Regulating the stability of microtubule (MT)-kinetochore attachments is fundamental to avoiding mitotic errors and ensuring proper chromosome segregation during cell division. Although biochemical factors involved in this process have been identified, their mechanics still need to be better understood. Here we introduce and simulate a mechanical model of MT-kinetochore interactions in which the stability of the attachment is ruled by the geometrical conformations of curling MT-protofilaments entangled in kinetochore fibrils. The model allows us to reproduce, with good accuracy, in vitro experimental measurements of the detachment times of yeast kinetochores from MTs under external pulling forces. Numerical simulations suggest that geometrical features of MT-protofilaments may play an important role in the switch between stable and unstable attachments. © 2014 Biophysical Society.
Conformational mechanism for the stability of microtubule-kinetochore attachments / Z. Bertalan, C.A.M. La Porta, H. Maiato, S. Zapperi. - In: BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL. - ISSN 0006-3495. - 107:2(2014 Jul 15), pp. 289-300. [10.1016/j.bpj.2014.06.004]
Conformational mechanism for the stability of microtubule-kinetochore attachments
C.A.M. La Porta;S. Zapperi
2014
Abstract
Regulating the stability of microtubule (MT)-kinetochore attachments is fundamental to avoiding mitotic errors and ensuring proper chromosome segregation during cell division. Although biochemical factors involved in this process have been identified, their mechanics still need to be better understood. Here we introduce and simulate a mechanical model of MT-kinetochore interactions in which the stability of the attachment is ruled by the geometrical conformations of curling MT-protofilaments entangled in kinetochore fibrils. The model allows us to reproduce, with good accuracy, in vitro experimental measurements of the detachment times of yeast kinetochores from MTs under external pulling forces. Numerical simulations suggest that geometrical features of MT-protofilaments may play an important role in the switch between stable and unstable attachments. © 2014 Biophysical Society.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: ArticoloConformational Mechanism for the Stability of Microtubule-Kinetochore Attachments
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1-s2.0-S0006349514006067-main.pdf
accesso aperto
Tipologia:
Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione
1.53 MB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
1.53 MB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
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