Rotation of the cell nucleus in living cells: a quantitative analysis

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Abstract
Nuclear rotation is observed in a variety of cell types. However, few quantitative analyses are reported and the significance of this phenomenon is still unclear. To investigate this type of nuclear movement, we performed a quantitative analysis in mouse L‐929 fibroblasts, a cell line chosen since it displays a high nuclear rotational activity. Analyses were performed using time‐lapse microcinematography. The relationship between nuclear rotation and other cellular phenomena such as the cell cycle and locomotion were studied. Then, we investigated the rotation in a population of sister cells to study whether it is genetically determined. Finally, we performed a qualitative analysis of nuclear rotation in different cultured cell lines. Results show that nuclear rotations preferentially occur during the phases of the cell cycle which surround mitosis.