| Correct positioning of the mitotic spindle with respect to the cleavage plane is necessary for successful cell division and development. A direct way to study positioning in a cell employs mechanical perturbation of intracellular structures. For this purpose we developed a combined system for nonlinear microscopy, laser nanosurgery, and optical trapping. By dissecting single microtubules or displacing the nucleus we explored how the mitotic spindle gets aligned with the cell axis, as well as when and how the cell positions its division plane. |
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