Open research questions in Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
140 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 315 Microtubule and mitosis dynamics papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
experimental validation of CPPF binding mode - investigation of CPPF effects on microtubule dynamics - study of CPPF resistance mechanisms
Integrative AI-assisted modeling suggests CPPF binding at a composite α/β-tubulin interface pocket dominated by β-tubulin contacts · 2026 · DOIThe mechanism of CPPF binding to microtubules is not well understood. The role of β-tubulin residues in CPPF binding is not clear. The development of effective microtubule-targeting agents is hindered by a lack of understanding of the binding mechanism.
Integrative AI-assisted modeling suggests CPPF binding at a composite α/β-tubulin interface pocket dominated by β-tubulin contacts · 2026 · DOICIN is difficult to diagnose with precision, - conventional methodologies rely on indirect, population-level proxies rather than measures of ongoing CIN, - FISH interrogates only a limited subset of chromosomes and may be biased by chromosome-specific alterations, - mitotic analyses are restricted to highly proliferative tumors with sufficient mitotic figures, - gene expression-based CIN scores lack specificity and are strongly influenced by proliferation and steady genomic alterations
Chromosomal instability in cancer: sources, consequences and new therapeutic opportunities · 2026 · DOIIncreasing our CIN detection capabilities holds considerable promise for both research and clinical practice purposes
Chromosomal instability in cancer: sources, consequences and new therapeutic opportunities · 2026 · DOICancer cells' ability to tolerate mitotic errors and sustain proliferation. The need to identify a druggable interface for disrupting UBASH3B-dependent Aurora B regulation. The challenge of selectively inhibiting cancer cell proliferation while sparing non-cancerous cells.
Pharmacological inhibition of UBASH3B induces mitotic arrest and selectively reduces tumor growth · 2026 · DOIBecause the transitions between these states are stochastic, MT age varies widely within a population.
The rare MTs that withstand prolonged exposure to destabilizing drugs such as nocodazole (NZ) are indeed enriched in PTMs; yet the relationships between MT age, PTMs and stability remain unclear.
Calcineurin (CN), a conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, is required for cytokinesis in organisms ranging from yeast to humans, yet how CN is regulated at the division site and the substrates through which it promotes cell division remain poorly understood.
A multivalent docking platform and Rcn1-mediated inhibition control the extent of calcineurin recruitment to the cell division site for the dephosphorylation of multiple cytokinetic proteins · 2026 · DOIHowever, its role in the malignant transformation (MT) of oral mucosa remains poorly understood.
However, acetylation regulation within the microtubule lumen and the influence of lattice architecture on enzymatic activity remain poorly understood.
Glycophagy, a selective form of autophagy critical for glycogen homeostasis, relies on the glycogen cargo receptor called starch-binding domain-containing protein 1 (STBD1), yet its evolutionary origins remain elusive.
Glycophagy is an ancient bilaterian pathway supporting metabolic adaptation through STBD1 structural evolution · 2026 · DOIThe molecular dependencies enabling cancer cells to tolerate mitotic errors and sustain proliferation remain poorly understood. The UBASH3B pathway and its role in cancer cell proliferation are not well understood.
Pharmacological inhibition of UBASH3B induces mitotic arrest and selectively reduces tumor growth · 2026 · DOIMotor proteins perform essential roles in spindle assembly and division, but little is known about the forces that motors produce in spindles.
These forces serve as sensory cues in mechanosensory neurons, but their impact on other neuron types remains poorly defined.
Despite their functional importance, the intrinsic structural properties of these peptide segments remain poorly characterized due to their intrinsically disordered nature.
Tubulin E-Hook Hexamers Reveal Sequence-Dependent Compaction and Transient Secondary Structure Signatures · 2026 · DOITherefore, the link between GTP hydrolysis, protofilament structure and microtubule polymerization state is poorly understood.
Microtubule dynamics are defined by conformations and stability of clustered protofilaments · 2025 · DOIHowever, the role and mechanism of PCM1 in centrosome remodeling and sperm maturation remain to be elucidated.
PCM1 orchestrates centrosomal and flagellar protein transport to promote sperm maturation · 2025 · DOICCAN binding at the centromere is stabilized upon mitotic entry, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
NuMA recruits the motor dynein to actively cluster spindle microtubule minus-ends, but whether NuMA performs other spindle roles remains unknown.
How the stability and polarity of these arrays are maintained when individual MTs remain highly dynamic is still an open question.
CRMP/UNC-33 maintains neuronal microtubule arrays by promoting individual microtubule rescue · 2025 · DOIThis review summarizes recent insights into plant kinetochore biology, compares plant kinetochores with those of animals and fungi, and highlights key open questions and potential future directions in the field.
Additionally, the role of microtubule dynamics in manchette formation remains unclear.
Although the function of KIF2C in mitosis has been extensively studied, its role in meiosis remains unclear.
However, recent study showed that PBD BM alone is not enough for stable binding between CENP-U and Plk1 highlighting the complexity of the interaction which warrants further investigation.
While it is known that tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for proper ciliary motility, the mode and extent to which they contribute to these interactions remain poorly understood.
Protofilament-specific nanopatterns of tubulin post-translational modifications regulate the mechanics of ciliary beating · 2024 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Protein folding in the cell · Nature · 1992 · 3,293 citations
- The Polycomb complex PRC2 and its mark in life · Nature · 2011 · 3,010 citations
- Promotion of microtubule assembly in vitro by taxol · Nature · 1979 · 2,863 citations
- Dynamic instability of microtubule growth · Nature · 1984 · 2,800 citations
- MINFLUX dissects the unimpeded walking of kinesin-1 · Science · 2023 · 200 citations
- Direct observation of motor protein stepping in living cells using MINFLUX · Science · 2023 · 175 citations
- Axonemal structures reveal mechanoregulatory and disease mechanisms · Nature · 2023 · 171 citations
- Microgenesis and aphasia. · Journal of Abnormal & Social Psychology · 1956 · 136 citations
- TRAK adaptors regulate the recruitment and activation of dynein and kinesin in mitochondrial transport · Nature Communications · 2023 · 106 citations
- The Whole Life Cycle of Chromosomes and Their Coiling Systems · Transactions of the American Philosophical Society · 1949 · 86 citations
Most recent work
- The Centrosome as an Integrative Sensor of Cellular History · Longevity Horizon · 2026
- Centriole Aging Disrupts Two Distinct Functions — Cilia Signaling and MTOC Organisation — Driving Organismal Aging: A Hypothesis · Longevity Horizon · 2026
- Targeting genomic instability in cancer · Cell · 2026
- Microtubule dynamics control the direction of cardiomyocyte growth · Science · 2026
- WITHDRAWN: Dual-color MINFLUX: Kinesin-1 takes Chasse-Inchworm steps · bioRxiv · 2026
- Cell and Nuclear Size Is Associated with Chromosomal Instability and Tumorigenicity in Cancer Cells That Undergo Whole Genome Doubling · Cancer Research · 2026
- DNA tensiometer reveals catch-bond detachment kinetics of kinesin-1, -2 and -3 · bioRxiv · 2026
- Glycophagy is an ancient bilaterian pathway supporting metabolic adaptation through STBD1 structural evolution · Communications Biology · 2026
- Cohesin and its regulation promote monopolar kinetochore orientation at meiosis I in Arabidopsis · Current Biology · 2026
- Loss and gain of motor protein function cause microtubule bundle damage in Drosophila axons · Current Biology · 2026
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