Skip to main content
Fig. 2 | BMC Biology

Fig. 2

From: Pivoting of microtubules driven by minus-end-directed motors leads to spindle assembly

Fig. 2

MTs slide sideways towards each other’s minus end during alignment. a Time-lapse images of a wild-type cell expressing GFP-tubulin and Sid4-GFP (strain KI061) during the formation of an antiparallel bundle. Images are maximum-intensity projections, time is given in min:s, scale bar, 1 μm. b Measurement of the angle between the MTs, α, the contour length of MTs, L1 + L2, and the distance between the SPBs, dSPB. The contour length of the MTs is defined as a segmented line (magenta) starting at one SPB, passing through the contact point between the MTs, and ending at the other SPB. SPBs are represented as spheres and MTs as rods; plus and minus signs designate the respective ends of MTs. c Angle between MTs, α, as a function of time. d Contour length difference as a function of time. The contour length difference is defined as the difference between the contour length, L1 + L2, at a given time and the contour length at t = 0, Δ(L1 + L2) = L1 + L2 − (L1 + L2)|t = 0. e The difference of distances between the SPBs as a function of time, defined as the difference between the SPB distance, dSPB, at a given time and the distance at t = 0, ΔdSPB = dSPB − dSPB|t = 0. In panels c–e, the same strain as in a was used; time 0 is the time when the antiparallel bundle was formed; n = 14 cells; individual cells (colored lines), mean value (black line), and s.e.m. (shaded area) are shown

Back to article page