Mechanisms regulating microtubule nucleation in frog eggs

Determine the molecular and biophysical mechanisms that regulate microtubule nucleation during early development in Xenopus laevis (frog) eggs, including the identities and dynamics of nucleators, co-factors, and spatial control processes.

Background

Microtubules are central to cellular architecture, polarity, division, and development, yet key steps that initiate their assembly in vivo are poorly resolved.

Xenopus frog eggs are a widely used model for studying spindle assembly and early embryonic development, but how microtubule nucleation is controlled in this system remains to be defined mechanistically.