The bipolar shape of the microtubule-based spindle is a pivotal morphological phenotype for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. However, existing descriptions of spindle morphogenesis remain largely qualitative. Here, we introduce a method that provides a quantitative description of the morphological growth dynamics of spindles using Xenopus egg cytoplasmic extract and a computational image analysis pipeline. Our method allows for determining the characteristic growth dynamics of bipolar and non-bipolar spindles, comparing their spatiotemporal differences and changes in response to physical and biochemical perturbations.
Keywords: Large-field confocal live imaging; Machine learning; Morphodynamics; Quantitative shape analysis; Spindle assembly; Xenopus egg extract.
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