How does the cell know where its center is?

2001/04/26 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Biologia

Phong Tran and his team at Columbia University in New York have published in the journal The Journal of Cell Biology a paper on yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Researchers have seen large bundles of microtubules such as protein railways that go from the core to the edges of the cell. Other works previously performed indicated that the core was driven by railways, following an unknown sign. In contrast, Tran's study shows that intracellular organization correctors are the microtubules themselves.

These microtubules push against the end of the cell, directing the nucleus toward the center of the cell edges. Microtubules grow from the cell axis to the edges to the end. Then they stop their growth and return to the center pushing the core to their position.

According to the researchers, the computer model based on the forces of microtubules shows that the nucleus can be a direct explanation of the mechanism of being in the center of the cell.