Mitosis in Oedogonium: spindle microfilaments and the origin of the kinetochore fiber.

Abstract

New ultrastructural observations of mitosis in the closed spindle of Oedogonium cardiacum have been made using cells fixed with glutaraldehyde and tannic acid. Fine filaments 5 to 8 nm in diameter are attached to kinetochores from prophase through anaphase. Some are free in the early division nucleus while others emanate from forming kinetochores at prophase when few if any microtubules (MTs) are inside the nucleus. During prometaphase, MTs invade the nucleus from the poles and appear to interact with the microfilaments. Early in prometaphase, numerous MTs are laterally associated with kinetochores, and the kinetochore fiber is often formed first at one kinetochore of a pair. During metaphas..