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Microtubule dynamics in Xenopus egg extracts
Author(s) -
Shirasu Mimi,
Yonetani Ann,
Walczak Claire E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0029(19990315)44:6<435::aid-jemt5>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - microtubule , xenopus , microbiology and biotechnology , microtubule nucleation , mitosis , biology , tubulin , cell cycle , spindle apparatus , cell , cell division , centrosome , genetics , gene
The organization and function of microtubules change dramatically during the cell cycle. At the onset of mitosis, a radial array of microtubules is broken down and reorganized into a bipolar spindle. This event requires changes in the dynamic behavior of individual microtubules. Through the use of Xenopus laevis egg extracts, a number of proteins affecting microtubule behavior have been identified. Recently, progress has also been made towards understanding how the activities of such microtubule‐affecting proteins are regulated in a cell cycle‐dependent manner. It is hoped that understanding how microtubule behavior is controlled during the cell cycle in vitro may illuminate the role of microtubule dynamics in various cellular processes. Microsc. Res. Tech. 44:435–445, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.