Microtubule motors in spindle and chromosome motility

Many of the kinesin microtubule motor proteins discovered during the past 8–9 years have roles in spindle assembly and function or chromosome movement during meiosis or mitosis. The discovery of kinesin motor proteins with a clear involvement in spindle and chromosome motility, together with recent evidence that cytoplasmic dynein plays a role in chromosome distribution, has attracted great interest. The identification of microtubule motors that function in chromosome distribution represents a major advance in understanding the forces that underlie chromosome and spindle movements during cell division.