Pivot Properties

Before a cell can divide, it needs to split its DNA exactly in half. In this human cell, pairs of DNA chromosomes (artificially coloured blue here) collect along a central equator of the cell, attached to ‘spindle fibres’ (white) that will eventually pull them in half towards the 'poles' or centrosomes of the cell (the white dots here). But there’s a potential problem – some chromosomes attach on the wrong side of the poles. These 'polar' chromosomes need to be steered towards the equator, or risk chromosome instability and diseases like cancer. In a rapid flourish, the centrosomes move apart, stretching the spindles like a cat’s cradle, and pivoting any stray chromosomes towards the centre. Researchers may now look for genetic mutations that might explain errors in this vital pivoting – and clues to treatments for specific forms of cancer where chromosomes go awry.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

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A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Isabella Koprivec & Valentina Štimac, and colleagues
• Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial – NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
• Published in Nature Communications, March 2026