Mitotic spindle proteins

Mitotic spindle proteins encompass a broad class of structural and regulatory molecules required for the formation and operation of the spindle apparatus during mitosis [1]. This group includes tubulin subunits that polymerize into microtubules, motor proteins like kinesins (e.g., Kinesin-5/Eg5) and dyneins that generate mechanical forces, and regulatory enzymes such as Aurora kinases and Polo-like kinases (PLKs) [2][3]. Their fundamental biological role is to orchestrate the alignment and segregation of sister chromatids to ensure genomic stability during cell division [4]. In oncology, these proteins are critical therapeutic targets because their inhibition triggers the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), leading to prolonged mitotic arrest and programmed cell death in rapidly dividing cancer cells [5]. While traditional agents like taxanes and vinca alkaloids target microtubule stability, newer generations of drugs focus on specific motor proteins and kinases to improve selectivity and reduce the neurotoxicity associated with microtubule disruption [6].

Other names

Spindle apparatus proteinsMitotic apparatus proteinsMicrotubule-associated proteins

Drugs targeting mitotic spindle proteins primarily act by disrupting microtubule dynamics (stabilization or destabilization), inhibiting motor protein-mediated spindle assembly, or blocking regulatory kinases, all of which lead to mitotic arrest and apoptosis [1][2][5].