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【Abstract】

Centrosome dynamics is essential in mitosis. In eukaryotic cells, the mitotic spindle forms during cell division and ultimately separates the chromosomes into the daughter cells. The position and orientation of the division plane, which is of fundamental importance for proper growth and development, are regulated by the spindle’s position and orientation. Despite extensive knowledge about the molecular basis of spindle positioning and dynamics, the underlying force mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we developed a coarse-grained model of the spindle, which accounts for the dynamics of microtubules nucleating from centrosomes and their interactions with motor proteins localized on the cell cortex. Our model quantitatively explains observed spindle dynamics in C. elegans embryos, such as elongation, asymmetric positioning, and oscillation. It also quantitatively predicts the scaling of these traits with cell size. When the cell exits the mitotic cycle, the centrosome turns into the basis for ciliogenesis: the assembly of primary cilium in almost all cell types. A slender-body model for the bending of primary cilium under flow is developed to estimate the mechanical properties of the cilium axoneme. I will also present recent results on understanding the mechanobiology of primary cilia, which give quantitative insight into the mechanosensing of primary cilia.