Premium
Meiosis, mitosis and microtubule motors
Author(s) -
Sawin Kenneth E.,
Endow Sharyn A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950150606
Subject(s) - meiosis , mitosis , chromosome segregation , microtubule , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , spindle apparatus , spindle pole body , motor protein , microtubule organizing center , genetics , chromosome , cell division , cell cycle , centrosome , gene , cell
A framework for understanding the complex movements of mitosis and meiosis has been provided by the recent discovery of microtubule motor proteins, required for the proper distribution of chromosomes or the structural integrity of the mitotic or meiotic spindle. Although overall features of mitosis and meiosis are often assumed to be similar in mechanism, it is now clear that they differ in several important aspects. These include spindle structure and assembly, and timing of chromosome segregation to opposite poles. Here we review progress in the functional characterization of several newly identified microtubule motor proteins, emphasizing their possible roles in spindle structure and function.