Aster Centering

If you look at an animal cell during interphase you will find that the centrosome and the nucleus are located at the cell’s center. The correct positioning of these structures at the center of the cell is necessary for its survival. This centering is an active process and has gathered a lot of interest throughout the years. Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for the forces needed to move the centrosome, all of which involve microtubules and/or molecular motors. The details of these mechanisms are not yet fully understood and could be cell-type dependent. We are studying the role microtubules and molecular motors play in centrosome centration in large cells such as the Xenopus laevis embryo.

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