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control spindle size, the partitioning of different MT populations, and the
roles of different MT nucleation pathways, among other features. Robust
spindle assembly and control of cell cycle and developmental states, the ease
of spindle manipulation in this biochemically tractable system, and the high-
resolution light microscopy approaches available all contribute to the power
of
Xenopus in vitro
systems. Although much of what has been learned from
Xenopus
extracts is yet to be generalized, we expect future experiments to
validate common principles of spindle organization and function across
many different species and disease states. Overall, as the mechanistic roles
of known spindle components are elucidated, we will understand how spe-
cific MT organizations emerge and how different spindle architectures con-
tribute to the common function of chromosome segregation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank all the Heald lab members for thoughtful discussions on the many subjects covered
in this review, and especially Marina Ellefson-Crowder, Magdalena Strzelecka, and Johanna
Roostalu for critical review of the chapter. We also thank Anne-Lore Schlaitz and Sadie
Wignall
(Northwestern University)
for beautiful
images of HeLa and
C.
elegans
spindles, respectively.
REFERENCES
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