A hidden mechanism changes what we know about cell division

 



A companion study showed that centromeres, small structures on chromosomes once believed to work on their own, play a guiding role in directing CENP-E so it can help the division process unfold correctly. Together, these results overturn two decades of accepted teaching and carry major implications, since mistakes in chromosome attachment are linked to many cancers and genetic disorders.

Why Early Chromosome Positioning Matters

Every moment, in countless cells across the body, division takes place with extraordinary precision. A single cell duplicates three billion DNA letters and manages to distribute perfect copies to both daughter cells.

When that delicate process fails, the consequences can be serious. Even one chromosome in the wrong place can disrupt development, contribute to infertility, or trigger cancer. Cell division offers little room for error.

For many years, researchers believed they understood one of the central players: CENP-E, often described as a motor protein that hauled stray chromosomes toward the middle of the dividing cell. The idea was simple, widely taught, and ultimately incorrect.

Researchers Uncover a Different Role for CENP-E

Two studies from RBI, published in Nature Communications and led by Dr. Kruno Vukušić and Professor Iva Tolić, break down the earlier model and present a new explanation. Dr. Vukušić trained as a postdoctoral researcher within a highly selective ERC Synergy team and is now preparing to lead his own group at RBI. Prof. Tolić, a recognized global expert in cell biophysics and head of the Laboratory for Cell Biophysics at RBI, holds two ERC grants and is a member of EMBO and Academia Europaea. Their work shows that CENP-E is not the "muscle" dragging chromosomes into place but a key regulator that activates at the right moment to allow everything else to fall into line.

"CENP-E is not the engine pulling chromosomes to the center," Vukušić says. "It is the factor that ensures they can attach properly in the first place. Without that initial stabilization, the system stalls."

#CellDivision
#Mitosis
#Meiosis
#CellCycle
#Cytokinesis
#ChromosomeSegregation
#SpindleAssembly
#DNAReplication
#CellProliferation
#MolecularBiology

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