Dresden 2020 – wissenschaftliches Programm
Die DPG-Frühjahrstagung in Dresden musste abgesagt werden! Lesen Sie mehr ...
Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Aktualisierungen | Downloads | Hilfe
BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 39: Cytoskeletal Filaments II
BP 39.3: Vortrag
Freitag, 20. März 2020, 10:00–10:15, SCH A251
Balance of forces and torques in a mean-field approximation in mitotic spindles — •Arian Ivec1, Iva Tolić2, and Nenad Pavin1 — 1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia — 2Ruder Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
The mitotic spindle is a self-organized micro-machine composed of microtubules and associated proteins, which divides genetic material between its two nascent daughter cells. Forces exist in the spindle throughout mitosis and are crucial for spindle functioning in each phase. In metaphase, the mitotic spindle has a recognizable shape with a characteristic arrangement of microtubules. Microtubules extend from opposite spindle poles and interact with the chromosomes and with each other. Though a significant progress in understanding the mechanics of the spindle has been achieved, the question of force balance in the spindle is still open. We explore the force balance of the entire spindle by introducing a mean-field approach, in which discrete microtubule bundles in a certain region, together with forces and torques exerted by these bundles, are approximated by an averaged bundle. The model provides predictions for forces and torques in the spindle, and consequently it predicts the shape of the entire spindle, including the shapes of inner and outer bundles, which is compared with shapes observed in our experiments. Based on this information, we provide a mechanical explanation for the shapes of inner and outer bundles, including major differences between them. This approach provides comprehensive insight into forces and torques acting in the entire spindle, which are crucial for proper cell division.