dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaChromosome Oscillations in Mitosis
| Authors | Otger Campas, Pierre Sens |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0507046 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0507046 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.128102 |
Abstract
Successful cell division requires a tight regulation of chromosome motion via the activity of molecular motors. Many of the key players at the origin of the forces generating the movement have been identified, but their spatial and temporal organization remains elusive. The protein complex Kinetochore on the chromosome associates with microtubules emanating from one of the spindle poles and drives the chromosome toward the pole. Chromokinesin motors on the chromosome arms also interact with microtubules, ejecting the chromosome away from the pole. In animal cells, a monooriented chromosome (associated to a single pole) periodically switches between phases of poleward and away from the pole movement[, a behavior tentatively explained so far by the existence of a complex switching mechanism within the kinetochore itself. Here we show that the interplay between the morphology of the mitotic spindle and the collective kinetics of chromokinesins can account for the highly non-linear periodic chromosome motion. Our analysis provides a natural explanation for the origin of chromosome directional instability and for the mechanism by which chromosomes feel their position in space.
{
"annotation_id": "e14e909d-7ba9-4d4f-a384-c0ac28bf725f",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.935000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:31.935000Z",
"file_hash": "e55a60e41bae47d9e5e489df9ac563f766474423ff52823d756d2ce567d26c82",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "Successful cell division requires a tight regulation of chromosome motion via\nthe activity of molecular motors. Many of the key players at the origin of the\nforces generating the movement have been identified, but their spatial and\ntemporal organization remains elusive. The protein complex Kinetochore on the\nchromosome associates with microtubules emanating from one of the spindle poles\nand drives the chromosome toward the pole. Chromokinesin motors on the\nchromosome arms also interact with microtubules, ejecting the chromosome away\nfrom the pole. In animal cells, a monooriented chromosome (associated to a\nsingle pole) periodically switches between phases of poleward and away from the\npole movement[, a behavior tentatively explained so far by the existence of a\ncomplex switching mechanism within the kinetochore itself. Here we show that\nthe interplay between the morphology of the mitotic spindle and the collective\nkinetics of chromokinesins can account for the highly non-linear periodic\nchromosome motion. Our analysis provides a natural explanation for the origin\nof chromosome directional instability and for the mechanism by which\nchromosomes feel their position in space.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0507046",
"authors": [
"Otger Campas",
"Pierre Sens"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.SC",
"physics.bio-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.128102",
"title": "Chromosome Oscillations in Mitosis",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0507046"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "350f01fa-0a4e-46e1-9e82-d0b52ae3a7e8",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}