Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39485274›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of cell biology2025

Kinetochores grip microtubules with directionally asymmetric strength.

Joshua D Larson, Natalie A Heitkamp, Lucas E Murray, Andrew R Popchock, Sue Biggins, Charles L Asbury

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of cell biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Structure and function of the outer kinetochore.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Joshua D LarsonDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9405-3837
Natalie A HeitkampDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-3866-1384
Lucas E MurrayDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5680-732X
Andrew R PopchockBasic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-2150-7222
Sue BigginsBasic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4499-6319
Charles L AsburyDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0143-5394

Funding

EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASET32HL007312 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MAJESKY, MARK W., SCHWARTZ, STEPHEN MARK · 1985 to 2019
$11.8M
Regulation of Chromosome SegregationR01GM064386 · NIGMS · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER · PI BIGGINS, SUSAN · 2002 to 2022
$7.2M
Reconstitution and biophysical study of chromosome segregation machineryR35GM134842 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI Charles L Asbury · 2020 to 2026
$4.7M
Supplement to Biophysical Study of Reconstituted Kinetochore-microtubule AttachmentsR01GM079373 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI ASBURY, CHARLES · 2006 to 2019
$4.5M
Mechanisms underlying chromosome segregationR35GM149357 · NIGMS · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER · PI Susan Biggins · 2023 to 2026
$1.5M
Elucidating the mechanisms of kinetochore assembly initiationF32GM136010 · NIGMS · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER · PI POPCHOCK, ANDREW R · 2020 to 2021
$131k
Howard Hughes Medical InstituteNHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL007312NIGMS NIH HHS F32 GM136010NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM064386NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM079373NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM134842NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM149357NIH HHS T32HL007312University of WashingtonWashington Research Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

For accurate mitosis, all chromosomes must achieve "biorientation," with replicated sister chromatids coupled via kinetochores to the plus ends of opposing microtubules. However, kinetochores first bind the sides of microtubules and subsequently find plus ends through a trial-and-error process; accurate biorientation depends on the selective release of erroneous attachments. Proposed mechanisms for error-correction have focused mainly on plus-end attachments. Whether erroneous side attachments are distinguished from correct side attachments is unknown. Here, we show that side-attached kinetochores are very sensitive to microtubule polarity, gripping sixfold more strongly when pulled toward plus versus minus ends. This directionally asymmetric grip is conserved in human and yeast subcomplexes, and it correlates with changes in the axial arrangement of subcomplexes within the kinetochore, suggesting that internal architecture dictates attachment strength. We propose that the kinetochore's directional grip promotes accuracy during early mitosis by stabilizing correct attachments even before both sisters have found plus ends.

Indexed as

KinetochoresMicrotubulesMitosisChromosome SegregationHeLa CellsHumansMicrotubule-Associated ProteinsSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSaccharomyces cerevisiae ProteinsMicrotubule-Associated ProteinsSaccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

Identifiers

PMID39485274
PMCPMC11533501

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.