Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40769151›Full record

ArticleCurrent biology : CB2025

NuMA mechanically reinforces the spindle independently of its partner dynein.

Nathan H Cho, Merve Aslan, Aryan Taheri, Ahmet Yildiz, Sophie Dumont

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Current biology : CB, 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. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Nathan H ChoDepartment of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: nathancho95@gmail.com.
Merve AslanBiophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Aryan TaheriDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Ahmet YildizBiophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Sophie DumontDepartment of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: sophie.dumont@ucsf.edu.

Funding

The Mechanism and Regulation of the Dynein Transport MachineryR35GM136414 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI Ahmet Yildiz · 2020 to 2026
$5.1M
Assembly and function of cytoskeletal systems in eukaryotic and prokaryoticcellsR35GM118119 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI MULLINS, R DYCHE · 2016 to 2025
$4.8M
Microscopy system upgradeR35GM136420 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Sophie Dumont · 2020 to 2026
$4.6M
Defining the mechanisms by which NuMA drives spindle mechanical robustnessF31CA275394 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CHO, NATHAN · 2023 to 2025
$89k
NCI NIH HHS F31 CA275394NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM118119NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM136414NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM136420
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

During cell division, both motor and non-motor proteins organize microtubules to build the spindle and maintain it against opposing forces. Nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA), a long microtubule-binding protein, is essential to spindle structure and function. NuMA recruits the motor dynein to actively cluster spindle microtubule minus-ends, but whether NuMA performs other spindle roles remains unknown. Here, we show that NuMA acts independently of dynein to passively reinforce the mammalian spindle. NuMA that cannot bind dynein is sufficient to protect spindle poles against fracture under external force. In contrast, NuMA with a shorter coiled coil or disrupted self-interactions cannot protect spindle poles, and NuMA turnover differences cannot explain mechanical differences. In vitro, NuMA's C terminus self-interacts and bundles microtubules without dynein, dependent on residues essential to pole protection in vivo. Together, this suggests that NuMA reinforces spindle poles by crosslinking microtubules, using its long coiled coil and self-interactions to reach multiple, far-reaching pole microtubules. We propose that NuMA acts as a mechanical "multitasker" targeting contractile motor activity and separately crosslinking microtubules, with both functions synergizing to drive spindle mechanical robustness.

Indexed as

Cell Cycle ProteinsDyneinsNuclear Matrix-Associated ProteinsSpindle ApparatusAnimalsHeLa CellsHumansMicrotubulesCell Cycle ProteinsDyneinsNuclear Matrix-Associated ProteinsNUMA1 protein, humancrosslinkingdyneinforcemechanicsmicrotubulesNuMApolerobustnessself-organizationspindle

Identifiers

PMID40769151
PMCPMC12348805

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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.