Chromokinesin NOD Molecular Forces Are Key To Proper Cell Division
Monday, January 21, 2013 - 10:20
in Biology & Nature
Studies are revealing new details about a molecular surveillance system that helps detect and correct errors in cell division that can lead to cell death or human diseases. The purpose of cell division is to evenly distribute the genome between two daughter cells. To achieve this, every chromosome must properly interact with a football-shaped structure called the spindle. However, interaction errors between the chromosomes and spindle during division are amazingly common, occurring in 86 to 90 percent of chromosomes, says cell biologist Thomas Maresca at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The key to flawless cell division is to correct dangerous interactions before the cell splits in two. read more