The bipolar mitotic kinesin Eg5 moves on both microtubules that it crosslinks

Abstract

During cell division, mitotic spindles are assembled by microtubule-based motor proteins^1,2. The bipolar organization of spindles is essential for proper segregation of chromosomes, and requires plus-end-directed homotetrameric motor proteins of the widely conserved kinesin-5 (BimC) family³. Hypotheses for bipolar spindle formation include the ‘push–pull mitotic muscle’ model, in which kinesin-5 and opposing motor proteins act between overlapping microtubules^2,4,5. However, the precise roles of kinesin-5 during this process are unknown. Here we show that the vertebrate kinesin-5 Eg5 drives the sliding of microtubules depending on their relative orientation. We found in controlled in vitro assays that Eg5 has the remarkable capability of simultaneously moving at ∼ 20 nm s^-1 towards the plus-ends of each of the two microtubules it crosslinks. For anti-parallel microtubules, this results in relative sliding at ∼ 40 nm s^-1, comparable to spindle pole separation rates in vivo ⁶. Furthermore, we found that Eg5 can tether microtubule plus-ends, suggesting an additional microtubule-binding mode for Eg5. Our results demonstrate how members of the kinesin-5 family are likely to function in mitosis, pushing apart interpolar microtubules as well as recruiting microtubules into bundles that are subsequently polarized by relative sliding.