Power-law scaling of mitotic spindles with genome sizes across eukaryotes is driven by chromosome crowding.

Metaphase plate width in eukaryotes scales with genome size following a power law with an exponent of approximately 1/3, driven by chromosome crowding.

• Why it matters: Understanding how mitotic spindles adapt to the vast variation in genome size is crucial for insights into cell division, evolution, and disease processes such as cancer.
• What they did: The study analyzed across eukaryotes, cell lines, and meiotic systems, revealing that chromosome volume correlates linearly with genome size, and physical models show chromosome crowding influences spindle width.
• The result: This scaling law explains how cells accommodate large genomic differences and sheds light on the evolution of mitosis, polyploidy tolerance, and cell division mechanisms.