Respective roles of centrosomes and chromatin in the conversion of microtubule arrays from interphase to metaphase.

We report the results of studies in which partially purified centrosomes, nuclei, and DNA were injected into frog's eggs, which are naturally arrested in metaphase or interphase. These results have led to an independent assessment of the contributions of the centrosome and the chromatin to the formation of the mitotic spindle and suggest a simple explanation for the transition from interphase to metaphase microtubule arrays.