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The structure of the cold-stable kinetochore fiber in metaphase PtK1 cells

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Abstract

When metaphase PtK1 cells are cooled to 6–8 ° C for 4–6 h the free, polar, and astral spindle microtubules (MTs) disassemble while the MTs of each kinetochore fiber cluster together and persist as bundles of cold-stable MTs. These cold-stable kinetochore fibers are similar to untreated kinetochore fibers in both their length (i.e., 5–6 μm) and in the number of kinetochore-associated MTs (i.e., 20–45) of which they are comprised. Quantitative information concerning the lengths of MTs within these fibers was obtained by tracking individual MTs between serial transverse sections. Approximately 1/2 of the kinetochore MTs in each fiber were found to run uninterrupted into the polar region of the spindle. It can be inferred from this and other data that a substantial number of MTs run uninterrupted between the kinetochore and the polar region in untreated metaphase PtK1 cells.

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  1. New York State Department of Health, Division of Laboratories and Research, Empire State Plaza, 12201, Albany, New York, USA

    Conly L. Rieder

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  1. Conly L. Rieder
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Rieder, C.L. The structure of the cold-stable kinetochore fiber in metaphase PtK1 cells. Chromosoma 84, 145–158 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293368

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293368

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