High-resolution microscopy illuminates the mechanisms cells use to generate force, Maddox Lab

The ability to create and regulate force production is a fundamental feature of the cell. Specialized biopolymers such as microtubules and their associated motor proteins including dynein are responsible for producing and coordinating force production. Cortical forces generated in mitosis result from numerous short-lived membrane-anchored dynein-microtubule interactions integrated over space and time to position the mitotic spindle for successful division. Here, we use high-spatiotemporal resolution microscopy to create an experimentally-based model capable of classifying the behavior of membrane-bound force generators as they interact with the membrane and cytoskeletal machinery. READ MORE