Electrostatic Considerations in Mitosis. Integrating Physics and Cell Biology in Mitosis

📙 Identifying the motive force is central to explaining chromosome motions during mitosis. Presently, there is no consensus on what it is. The author has proposed a minimal assumptions model for the dynamics of post-attachment chromosome motions based on nanoscale electrostatics. Given the electrical properties of tubulin and the dynamic instability of microtubules, it is possible to account for prometaphase post-attachment, metaphase, and anaphase chromosome motions within a comprehensive model. The model addresses all of the following in a unified manner:

Efficiency of aster and spindle assembly and the motive force for the motion of asters and forming half-spindles.
Chromatid pair attachment.
Motion of monovalently attached chromatid pairs.
Motion of bivalently attached chromatid pairs and chromosome congression.
Metaphase chromatid pair oscillations.
Chromatid separation and anaphase-A chromosome motion.
Anaphase-B pole separation.
An ab-initio calculation of the maximum tension force exerted by a microtubule during mitosis that falls within the experimental range.
Poleward force generation of chromosomes at poles with associated microtubule flux.