Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Dissertations that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.
ORCID
N/A
Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Molecular & Cellular Biology
Degree Type
Master of Science (M.S.)
Year Degree Awarded
2016
Month Degree Awarded
May
Abstract
In LLC-Pk1 cells, and most cultured mammalian cells, cell division is highly regulated to achieve equal sized daughter cells. During this process, duplicated centrosomes separate and establish a bipolar array called the mitotic spindle. The mitotic spindle is responsible for aligning the chromosomes at the metaphase plate, and separating sister chromatids during anaphase. Spindle positioning and elongation are thought to be driven by the interaction between dynamic astral microtubules and cortical dynein. Extensive research has revealed that dynein is anchored to the cortex via the highly conserved NuMA/LGN/Gαi ternary complex in metaphase and the additional PIP/PIP2/NuMA, or 4.1G/R/NuMA, pathways during anaphase. Although substantial research has been conducted on the proteins involved with this process, it is unclear exactly how a cell is able to generate forces for spindle positioning and elongation. Here, I use photoactivation and FRAP techniques to investigate the role of the midzone during spindle elongation, and how cortical dynein is able to drive this process. I provide evidence that microtubule sliding in the midzone is not precisely coordinated with pole separation, however the two actions are interdependent. In addition, I demonstrate that cortical dynein dynamics are significantly enhanced during anaphase, most likely due to an increased length and stability of astral microtubules. I hypothesize that this increased turnover rate allows for rapid redistribution of dynein throughout the cortex to ensure proper spindle elongation.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/8443464
First Advisor
Patricia Wadsworth
Recommended Citation
Jordan, Heather M., "An in Vivo Study of Cortical Dynein Dynamics and its Contribution to Microtubule Sliding in the Midzone" (2016). Masters Theses. 352.
https://doi.org/10.7275/8443464
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/352