Molecular components of the mitotic spindle

Mitotic spindles constitute the machinery responsible for equidistribution of the genetic material into each daughter cell during cell division. They are transient and hence quite labile structures, changing their morphology even while performing their function. Biochemical, immunological and genetic analyses of mitotic cells have allowed us to identify a variety of molecules that are recruited to form the spindle at the onset of mitosis. Evaluation of the roles of these molecules in both the formation and in the dynamics of spindle microtubules should be important for understanding the molecular basis of mitosis and its regulation. We have recently identified a novel mitosis-specific microtubule-associated protein (MAP) using a monoclonal antibody probe raised against the mitotic spindles isolated from cultured mammalian cells. This 95/105 kDa antigen represents a unique component of the spindle distinct from any of the other MAPs reported so far. Antibody microinjection resulted in mitotic inhibition in a stage-specific and dose-dependent manner, indicating that the protein is an essential spindle component.