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A long-standing conundrum is how mitotic chromosomes can compact, as required for clean separation to daughter cells, while maintaining close parallel alignment of sister chromatids. Pursuit of this question, by high resolution 3D fluorescence imaging of living and fixed mammalian cells, has led to three discoveries. First, we show that the structural axes of separated sister chromatids are linked by evenly spaced "mini-axis" bridges. Second, when chromosomes first emerge as discrete units, at prophase, they are organized as co-oriented sister linear loop arrays emanating from a conjoined axis. We show that this same basic organization persists throughout mitosis, without helical coiling. Third, from prophase onward, chromosomes are deformed into sequential arrays of half-helical segments of alternating handedness (perversions), accompanied by correlated kinks. These arrays fluctuate dynamically over <15 s timescales. Together these discoveries redefine the foundation for thinking about the evolution of mitotic chromosomes as they prepare for anaphase segregation.
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
December 1970,
Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences. Serie D: Sciences naturelles,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
March 2019,
Chromosoma,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
September 2021,
Seminars in cell & developmental biology,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
November 2021,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
September 2021,
Quarterly reviews of biophysics,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
February 2011,
Current opinion in cell biology,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
November 2021,
Molecular cell,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
January 1986,
Postepy biochemii,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
November 2016,
Molecular cell,
Lingluo Chu, and
Zhangyi Liang, and
Maria Mukhina, and
Jay Fisher, and
Nadine Vincenten, and
Zheng Zhang, and
John Hutchinson, and
Denise Zickler, and
Nancy Kleckner
August 1956,
Science (New York, N.Y.),
