| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2042468 | Cell Reports | 2013 | 7 Pages |
•3D imaging analysis of self-organized meiotic spindles in Xenopus egg extracts•Spindle structure is quantitatively described by a simple equation•The microtubule (MT) amount strongly correlates with the spindle size•The shape and MT density of the spindle are independent of the spindle size
SummaryThe polymerization/depolymerization dynamics of microtubules (MTs) have been reported to contribute to control of the size and shape of spindles, but quantitative analysis of how the size and shape correlate with the amount and density of MTs in the spindle remains incomplete. Here, we measured these parameters using 3D microscopy of meiotic spindles that self-organized in Xenopus egg extracts and presented a simple equation describing the relationship among these parameters. To examine the validity of the equation, we cut the spindle into two fragments along the pole-to-pole axis by micromanipulation techniques that rapidly decrease the amount of MTs. The spheroidal shape spontaneously recovered within 5 min, but the size of each fragment remained small. The equation we obtained quantitatively describes how the spindle size correlates with the amount of MTs while maintaining the shape and the MT density.
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