Tension-clock control of human mitotic chromosome oscillations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a tension-based control model for sister chromosome oscillations during cell division, capturing realistic oscillation patterns and switching behaviors through a semi-analytical approach and noise incorporation.

Contribution

It presents a novel tension threshold model that explains chromosome oscillations and their stochastic switching behavior during mitosis.

Findings

Model exhibits three stable periodic solutions.

Incorporation of noise reproduces realistic oscillations.

Model captures switching of oscillation direction between sister chromosomes.

Abstract

During cell division paired (sister) chromosomes are observed to perform approximate saw-tooth oscillations across the cell mid-plane. Experimental data suggests that these oscillations are regulated through intersister tension. We propose a time dependent tension threshold model that exhibits three stable periodic solutions and the phase diagram can be generated semi-analytically. Incorporation of diffusive noise reproduces realistic oscillations, with realistic periods, amplitudes and reproducing the observation that either sister of the pair can switch direction first.