Journal
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
Volume 189, Issue 3, Pages 465-480Publisher
ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200910125
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- German Research Foundation (DFG)
- European Union
Ask authors/readers for more resources
During cell division, different molecular motors act synergistically to rearrange microtubules. Minus end-directed motors are thought to have a dual role: focusing microtubule ends to poles and establishing together with plus end-directed motors a balance of force between antiparallel microtubules in the spindle. We study here the competing action of Xenopus laevis kinesin-14 and -5 in vitro in situations in which these motors with opposite directionality cross-link and slide microtubules. We find that full-length kinesin-14 can form microtubule asters without additional factors, whereas kinesin-5 does not, likely reflecting an adaptation to mitotic function. A stable balance of force is not established between two anti-parallel microtubules with these motors. Instead, directional instability is generated, promoting efficient motor and microtubule sorting. A nonmotor microtubule crosslinker can suppress directional instability but also impedes microtubule sorting, illustrating a conflict between stability and dynamicity of organization. These results establish the basic organizational properties of these antagonistic mitotic motors and a microtubule bundler.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available