole and quickly move towards the opposite pole when kinetochore microtubules are depolymerized in Mesostoma ehrenbergii spermatocytes. PROTOPLASMA 2018; 255:1205-1224. [PMID: 29468300 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-018-1214-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In a typical cell division, chromosomes align at the metaphase plate before anaphase commences. This is not the case in Mesostoma spermatocytes. Throughout prometaphase, the three bivalents persistently oscillate towards and away from either pole, at average speeds of 5-6 μm/min, without ever aligning at a metaphase plate. In our experiments, nocodazole (NOC) was added to prometaphase spermatocytes to depolymerize the microtubules. Traditional theories state that microtubules are the producers of force in the spindle, either by tubulin depolymerizing at the kinetochore (PacMan) or at the pole (Flux). Accordingly, if microtubules are quickly depolymerized, the chromosomes should arrest at the metaphase plate and not move. However, in 57/59 cells, at least one chromosome moved to a pole after NOC treatment, and in 52 of these cells, all three bivalents moved to the same pole. Thus, the movements are not random to one pole or other. After treatment with NOC, chromosome movement followed a consistent pattern. Bivalents stretched out towards both poles, paused, detached at one pole, and then the detached kinetochores quickly moved towards the other pole, reaching initial speeds up to more than 200 μm/min, much greater than anything previously recorded in this cell. As the NOC concentration increased, the average speeds increased and the microtubules disappeared faster. As the kinetochores approached the pole, they slowed down and eventually stopped. Similar results were obtained with colcemid treatment. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy confirms that microtubules are not associated with moving chromosomes. Thus, these rapid chromosome movements may be due to non-microtubule spindle components such as actin-myosin or the spindle matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Fegaras
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Arthur Forer
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
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Paliulis LV, Forer A. A review of "tethers": elastic connections between separating partner chromosomes in anaphase. PROTOPLASMA 2018; 255:733-740. [PMID: 29307016 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-017-1201-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has demonstrated the existence of elastic connections, or tethers, between the telomeres of separating partner chromosomes in anaphase. These tethers oppose the poleward spindle forces in anaphase. Functional evidence for tethers has been found in a wide range of animal taxa, suggesting that they might be present in all dividing cells. An examination of the literature on cell division from the nineteenth century to the present reveals that connections between separating partner chromosomes in anaphase have been described in some of the earliest observations of cell division. Here, we review what is currently known about connections between separating partner chromosomes in anaphase, and we speculate on possible functions of tethers, and on what they are made of and how one might determine their composition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arthur Forer
- Biology Department, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
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