Analysis of mouse oocyte mechanics shows that effective tension drops 6-fold from prophase I to metaphase II; the metaphase II egg has a 2.5-fold tension differential between the cortex over the spindle and the opposite cortex. Manipulation of actin, myosin-II, or ERMs alters tension levels and induces spindle abnormalities during meiosis II.

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This project was supported by R01 HD037696 and R01 HD045671 from the NIH to J.P.E. Cortical tension studies were supported by R01 GM66817 to D.N.R. The authors declare there are no financial conflicts of interest.