Abstract
ANAPHASE and cytokinesis are key processes in the segregation of replicated chromosomes to the daughter cells: in anaphase, chromosomes move apart; in cytokinesis, a cleavage furrow forms midway between the separated chromosomes. Some evidence suggests that chromosomes may be involved both in controlling the timing of anaphase onset1–3 and in dictating the position of the cleavage furrow3. Other evidence indicates that the controlling mechanisms are intrinsic to the spindle and the cell4–7. Here we test these possibilities in grasshopper spermatocytes by observing spindles and cells after removal of chromosomes. We found that both anaphase and cytokinesis occur independently of chromosomes: stage-specific changes occur at an appropriate time and in the correct way, despite the absence of chromosomes. This finding is particularly noteworthy because chromosomes have an important impact on spindle microtubule assembly8,9 and the timing of anaphase onset10 in these cells.
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Zhang, D., Nicklas, R. 'Anaphase' and cytokinesis in the absence of chromosomes. Nature 382, 466–468 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/382466a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/382466a0
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