Controlling Candidate Physical Inputs to the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

To ensure accurate chromosome segregation, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) prevents anaphase until chromosomes correctly attach to the spindle. The SAC detects some aspect of plus-end microtubule attachment to the kinetochore, and generation of tension is not sufficient to satisfy the SAC without it. However, we do not know whether tension is necessary to satisfy the SAC, and this is in part due to the difficulty of controlling tension in otherwise native end-on attachment scenarios. Here, we use laser ablation to change tension in real time, and we currently monitor SAC satisfaction.

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