Kinetochore structure reveals how it takes hold
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 - 08:01
in Biology & Nature
(Phys.org) -- With the first-ever three-dimensional image of an isolated kinetochore the bulky molecular machine that connects a chromosome to the long, thin microtubules that tug it to one end of a dividing cell -- scientists can now see how the machine establishes and maintains its grip, even as the microtubule tip it holds onto shrinks away. Maintaining that grip is essential to ensure that new cells receive the appropriate allotment of chromosomes.