Asymmetric cell division (ACD) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism used by
prokaryotes and eukaryotes alike to control cell fate and generate cell diversity. A detailed …

Meiotic spindle assembly ensures proper chromosome segregation in oocytes. However,
the mechanisms behind spindle assembly in human oocytes remain largely unknown. We …

Centromeres are essential loci in eukaryotes that are necessary for the faithful segregation
of chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis. Centromeres organize the kinetochore, the protein …

The cortex controls cell shape. In mouse oocytes, the cortex thickens in an Arp2/3-complex-
dependent manner, ensuring chromosome positioning and segregation. Surprisingly, we …

Spindle bipolarization, the process of a microtubule mass transforming into a bipolar
spindle, is a prerequisite for accurate chromosome segregation. In contrast to mitotic cells …

Asymmetric division in female meiosis creates selective pressure favoring selfish
centromeres that bias their transmission to the egg. This centromere drive can explain the …

Meiotic errors of relatively small chromosomes in oocytes result in egg aneuploidies that
cause miscarriages and congenital diseases. Unlike somatic cells, which preferentially mis …

Gametes undergo a specialized and reductional cell division termed meiosis. Female
gametes (oocytes) undergo two rounds of meiosis; the first meiotic division produces the …

Centromeres connect chromosomes and spindle microtubules to ensure faithful
chromosome segregation. Paradoxically, despite this conserved function, centromeric DNA …

Aneuploidy seriously compromises female fertility and increases incidence of birth defects.
Rates of aneuploidy in human eggs from even young women are significantly higher than …