Force and the spindle: Mechanical cues in mitotic spindle orientation

The mechanical environment of a cell has a profound effect on its behaviour, from dictating cell shape to driving the transcription of specific genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that mechanical forces play a key role in orienting the mitotic spindle, and therefore cell division, in both single cells and tissues. Whilst the molecular machinery that mediates the link between external force and the mitotic spindle remains largely unknown, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is a widely used mechanism which could prove vital for coordinating cell division orientation across tissues in a variety of contexts.