Rick Deibler

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Background on Mitosis and Cell Division

During mitosis the cell must undergo a series of profound morphological changes that are required for the exacting nature of chromosome segregation and cell division. Yet these dramatic alterations are incompatible with the proper functioning of the cell during interphase. Consequently, entry into mitosis is an exquisitely regulated process. Much insight into the biochemical regulation of mitotic entry has been derived from experiments performed in the extracts of unfertilized Xenopus laevis eggs. However, the cell cycle exhibited in the frog system differs greatly from cell division observed in proliferating somatic cells.

Current Research on a Mammalian Cell-Free Mitotic System

To overcome these limitations of the Xenopus egg extract system, without losing its biochemical tractability, and to produce a more quantitatively accurate model of the mammalian cell cycle, we have reconstituted a mammalian cell-free system that recapitulates mitotic entry. This system is being used to generate a quantitative molecular description of how a cell would change during mitotic entry. It is also being used in a screen to identify novel players involved in the transition into mitosis.