Question

Would you agree with the statement that the centrosome plays a key role in determining the rates of lengthening and shortening of the microtubules of an animal cell? Why or why not?

** The centrosome is the site of microtubule nucleation and synthesis so I agree that it helps create them and lengthening them to some extent but does it help in shortening them? This is the part i'm not sure off, if I look at the kinetochore where subunits are lost and added at the plus ends of the chromosomal microtubules, this is done by tubilin flux the centromere is not really involved except to anchor the microtubules at that point, I checked a couple of answers online and there seems to be a disagreement in responses so I would appreciate help on this one.

Answer 1

No. The centrosome is located at the opposite end from that where these events are occurring. Events at the plus end are determined by dynamic instability and plus-end bound proteins. Centromeres are the fundamental chromosomal structure where proteins nucleate to form kinetochores that bind to spindle microtubules and mediate chromosome segregation during cell division. But centrosome do not have any role in determining the rates of lengthening and shortening of the microtubules.