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Mechanobiology

Resistance is futile: Centering forces yield for asymmetric cell division

AUTHORS

Alper JJoshua , Zanic MMarija . The Journal of cell biology. 2019 2 15; 218(3). 727-728

ABSTRACT

Asymmetric cell division relies on microtubule-based forces to asymmetrically position the mitotic apparatus. In this issue, Sallé et al. (2019. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201807102) use magnetic tweezers to induce asymmetric division in sea urchin zygotes, demonstrating that asymmetry could arise from a time-dependent weakening of centering forces.